For a more detailed explanation of my platform, please see the ‘platform’ drop down tab on my webpage.
Health and Wellness
1. Improved Support for new mothers at risk
The Nurse Family Partnership model, which pairs new mothers with health care professionals, provides an excellent example of how public health measures can result in remarkable outcomes, including 67% less behaviour/intellectual challenges at age 6, and 59% reduction in arrests at age 15.
2. In collaboration with Indigenous Governments, establish an on-the-land, culturally responsive, mixed use facility that provides mixed programming for:
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- Addictions and mental health
- Family counselling
- On-the-land education
- Accommodations for NWT marginalized citizens during State of Emergencies (Aurora Village near Yellowknife served this purpose during COVID).
3. Innovative staff recruitment, retention and training:
- Provide quality, subsidized, public housing for new GNWT healthcare staff.
- Waive tuition fees for health programming at Aurora College.
- Provide health practitioners flexible (part-time) employment options as well as opportunities for work related research, recruitment, and career advancement.
4. Encourage community involvement through sport and art (swimming, music, crafts, etc.). Provide a $500 Activity Fund annually for NWT youth and seniors with a household income under $125,000/year.
Housing
1. In collaboration with the City of Yellowknife, incentivize the development of ancillary units such as laneway housing and secondary suites.
2. Waive tuition fees for all trades programming at Aurora College.
3. Create a mobile GNWT Housing Unit tasked with repairing public housing throughout the territory. The current cost estimate for public housing ‘priority repairs’ is $38 million.
4. Reinstate the GNWT Home Ownership Assistance Program (HAP) that provided materials and support to northerners to build their own homes.
5. Provide targeted financial supports for homeowners whose primary residence is passed its useful life cycle (mobile homes built before 1980).
The Economy
1. The best way to support the northern economy is to provide affordable housing and a skilled workforce. Now is the time to pivot to take advantage of current opportunities, including:
- The Remediation Economy: Remediation work in the NWT is valued at 5 billion dollars.
- Housing: Our public housing inventory deficit is currently 1 billion dollars.
- The Conversation Economy: Funds for land stewardship surpass 100 million dollars.
- Climate Change Mitigation, Resilience and Adaptation: The spending that is required to maintain and establish climate resilient communities is significant.
Education
1. Ensure access to early childhood education (ECE) in every community.
2. Provide fully subsidized hot lunches for elementary and secondary school students territory wide.
3. Enhance on-the-land programming across the K-12 curriculum.
4. Provide free public-school transportation.
5. Create measurable goals around student achievement and attendance.
Cost of Living and Climate Change
1. In collaboration with private industry, prioritize community investments in infrastructure and transportation that will lower the cost of living and reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
- Investment in renewable energy generation (wind/solar) and distribution (district heating).
- Expand Arctic Energy Alliance programming to support energy efficient building design, training, and construction.
- In partnership with the City of Yellowknife, provide free access to city bus network.
2. Earmark revenues from the NWT gas tax to support residents and businesses impacted by climate induced natural disasters. (i.e. Yellowknife evacuation, Hay River flooding, etc.)
3. Support economic activity that is low carbon and scaled to northern expertise: housing, healing, green energy, food production (agriculture, fishing, etc), trapping, the arts, the knowledge economy, cold weather testing, on-the-land education, and tourism.