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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.

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Mr. Speaker, the 2023 wildfire season was unlike anything we have ever seen in the Northwest Territories.

More than four million hectares of forest burned over a six-month period, with fires reported all the way from the Beaufort Delta to the South Slave. Record temperatures, drought and very high winds resulted in extreme fire behaviour that many of our most experienced firefighters had never experienced. At times, firefighting simply was not possible due to the life-threatening danger crews would face.

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.

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The Canadian version of the General Education Diploma (GED®) program will be discontinued and replaced by the new Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) in the spring of 2024.

The GED was developed in 2002 by the American assessment firm Pearson and has long been used across Canada as the high school equivalency test. However, Pearson has informed Canadian jurisdictions that they can no longer support the test due to outdated technology.

February is Indigenous Languages Month in the Northwest Territories. Indigenous languages are the foundation of the territory's identity, pride, and community. This month, help support Indigenous language revitalization and ask everyone to "say it in our languages" to encourage them to speak Indigenous languages with pride.

Denekʼę́ arı̨dı

(deh-nek ay ah-deen-dee)

Dene t'á arı̨nı̨

(deh-net ah ah-reen-ee)

Dene kʼę́ę́ adındı

(deh-nek ay ah-deen-dee)

Dinjih zhuh kʼyuu tʼijiinuh

Two new members, representing the Sahtu and Beaufort Delta regions, have joined the NWT Arts Council for two-year terms.

Premier R.J. Simpson announced today that John MacDonald will assume the role of Secretary to Cabinet and Deputy Minister of the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, effective immediately. The Secretary to Cabinet provides coordination and leadership to the executive branch of government and is the most senior official within the Government of the Northwest Territories’ (GNWT) public service.

Last week, Cabinet members of the 20th Assembly of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and officials attended the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) Roundup conference in Vancouver to promote the territory’s mineral resources sector.

Premier R.J. Simpson was joined by Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Caitlin Cleveland, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jay Macdonald, and Member of the Legislative Assembly Daniel McNeely.