I'd like to thank the two elders for the opening prayer. Colleagues, before we begin, I would like to take a moment to thank the grade 6 students from Ecole William McDonald Middle School who are visiting us and are in the gallery this afternoon. Please join me in thanking these students for being here today.
Mr. Speaker, non-government organizations have long been at the heart of northern communities. Every day, NGOs deliver essential services that help residents find safety, stability, and the support they need to move forward. Their work is grounded in deep local knowledge, strong community relationships, and a long history of stepping up when people need help the most.
Today, I want to speak to the important steps our government is taking to strengthen the essential services Northerners rely on by improving how we support the organizations that deliver them. This year's budget proposes $2.3 million in new, permanent funding to help stabilize critical NGO-delivered shelter and supportive housing services across the territory.
This investment responds to long-standing funding pressures raised by our partners. It provides stable resources to help address staffing challenges, rising operational costs, and the need for predictable funding that allows organizations to plan ahead. Most importantly, it helps ensure that emergency shelters and supportive housing programs remain open, reliable, and there for the residents who depend on them.
Alongside this new funding, we are improving how we work with the NGO sector. Through service integration work that is already underway, regular engagement with housing and shelter partners, and new federal investments delivered in partnership with community organizations, we are building a more stable and sustainable system of supports, grounded in the expertise of organizations that have been doing this work for generations.
For decades, NGOs have been the GNWT's essential partners in responding to homelessness and housing insecurity. They deliver emergency shelters, supportive housing, transitional programs, drop-in services, counselling and outreach, all of which contribute to healthier, safer communities. Across the territory their efforts reduce pressure on health, justice, and social supports while improving outcomes for some of our most vulnerable residents.
This year, the YWCA-NWT is celebrating its 60th anniversary. This milestone is a reminder of the long history of community leadership in our territory. For six decades, the YWCA has provided housing, emergency shelter, family support, and programs that continue to make a real difference in people's lives. Many of the services Northerners rely on today exist because organizations like the YWCA have shown leadership, compassion, and a deep commitment to community well-being.
Mr. Speaker, our government values the role that NGOs play in our communities, and we recognize the importance of ensuring these organizations have the stability they need to continue supporting residents for many years to come. The new funding included in this year's budget represents an important step in strengthening that foundation. I want to thank all NGOs across the territory for their dedication and their tireless work, and I congratulate the YWCA-NWT on six decades of service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was pleased to hear from our finance Minister about the successes the health recruitment unit has been having recently. The updates she shared were welcomed news indeed. Where I am left with some questions is what the overall picture is looking like considering these successes. It would be helpful to know what we are ultimately working to achieve and how close we are to that goal. I am also concerned that despite questions being raised repeatedly at committee and in this House, it is not yet clear to the public what parameters need to be met in our healthcare system to be able to say that residents have adequate access to care. I will continue to repeat that we need to be clear about this so that this Assembly can measure our progress against targets and hold the Minister and department to account and also so that all the work that staff are doing on recruitment, workforce stabilization and planning, and fiscal sustainability, is framed by what we are ultimately trying to achieve and flows towards those goals. This is so basic and fundamental that I feel silly repeatedly raising this point, but I am yet to see these goals clearly articulated in a way that I and the public can understand them so until I do see this, I am going to operate with the understanding that we don't know what we're working to achieve, which, if it is true, is a big problem.
What I want to know are the basics. People have been grouped under care teams, for example. What is the ideal panel size for a care team, and what workforce needs do we need to meet to achieve that? What is our target maximum wait time for a resident to be triaged and access a health care provider in their panel based on urgency? What is our target emergency room wait time, and what workforce goals do we need to meet to achieve that?
I raise points like these because this is how I relate to the healthcare system as a resident and a patient. The complexities of everything that is being done to get us to the ultimate goals is good information to have access to, but when residents are struggling to get appointments to see a doctor or waiting at the emergency room for 10 hours to see a doctor, none of it feels like help to them.
Mr. Speaker, let's ensure we have clear outcomes we are working towards and that we are clear with the public about what their expectations for care should be. It's as simple as that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The road to politics looks different for every Member. My journey started as a curious archivist just down the road at the NWT Archives, an institution legally required to acquire and maintain government records of value in perpetuity. I spent close to a decade assessing, appraising, and acquiring government records and helping researchers access them.
Government records retained by the NWT Archives demonstrate key functions and decision-making of the GNWT since 1967. Working in the archives, I couldn't help but pick up on the negative patterns or wicked problems that have dogged this territory for decades. Not coincidentally, those same problems of decades past continue to surface in the current priorities of the 20th Assembly.
