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Mr. Speaker, last month I attended the annual Association for Mineral Exploration Roundup conference in Vancouver with fellow Cabinet Members and government officials. We were there to advance this Legislative Assembly’s priorities to increase resource exploration and development in our territory; adopt a benefit retention approach to economic development; make strategic infrastructure investments; and, to identify, prioritize, and strengthen key actions to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

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Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories transportation system is critical to connect residents and communities, to support the economy and to allow for the delivery of goods and services. 

Our government is committed to improving, maintaining and expanding our highway system to offer safe and reliable infrastructure that can adapt to the effects of time and climate change, while also creating training and employment opportunities for our residents.

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Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleagues back for the February – March 2023 sitting of the 19th Legislative Assembly. I hope you all had an opportunity over the last few months to spend time in your constituencies hearing from residents and stakeholders so that we can collectively and collaboratively work together to advance the priorities of the people who elected us to represent them.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is seeking input from Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, residential school survivors, including survivors of intergenerational trauma, and residents of the NWT to explore how to best acknowledge and support the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in future years.

Today, Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek presented the 2023-24 Budget, the final budget of the 19th Legislative Assembly.

Budget 2023-24 prioritizes initiatives already set in motion to ensure their sustainability and successful transition into the next Assembly. Improvements to the capital budgeting process, strengthened debt management policies and a projected operating surplus of $178 million will allow the Assembly to end in better financial shape than it began.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released the annual increases for child care rates under the Child Care Fee Reduction subsidy for 2023/2024.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the devastating impact that the drug poisoning crisis has had on the community in Hay River. The Coroner has confirmed that there were six deaths related to drug poisoning in 2022. Many families are struggling to understand and cope with the emotional toll of these deaths.

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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to provide an update on Housing Northwest Territories’ Renewal, including some long-awaited changes we have made to programs and policies that are already improving housing supports for those most in need.

In June 2021, at the first meeting of the NWT Council of Leaders, I stood with my colleague, the Honourable Premier Cochrane, and committed to conducting a review of the former NWT Housing Corporation’s policies and programs with a working group identified by the Council.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is seeking input from Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, and residents of the Northwest Territories (NWT) to replace its Affirmative Action Policy with an Indigenous Employment Policy and an Employment Equity Policy.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has extended the timeline of its NWT Indigenous Languages Action Plan to 2024-2025.