The Northwest Territories (NWT) Leadership Council and members of Cabinet, including Premier RJ Simpson, are traveling together for the first time to Ottawa to ask with one voice for the needs of NWT. are in the federal crosshairs.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Caroline Wawzonek and five other Cabinet members. The grand leader of the Tłı̨chǫ government, Jackson Lafferty, the president of the Sahtu Secretariat, Charles McNeely and the leader of the Got’ınę delı̨nę government, Danny Gaudet, are part of the delegation visiting Ottawa, Tuesday and Wednesday, to meet ministers federal.
At a press briefing Tuesday morning, RJ Simpson spoke about the importance to the NWT. to speak with a common voice.
The Northwest Territories are at the crossroads of Canada’s strategic future, and with the right public policy decisions, we are poised to make substantial contributions to Canada’s prosperity and national security, he said. announcement.
Long list of priorities
The planned discussions with federal ministers cover a long list of priorities, such as housing, infrastructure, adaptation to climate change, critical minerals and public safety.
By focusing on these priorities, the N.W.T. will not only improve the situation of their fellow citizens, but also provide the federal government with the strategic assets necessary for national security and economic stability, said RJ Simpson from the outset.
“It is time to seize this opportunity, because the future of the North is the future of Canada,” RJ Simpson, Premier of the Northwest Territories
Jackson Lafferty, who is also the chair of the NWT Leadership Council, called for concrete action following these meetings because inequities persist in the Northwest Territories.
We come as several governments to ask for support and also solutions to the considerable economic and social challenges that affect the daily lives of our residents and our communities throughout the North, he mentioned.
“Basic needs such as roads, affordable housing and health care remain inadequate in the Northwest Territories,” Jackson Lafferty, Grand Chief of the Tłı̨chǫ government. The high cost of living and the effects of climate change are very real for our communities and families.
Bridging the gap between North and South
For his part, the head of the Délı̨nę got’ınę government, Danny Gaudet, hopes that these discussions will make it possible to develop a strategy that works for the entire North.
He gave as an example the challenges of his region, the Sahtu, which is at the forefront of the effects of climate change.
The low level of the Mackenzie River this summer led to the cancellation of barge deliveries of products such as heating oil and foodstuffs, which pushed up prices.
The price of gasoline has risen to $5.50 per liter. [Le réservoir] of a house has a capacity of 1000 liters. If we fill it up completely, it’s more than $5,000 and that’s enough for about a month and a half in winter, explained Danny Gaudet.
“We need to bridge the gap between the communities of the North and the communities of the South, the cities of the South. »
According to RJ Simpson, the first meetings on Tuesday morning were held on a positive note.
It’s positive, we have good discussions, he mentions. It’s good to have people from the communities, from the territory, to be here and explain to federal ministers and civil servants what the North is. It’s good that they hear it directly from us.
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