Delivered on November 22, 2016

Thank you for meeting with the Government of the Northwest Territories this afternoon.

We are in Ottawa this week to speak with the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and Standing Committees about some of the most significant challenges facing the people of the Northwest Territories today.

Before we get to that presentation, I would like to take a few minutes to talk a little bit about our territory.

Community sustainability is a huge challenge for the people of the Northwest Territories.

Delivered on November 21, 2016

Thank Premier McLeod for the introduction. And thank you Committee members for the opportunity to meet with you today.

Madam Chair, the North’s unique ecosystem is critical to the health of the planet. The decisions we make about protecting biodiversity and ecological integrity serve not only the interests of NWT residents and other Canadians, but people around the globe.

Delivered on November 21, 2016

Thank you for meeting with us this evening.

Before Minister McLeod gets into his presentation, I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce you to the Northwest Territories and some of the challenges we face.

The Northwest Territories has just over 44,000 residents living in 33 communities.

Its communities are spread out from the southern border with the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta to Banks Island in the Arctic Ocean.

YELLOWKNIFE (November 10, 2016) —  Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Wally Schumann issued the following statement today:

“The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has terminated its Monitoring, Certification and Trademark Licensing Agreements with Deepak International Ltd (DIL). DIL is no longer an Approved Northwest Territories Diamond Manufacturer and no longer licensed to use Polar Bear Diamond ® or other GNWT trademarks.

Mr. Speaker, openness and transparency are fundamental principles of democracy that contribute to government accountability.

These principles underpin our debates and discussions here in this House, where government plans, policies and budgets are presented for examination and approval by the public’s elected representatives. Every day during Session, Members ask Ministers to explain government proposals, decisions and actions in a public forum open to anybody who wants to attend or watch our proceedings on television.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to provide an overview of the Department of Transportation’s efforts to capture economic opportunities at the Yellowknife Airport.

The Department is taking steps to make the Yellowknife Airport financially self-sufficient. By running the Airport more like a business, we will be able to make capital improvements, create jobs, and explore opportunities to drive economic growth across the territory.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to take steps to close the skills gap using the Skills 4 Success Strategic Framework. I am pleased to advise Members that later today I will be tabling the Skills 4 Success 4-Year Action Plan 2016-2020, which outlines what we will do to improve employment success for the people of the Northwest Territories. This is an important milestone in meeting our mandate commitment.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to strengthen culture and heritage in the NWT by working with stakeholders to update the 2010 NWT Aboriginal Languages Plan: A Shared Responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, over the past few years there has been an increased understanding and awareness that in Canada there is a disparity between the health status of indigenous people and other Canadians.   Acknowledging this reality forces us to confront difficult issues, including the legacies of colonization and the residential school system, and the fact that mainstream institutions have often not served indigenous people effectively.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to support and participate in a National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with families, Aboriginal governments, the federal government, and other organizations.

I am pleased to report that on August 3, 2016, the Government of Canada formally launched the National Inquiry. The launch included the appointment of five Commissioners to lead this work along with the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry.