Have your say on the territorial government’s 2024-2025 budget.
The Budget Dialogues are an annual opportunity to share your views on how the Government of the Northwest Territories can ensure every dollar is spent in the best way to support our territory's needs. As part of this engagement opportunity, you are also invited to reflect on the fiscal situation and economy in the Northwest Territories.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association (NWTTA) have reached a tentative collective agreement.
Both parties are pleased with the progress since negotiations began in April 2023 and are recommending ratification of the agreement to NWTTA membership and the Financial Management Board.
Details of the tentative agreement will not be publicly released until the ratification process is completed.
For media requests, please contact:
Adetoyeke Adedipe
Have your say on how the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) can best support residents during future evacuations.
The Evacuee Travel Support Program (ETSP) and the Evacuee Income Disruption Support Program (EIDS) provided financial assistance to residents of the Northwest Territories during multiple evacuation events in the spring and summer of 2023. Both programs were created as the need was identified and administered by the Department of Finance throughout the evacuation events.
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Mr. Speaker, one in five Canadians experience a psychological health problem or illness in any given year. Only 23% of Canadian workers feel comfortable talking to their employer about a psychological health issue. Today I want to share how the Government of the Northwest Territories is recognizing the importance of our employees’ psychological health and safety.
The North is experiencing climate warming faster than anywhere in Canada, and residents, businesses and governments across the Northwest Territories (NWT) are answering this call to action. Today, the Departments of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) and Infrastructure (INF) are releasing annual reports on climate action, energy that outline progress made in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
As an initial step to addressing the territory’s economic challenges, Premier R.J. Simpson and Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek have released Restoring Balance: A Fiscal Sustainability Strategy for the 20th Legislative Assembly.
The strategy outlines the reality of the territory’s financial situation and sets significant targets to help support the territory’s economic recovery through the life of the 20th Assembly. The goal of the strategy is to increase revenues and reduce expenditures in a way that minimizes impacts on critical programs and services that residents rely on.
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Mr. Speaker, later today I will table the Interim Estimates, Operations Expenditures, 2024-2025 which presents an interim budget for the Government of the Northwest Territories. This interim budget will provide funding for programs and services over the first quarter of the upcoming fiscal year, giving the 20th Legislative Assembly appropriate time to complete its transition and to set its priorities.
Effective April 1, 2024, the carbon tax on diesel home heating fuel will be suspended in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Consumers will receive a point-of-purchase rebate on all diesel home heating fuel purchased in the NWT until March 31, 2027.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has introduced a new Vendor Performance Management Policy to help monitor performance and ensure that vendors fulfill their commitments to use NWT and local goods, services and labor when they are awarded government contracts.
The policy allows the GNWT to assess and monitor vendor performance. This will lead to several benefits, including:
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Mr. Speaker, when we started the 19th Legislative Assembly, Members put forward as one of its priorities ensuring that government procurement maximizes benefits for Northwest Territories’ residents and businesses. We knew that procurement policies had not been meaningfully updated for several years, and we wanted to make sure we were getting as much value out of every dollar as we could.
