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Mr. Speaker, today is Pink Shirt Day, a day when we take a moment to pause and reflect on how we treat one another.

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Mr. Speaker, as we pass the mid-point for the 19^th Legislative Assembly, it is important to take stock of where we are as a government, and the progress we are making in fulfilling the commitments we made in our mandate.

At the beginning of this Legislative Assembly, our government tabled the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2019-2023 , which established the actions we planned to take to advance the 22 shared priorities set by this Legislative Assembly.

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Mr. Speaker, today, I am happy to announce that, starting immediately, we are resuming labour and delivery services for all NWT residents. This means that any NWT resident who is due to deliver a child can now expect to deliver their baby in the NWT starting today.

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Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome all Members back to the House for this sitting of the 19th Legislative Assembly. There is important work to be done over the next six weeks, and I look forward to working with each of you as we advance the priorities of this government.

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Mr. Speaker, the new Corrections Act came into force on October 29, 2021. The new Act modernizes the Northwest Territories’ corrections legislation to incorporate modern practices and approaches, shifting the focus of the legislation to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of people in the corrections system through a supportive environment.

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Mr. Speaker, strengthening our leadership and authority on climate change and enhancing efforts to stabilize the cost of power is a priority of the Government of the Northwest Territories. So is increasing the use of alternative and renewable energy.

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Mr. Speaker, climate change is one of the most critical issues we face today.  I am pleased to report on actions the GNWT is taking to address its impacts here in the NWT.

As a territory, we are responsible for less than 0.2% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions but we are experiencing climate warming at a rate that is three times the global average.

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Mr. Speaker, winter has arrived, temperatures are dropping and will continue to for the next couple of months. Dropping temperatures brings great concerns for under-housed residents, without warm place to live, without comforts that many of us enjoy day to day. 

Our partners who provide sheltering services have been planning for months. I am proud to rise today to speak about the valuable and critical work that non-governmental organizations and shelter workers do to try to keep those without a home safe and healthy.

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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the temporary day shelter will open soon at the site of the former visitor’s center in Yellowknife. The day shelter is vital to keeping residents experiencing homelessness safe during the depths of winter.