Understanding what government has done in years past is crucial to learn from mistakes and also to understand what priorities we need to focus on as decision-makers. Those who don't understand their past are destined to repeat it, Mr. Speaker. And so I was excited to see the Archives Act on the list of legislative proposals for this Assembly. You might also imagine my disappointment when it was knocked off for other priorities. The Minister of ECE recognized my disappointment and connected me with her staff to discuss the work that continues despite it not being brought forward as a bill in the 20th Assembly.
I understand that ongoing work will look to align the Archives Act with best archival practices and look to clarify responsibilities with the GNWT-wide records management context. ECE staff confirmed for me that there is extensive scoping work going on in the archives as well as with finance staff who are responsible for records management of the GNWT.
Records management has a policy framework but no legal requirements the way that the archives does. That said, records management is the mechanism that brings government records to the archives in a collaborative process of records scheduling. Because I know this topic doesn't thrill people the way it thrills me, Mr. Speaker, I want to explain why this is important.
Ensuring that the GNWT has a robust records management regime, clear delineations of responsibility, means that the government can meet legal requirements under the Archives Act but also potentially increase expeditious access to active government records under the ATIPP Act. A robust and clearly defined records regime for government can only benefit citizens through transparency, Mr. Speaker. For clarity around this ongoing work, I will have questions for the Minister of ECE and if time permits, the Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about my concern with increasing health care privatization and my concern that private paramedics do not have the right skill set to fill gaps in remote community primary care. I could be taking an unpopular position here. People like paramedics. They're great. Of course they are. Nurses like them. They're helpers. More hands on deck. And they seem easier to find at short notice than nurses. Communities are asking for them. There's a vague sense paramedics could do the things that we don't let community health nurses do. Maybe they could treat patients outside the health centre. Maybe we could put them in health cabins where there are no nurses. Maybe they don't require RCMP presence. Everything about paramedics just feels easier. You don't have to deal with the union. There aren't so many rules. But this is exactly the danger, of course. There aren't so many rules. There aren't so many protections either for patients or for healthcare staff working alongside paramedics. There's no regulation of paramedics in the NWT.
The Minister reassures us often that any paramedic contracted by the health authority is required to be licensed in another jurisdiction. But what does that mean? There's no binding national standard for what it means to be a certain kind of paramedic, what training is required, what protocols are to be followed, what kind of tests you have to do to renew your license and keep it in good standing. Every province is different. In several places like BC and Ontario, paramedics are only insured as long as they're working within that province. Would any of those provincial regulatory bodies take responsibility for a paramedic working in the NWT? How would an NWT patient file a complaint against a paramedic licensed elsewhere? Let's say a paramedic working in a remote community was ordered by a nurse to do something that they didn't have the skills to do? Would they feel pressure to do it anyway because there's no one else around to help? What if the patient was harmed because the paramedic refused to do the task, who's liable? Is the nurse responsible for what the paramedic does or doesn't do? Mr. Speaker, we want so badly to make health care easier, with less restrictions, less rules, but plugging holes with unregulated paramedics is not the way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Member statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on May 24th, 2024, I gave a Member's statement on the need for long-term care in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, I spoke about the program review that was first completed by this government way back in 2015, and it identified the overall need for long-term care in the Northwest Territories. At the time, based on the percentage of residents over the age of 70 in the Inuvik area, the GNWT determined that a 48-bed facility would address the short and long-term needs of the Inuvik region.
Mr. Speaker, I also spoke about how in 2018 the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Gwich'in Tribal Council jointly developed and submitted an operational plan based on the best practices of long-term residential care. It was created in alignment with key GNWT documents, including:
The integrated service delivery model,
The continuing care framework and action plan Our Elders, Our Community,
The Northwest Territories long-term care program review,
The Northwest Territories Continuing Care Standards,
And other relevant documents.
Three alternatives were proposed, Mr. Speaker. One would be that the GNWT own and the Indigenous government operate. Two would be that the Indigenous governments would own and the GNWT would operate. And then the alternative number three would be the Indigenous governments would own and operate.
So, Mr. Speaker, that's my trip down memory lane. Here we are in 2026. We know the need is still there. We know there's been geotechnical work done on the proposed site adjacent to the hospital in Inuvik. What we don't know, Mr. Speaker, is what planning and design work has been done and where this much-needed infrastructure is on the list of priorities for the Department of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, we know this is a much-needed facility in Inuvik, and I look forward to hearing what work the Department of Health and Social Services has been doing to make this a reality, to provide a modern, culturally appropriate, long-term care facility in a region that desperately needs it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I'd like to address a significant economic opportunity that's unfolding on MERX, the Department of National Defence's $10 billion NORAD northern-basing infrastructure investments in Inuvik and the Yellowknife airports.
