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Mr, Speaker, I am going to begin my statement in Dinjii Zhu’ Ginjik.

[Following portion will be spoken in Dinjii Zhu’ Ginjik]

Mr. Speaker, as we approach the end of the 2024-2025 school year, I want to congratulate all the students of the Northwest Territories and celebrate their successes. Whether they are graduating from junior kindergarten, high school or a post-secondary institution like Aurora College or Collège Nordique, the territory’s graduates have so much to be proud of.

[Resume English]

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Mr. Speaker, ensuring the health and well-being of all residents in the Northwest Territories is an essential work of this government.

The NWT is falling behind other jurisdictions when it comes to implementing healthy safeguards to limit smoking. Yukon implemented a smoking ban in public and government housing in in 2012, and Nunavut followed suit in 2023. Now, we must align with prevailing health advice and ensure safe, client-focused housing solutions.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Caitlin Cleveland issued the following statement today in response to the discovery of elevated lead levels in drinking water at two Yellowknife schools:

“As a parent, a resident of Yellowknife, and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I am deeply concerned by the recent test results indicating elevated lead levels in the drinking water at École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School.

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Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on Marine Transportation Services operations for the 2025 sailing season.

Every spring, residents and businesses across the territory are eager to plan shipments of their essential goods and equipment by our barges along the Mackenzie River, Great Slave Lake, and communities in the Western Arctic.

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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share that the Government of the Northwest Territories has launched this year’s United Way Workplace Giving Campaign.

This annual campaign gives GNWT employees a simple and meaningful way to support programs that make a real difference in communities across the territory.

Through payroll deductions, employees can choose to direct donations to United Way NWT, helping fund local organizations that tackle poverty, support youth, and improve community health and well-being.

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Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak about the Government of the Northwest Territories’ new integrated approach to energy and climate change, and how the Department of Infrastructure’s work on energy will help build a stronger, more affordable, and more resilient future for the territory.

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Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about the Government of the Northwest Territories’ new approach to addressing climate change. From community resilience to economic opportunities, the challenges posed by climate change are urgent, complex, and interconnected with many other aspects of life here in the Northwest Territories. That is why the GNWT is moving to a joint approach that brings together climate change and energy strategies, with the aim of taking more efficient, coherent, and impactful actions across government.

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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to update this House on the work being done by the Health and Social Services system on Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism, one of my top three priorities as Minister.

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Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an important cultural milestone. The NorthWords NWT Writers Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary: twenty years of championing Northern voices and building community through storytelling.

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Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to recognize the outstanding achievement of staff at Housing NWT, who were recently honoured with the Community Project of the Year Award from Canadian Biomass. This award celebrates the district heating wood-pellet boiler system installed at the Sissons Court housing complex in Yellowknife.