R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will engage in the process as the Minister as is appropriate. I don't want to say that I am going to sit at the negotiating table. I'm not arrogant enough to think that I can just do, you know, Mr. Nadli's job without a lot of background information, a lot of training, and a lot of time spent digging deep into the file. We have people who do that work, and it's my role to ensure that at the high level I'm providing the direction needed to get things done. And I am going to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize one of our former colleagues, Mr. Michael Nadli, and current negotiator for the Deh Cho First Nation. So if Members want to support that Deh Cho process, maybe we can wrap up question period early so I can sit down and meet with Mr. Nadli today. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today I had the honour of joining you and other Members of this House at the First Poppy Ceremony, marking the beginning of the season of Remembrance to honour the veterans and serving Members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Remembrance Day has been observed in Canada since 1919. It was originally known as Armistice Day and marked the end of the First World War in 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Each year since then Canadians have taken this day as a moment of solemn reflection.

Remembrance is our collective duty...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been enhanced cooperation around the territory with Indigenous governments. I can attest to that. Indigenous governments can attest to that. Maybe not every single person in the territory is on the same page and has the same opinion, but I hear it all the time that we are collaborating, cooperating in a different way, and it's much appreciated. That being said, there's collaborating in general, and then there's the negotiating table, and those are two different things. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to update you on progress made by the Government of the Northwest Territories' sector support initiative for non-governmental organizations. In response to the 2023 external advisory committee report on strengthening the non-profit and charitable sector, the GNWT has committed to building stronger relationships, cutting red tape, and making funding more reliable for NGOs. A cross-departmental committee is actively addressing the report's recommendations. This includes updating the NGO funding guide, developing training on implementing the guide, and strengthening...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the devolution agreement, it commits the parties to further negotiations. And so one of those -- I didn't fully answer the Member's second question. I don't think I wanted to leave a little bit because I figured he would ask that. And so one of the commitments is to review the McKenzie Valley Resource Management Act, the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, which really guides our regulatory system in here. And so we are having discussions with the Intergovernmental Council. Those discussions are beginning on what that future might look like. That is really one...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Probably a better conversation to have directly with the Minister of housing, but I know that there's about, I think, 900 individuals and families on waiting lists for housing across the territory. And so housing is really focusing on addressing those issues, working on ensuring that houses that need to be replaced that are past the end of their useful life are replaced, and so that's where a lot of the focus is right now. Nonetheless, this is still a live issue, and we'll continue to make progress where we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So based on feedback from community governments, MACA is adjusting the community public infrastructure policy to better address staffing housing challenges, particularly those affecting recruitment. MACA policy restrictions on using the CPI funding for staff housing had been suspended, and communities that have submitted staff housing in their financial reports have not been denied. So that's a yes, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, fortunately, before there was a lot of this discussion about Arctic sovereignty or Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic, we were already working to advance projects that will enhance Canada's sovereignty, things like the Mackenzie Valley Highway, things like the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, and that work remains ongoing. As well, we have at the departmental level my deputy minister is in very regular contact with folks over at DND. As well, there is regular contact with Joint Task Force North. You know, personally, I've met with Minister McGuinty, the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize President Marc Whitford of the North Slave Metis Alliance. He's been a great partner with the GNWT, and we are continuously strengthening our relationship, and I look forward to continuing that progress over the rest of this term. So welcome. Thank you.