This represents a chance for the Northwest Territories to maximize returns on this unprecedented federal commitment. While defense sovereignty is the primary objective, our Arctic airports division is uniquely positioned to capitalize and capture revenues from these developments.
Revenue opportunities, Mr. Speaker, landing terminal fees, increased military activity, aircraft, and training exercise will generate consistent revenues. Facility leases, new hangars, fuel facilities, warehousing, and support buildings present opportunities for lease arrangements and shared use agreements that generate ongoing revenues. Fuel services, the fuel infrastructure being developed can support operational revenues through fuel services and dispensing. Auxiliary services, ground handling, equipment rentals, maintenance facilities, access, and communications infrastructure, long-term benefits, multi-year revenues, IT capabilities, and logistics systems, positioning our Arctic airports for future commercial opportunities, possibility of self-financing a new terminal in our capital city.
Moving forward, Mr. Speaker, as the procurement advances through 2026, we must:
Engage proactively with the DND department to identify all revenue opportunities, insist in designing the final procurement;
Update the YZF business case, analyze to optimize Arctic airports division;
Align these opportunities with Indigenous governments and the Indigenous benefits plan as required under the APN.
Later, I will have questions to the appropriate Minister. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from the Dehcho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to advocate for an important economic development need in the Dehcho: The establishment of a dedicated regional industry, tourism and investment position within the community of Fort Providence.
Fort Providence is home to talented and innovative people who are eager to pursue new business opportunities and contribute to the local economy; however, our residents face a significant barrier: Access to timely and consistent small business support.
Mr. Speaker, currently anyone seeking assistance from ITI must travel to Hay River, a two-hour drive each way, simply to speak with someone about their ideas, applications, or next steps. For any residents, this distance, combined with the cost of fuel, time away from work or family, makes it extremely difficult to access the very programs intended to help them succeed.
Mr. Speaker, community-based support is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Small and emerging businesses in Fort Providence deserve the same opportunity to grow and thrive as businesses in larger regional centres can and do. A permanent or even part-time position based in Fort Providence or, at a minimum, consistent scheduled monthly visits from regional ITI staff would make a meaningful difference. It will allow entrepreneurs to receive hands-on guidance, understand valuable funding, available funding, navigate applications, and develop their ideas with confidence. By placing supports where the people are, we strengthen local capacity, diversify our economy, and encourage community-driven growth. A regional ITI presence would not only support small business development but also help advance tourism, traditional economy initiatives, and cultural entrepreneurship sectors filled with potential in Fort Providence.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the department to recognize this gap and work with the community to establish consistent local ITI support. Our residents have the ideas and motivations; they simply need access to the tools that will help them bring these ideas to life. I will have questions for the Minister of ITI later. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Dehcho. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, if it wasn't apparent from the boutonnieres and pink shirts, today we recognize Pink Shirt Day, a student-led initiative to confront bullying that has grown into a nationally recognized day of action. This year's theme, Sprinkling Kindness, reminds us that who better to lead the call for inclusion and compassion than our children.
Kids are not born prejudiced, yet they are quickly tasked with navigating society's unfair biases, learning to balance their own uniqueness with a world that often decides, unfairly, who deserves kindness and who does not. When our kids are different and they cannot understand why being themselves should be considered wrong and why they may face rejection, rejection that becomes so much worse with bullying is when bullying and exclusion become inescapable that victims often turn inwards causing them to reject themselves. This silent, internalized harm can deeply affect mental well-being.
Despite the best efforts of parents, teachers and caregivers, in many ways exclusion is getting worse. Social media is not just amplifying bullying and bigotry but more subtle and perhaps more powerful forms of exclusion. Our youth are bombarded with negative stereotypes, hyperfixations, extreme beauty standards, risky lifestyles, and ideas of self-harm and suicide. Even AIs are being prompted by young people in crisis to contemplate the most horrific scenarios with seemingly no oversight from these companies that provide these tools to young people.
These pressures can drive anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal, creating cycles of negativity that intensify personal pain. While all youths are affected, young men face particular vulnerabilities. For generations, they have been taught that strength means silence and that showing emotion or seeking help is weakness.
