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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.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce that after several months of engagement and collaboration with territorial and regional sports organizations, the NWT Active Living Framework 2023-2033 has been approved.

The intention of the Framework is to guide the investment of public funds to support the development of recreation, sport and physical activity priorities for Northwest Territories residents. Work on the NWT Active Living Framework 2023-2033 began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, following amendments to the Western Canada Lottery Act.

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Mr. Speaker, it is a mandate of this government to increase our education outcomes to the same level as the rest of Canada, and we have taken a number of steps to advance this goal.

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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.

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Mr. Speaker, today I want to focus on the Government of the Northwest Territories’ accomplishments in road, air and marine transportation during the 19th Legislative Assembly.

Enhancing our all-season highway system has been a top priority. In November 2021, the GNWT opened the Tłı̨chǫ Highway to traffic for the first time, adding to the territory’s roster of all season highways. This 97-kilometre all-season road was advanced in partnership with the Tłı̨chǫ Government and will reduce the cost of living in the region.

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Mr. Speaker, substance abuse continues to challenge residents, family, friends and communities in the Northwest Territories. The Health and Social Services system has a range of options to help Northerners recover their health and well-being. I am going to summarize a few of those options that have taken shape in the 19th Legislative Assembly.