Debates of February 5, 2025 (day 38)

February
5
2025
Session
20th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
38
Speaker
Shane Thompson
Word PDF
Members Present
Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Jay Macdonald, Hon. Vince McKay, Mr. McNeely, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. Lesa Semmler, Hon R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek.
Assembly Members
Topics
Bill 17: Municipal and Community Affairs Statutes Amendment Act
Bill 18: An Act to Amend the Partnership and Business Names Act
Committee Motion 54-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Prayer (Chapter Four), Carried
Committee Motion 55-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Prayer – Rule 5.4(2), Carried
Committee Motion 56-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Acknowledgements – Rule 5.8(2), Carried
Committee Motion 57-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Consolidation of Rules, Carried
Committee Motion 58-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Restrictions on When Replies to the Commissioner’s ...
Committee Motion 59-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Motions Location on Daily Orders, Carried
Committee Motion 60-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Returns to Oral Questions, Carried
Committee Motion 61-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Oral Questions, Carried
Committee Motion 62-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Follow-up Information to Oral Questions – Rule 7.2(...
Committee Motion 63-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Follow-up Information to Oral Questions – Rule 7.2(...
Committee Motion 64-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Sitting Hours – Rule 2.2(1), Carried
Committee Motion 65-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Sitting Hours – Rule 2.2(2), Carried
Committee Motion 66-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Ministers’ Statements in Committee of the Whole, Ca...
Committee Motion 67-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Ministers’ Statements in Committee of the Whole –...
Committee Motion 68-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Short Titles for Bills, Carried
Committee Motion 69-20(1): Committee Report 17-20(1): Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly – Prayer, Carried
Member’s Statement 430-20(1): Support for Northwest Territories Residents
Member’s Statement 431-20(1): State of the Northwest Territories
Member’s Statement 432-20(1): Request for Support for the Town of Norman WElls
Member’s Statement 433-20(1): Improving the Land Use Permitting Process
Member’s Statement 434-20(1): Respite Care and At-Home Care
Member’s Statement 435-20(1): Welcome Back Message
Member’s Statement 436-20(1): Tariffs
Member’s Statement 437-20(1): State of the Northwest Territories
Member’s Statement 438-20(1): Hay River Curling Team Success
Member’s Statement 439-20(1): Celebration of Life of Avery Julianna Burke
Minister’s Statement 87-20(1): Minister Absent from the House
Minister’s Statement 88-20(1): Sessional Statement
Question 424-20(1): Canada-USA Tariffs and Trade
Question 425-20(1): Arctic Sovereignty and Investment
Question 426-20(1): Public Lands Act Regulations Update
Question 427-20(1): Out-of-Territory Care, Supportive Living and Respite Care
Question 428-20(1): Out-of-Territory Care, Supportive Living and Respite Care
Question 429-20(1): Green New Deal and Critical Minerals
Question 430-20(1): Quarrying and Land-Use Permits
Question 431-20(1): Changes to the Government of the Northwest Territories Affirmative Action Policy
Question 432-20(1): Naming of Government of the Northwest Territories Buildings
Question 433-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Employment Satisfaction Survey and Action Plan
Question 434-20(1): Northwest Territories Carbon Taxation
Question 435-20(1): Aspen Building Project Update
Tabled Document 241-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 405-20(1): Winter Road Tabled Document 241-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 405-20(1): Winter Road Season Planning
Tabled Document 251-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 423-20(1): Carbon Tax
Tabled Document 257-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 397-20(1): Overdose-Related RCMP Calls
Tabled Document 271-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 419-20(1): Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority Operational Concerns
Tabled Document 272-20(1): Documents Compiled by Town of Norman Wells regarding the Town’s Declaration of a Local State of Emergency for Humanitarian Reasons
Statements

Question 429-20(1): Green New Deal and Critical Minerals

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to thank my colleagues for speaking to this generally, the topic of tariffs and Team Canada today. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier seize this opportunity to encourage a green new deal for the NWT and critical minerals working in tandem with Team Canada and Indigenous leadership? And I'm specifically asking this of the Premier because he is at those tables, not the Minister of ITI. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to stay away from the term "green new deal." That's politically charged and comes with a lot of baggage. But I am working to drum up investment in critical minerals, explain the importance of critical minerals to the rest of Canada, and let them know what we have here in the Northwest Territories. And I know the message has been heard because I hear it when I travel and meet with other Ministers or premiers, and so we really are pushing that angle. And I'll continue to do so. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a real opportunity here to not only be punching above our weight, as I said in my statement, but also to show leadership in the availability of critical minerals in our territory. But as the Premier knows, we don't make a lot of money off of resource royalties right now. Will there be a redesign of royalties coming back into the territory to help us meet both the GNWT's endless infrastructure and social spending deficits and those of our Indigenous partners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, of course, revenue royalties are under the Minister of ITI so I can't speak to that. My primary concern is getting some investment into the territory and getting some development and getting people working and, of course, doing it in a sustainable way. That's one thing that we always have to balance in the Northwest Territories. The people of the Northwest Territories, they still live on the land. They still hunt, they still fish, they still trap, and many communities supplement their incomes and their food through those methods. So while we have that consideration, we also have a maturing regulatory regime, and we are constantly working to streamline it and ensure that we're working more closely with proponents so that they know what we want out of our regulatory system; we don't leave them guessing. And I'm advocating always for more support for Indigenous governments to be part of that process. If you have a small Indigenous government with an unsettled land claim, they can't deal with dozens and dozens and dozens of exploration companies who are coming and trying to consult, and that creates a bottleneck. And so we need to support the Indigenous governments as well to get things going. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.