The consequences are clear. Men are far less likely to access mental health services. A recent national survey found that 67 percent of men have never sought support, even as rates of stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and severe mental illness continues to climb. That is why on this Pink Shirt Day not only do we need to stand against bullying but also stand for critical mental health services for youth and positive, nurturing, and healthy role models for young men as complex and severe mental illness rise among our youth. Together, we can stop bullying and build safer, inclusive communities for all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation not provided].
Mr. Speaker, in Behchoko and across Tlicho region, families continue to raise serious concerns about the absence of a dedicated facility to support residents with special needs. For individuals with special needs, stability and routine are essentials to well-being. When supports are not available locally, Mr. Speaker, they are sent away to regional centres or even down south for care. Removing them from their home community can increase anxiety, escalate behaviours, and leave them feeling isolated.
Mr. Speaker, this separation also places a significant strain on families. When a loved one is placed outside the community, staying closely involved becomes difficult for them. Communication gaps grow, and participation in important decisions is reduced.
Mr. Speaker, when the separation involves a child or young adult, it carries deeper meaning for many families in the Tlicho region and in other communities as well. It echoes the painful history of residential school when Indigenous children were taken from their homes and separated from their parents. In moments like this, families can feel as though they are reliving that experience. Mr. Speaker, it is equally important to recognize that leaving individuals in community without adequate supports also carries risk. Without structured services and supervision, residents with special needs are not receiving the care they require. They can place their safety at risk and can affect the safety of others in the community.
Mr. Speaker, this issue is not about blame. It is about protection, safety, dignity, and accountability. It is about building capacity in our own communities rather than sending away our loved ones. Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is not only in Tlicho region but it's also happening in other small communities, but the message to the parents and families in Behchoko and across the Tlicho regions, I want to say this: Your children are not forgotten. Your voices are being heard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of health.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in recent years, ECE had adjusted the income support assistance program which, according to the Minister, is intended to provide better services for residents who need it the most and acknowledge that incredible value that elders, seniors, and persons with disabilities bring to our communities. Many of my constituents who rely on the income assistance program are elders struggling during a cost of living crisis, youth striving to overcome challenges like disability and addictions, and others facing extraordinary circumstances where reported income does not reflect their daily reality.
I am glad to see the Minister recognizing the values of elders bring into our communities. They are the keepers of knowledge, culture, and language. That is why it is concerning that income they earn from contributing to culture programming or providing translation services can result in reductions or disqualification of their income assistance when that income is minimal and often reinvested into the services they provide.
Before the holidays, several constituents were denied income assistance because their band had provided funds for travel to treatment and aftercare services. Even though they returned home with no money, eligibility was assessed based on bank statements, leaving them without support at a time when many NGOs had already run out of funding. I am also concerned where the constituents' income is garnished for various reasons yet they receive no support from income assistance because eligibility does not account for how much of their income is taken from them each paycheque.
I see this happen too often to parents struggling to care for their families. Recent changes to the income support assistant program are helpful but they are nowhere near enough. These policies are being enforced on to our communities without consultation or accommodation. I will be asking the Minister of ECE questions later on this afternoon to address the shortcomings and calls for real policies that work for our people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife South.
Mr. Speaker, today for Pink Shirt Day, I'd like to talk about being a bystander to bullying and, more importantly, how to shift away from passive bystanding towards a more active response to help stop bullying in its tracks. But, first, let's acknowledge an incredible Olympic hockey final, the presence of some clutch players, including Kendall Coyne Shofield, who gave birth to her son in 2023, and for Canadians Cassie Sharpe and Natalie Spooner, who also became moms since their previous appearance at the Olympics. I understand men's hockey also had a decent gold medal game although I know that none of them were birthing a future generation of athletes during their off-season.
Mr. Speaker, I am making a bit of a joke about this to illustrate a point. Women and men do not need to compete against one another to have respect for their respective achievements in human athletics. When a team wins gold, they are Olympic champions.
Today, Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife South is represented in the Legislative Assembly by three pages. All of them are athletes competing across multiple sports. All three happen to be female athletes. But with the spread of social media, I suspect that they may have seen the different ways that female athletes are treated compared to their male counterparts.
Bystanding is a common response when we witness bullying, discrimination, or racism. It's a phenomenon where the greater number of bystanders present the less likely we might be to intervene. And with a chorus of sometimes silent and sometimes go-along support, the more emboldened a perpetrator may be. For example, the President of the United States called to congratulate only one of the gold medal teams in Olympic hockey in Milan. And what's more, while issuing an invite to the White House to the men's team, the invite to the women's team appeared, at best, an afterthought but really a joke. To the remark, we're going to have to bring the women's team, a voice replies, absolutely, and another, two for two, highlighting that both teams had won gold. Unfortunately, these responses were largely drowned out by the laughter of others.
But laughter is not neutral. Laughter is a signal of acceptance. And in this case, the laughter was from a room of men, men with status, and NHL players who, I would venture to guess, have often had media training on how exactly to deal with inappropriate commentary. Mr. Speaker, I would seek unanimous consent to conclude my remarks.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the good news for young athletes is this: The old way of looking in locker rooms is disappearing and today, when sexism shows up in sport, we see commentators call it out, we see athletes call it out, and we see politicians call it out. The work is obviously far from done, but I am wearing pink today for both my son and daughter to show them that when we are true champions, we don't need to put others down to win. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife South. Members' Statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
The Northwest Territories is facing a bottleneck, Mr. Speaker. With biomass heating being the backbone of our energy transition, it not only cuts emissions but it also helps affordability. Right now, we're facing a challenge, Mr. Speaker. There aren't enough people trained to be able to install them, manage them, maintain them, and when the worst thing happens, fix them, Mr. Speaker. Because the very few that we have out there are just simply too, too busy to respond. Mr. Speaker, we need to find a way to get a recognized certification here in the Northwest Territories, find the best of the patchwork that exists out there. There are no standard pathways to get this but there is a few. Mr. Speaker, we need to become the masters of our own destiny because we don't have a masters in boiler maintenance.
Mr. Speaker, people, businesses, and even governments, are leaning on the Arctic Energy Alliance for guidance and simple basics about how to run these things. Let's be clear. Arctic Energy Alliance is not a college, and it shouldn't be, Mr. Speaker. They should be there to help people in the resource management side but because they're overstretched and under-resourced and meeting the demand that is out there. The solution is right in front of us.
It's time to be nimble, I say to Aurora College. Respond to the needs out there that folks have. The transition can look at different things, and one of the things I always say is be relevant to the people you work for. We could very well have an Aurora College that speaks to the problems we're facing. The problems are certification, management, and training. It could be in collaboration with the Arctic Energy Alliance, Mr. Speaker.
Let's also turn the page to one of the other problems. If you get your wood appliance installed, you need it certified, and the demands of the insurance company, their expectations, and their way of managing the problems of claims, whether they accept or deny, are very challenging. So they have to ensure the permitting process is proper, critically from that side, as well as safety, Mr. Speaker. This is a good opportunity for Aurora College, once again, to be relevant to the retail population they serve because we have CLCs sitting out there in our northern communities that are being mothballed so let's give ourselves a reason to keep the heat and lights on, ensure Northerners are trained, have jobs, and are serving Northern needs, such as safety and the critical need of stepping up wood pellet and boiler maintenance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Yellowknife Centre. Members' Statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize an inspiring example of Indigenous leadership and community strength in the North. The Salt River First Nation has transformed a former correction facility into a healing centre, turning a place once associated with confinement into a space dedicated to restoration, wellness, and hope.
This transformation is deeply symbolic. For generations, Indigenous people have been overrepresented in correctional systems. By reclaiming this building and repurposing it for healing, Salt River First Nation is sending a powerful message that our future is rooted in culture, compassion, and community-led solutions.
Mr. Speaker, the healing centre provides culturally grounded programming, mental health and addictions support, and opportunities for individuals to reconnect with elders, language, and traditional teachings. It focuses on prevention, early intervention, and breaking the cycles that have affected too many families. Where there were once locked doors, there are now open circles. Where there was once isolation, there is now connection. Where there was once punishment, there is now healing.
I commend chief and council, the elders, the staff, and the community members whose vision and determination made this possible. Their leadership demonstrates what reconciliation looks like in action: Indigenous communities designing and delivering solutions that reflect their own values and strengths. Mr. Speaker, this initiative stands as a signal of hope, not only for Salt River First Nation, but for communities across our territory and our country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Thebacha. Members' Statements.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to recognize my nephew Tanner Carnogursky and his class that are visiting the House today. Thanks.
Member from Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Mia Hudson, a long-time friend that used to live in Fort Smith, and to her class who are visiting the House today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Thebacha. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would love to welcome to the gallery Adaeze Nwoba, director of the board of YWCA; Noma Khumalo, the associate director; Kate Wilson, housing director; and, Meaghan Brackenbury, community outreach coordinator. Very warm and hearty congratulations on reaching our 60th anniversary, YWCA. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Frame Lake.
