2023 NWT Election
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Jane Armstrong
Candidate in the Monfwi All Ridings race.
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News that mentions Jane Armstrong
Listen: Will the GNWT’s new Indigenous Employment Policy work?
December 20, 2024
Cabin Radio - Multiple Northwest Territories MLAs say the new Indigenous employment policy being rolled out by the NWT government in April gets it wrong. The GNWT says the old affirmative action policy, which prioritized numerous groups including all of those listed above, was not fit for purpose. “Our current policy, although I think people like to peg it as being one that’s for northerners, it’s not,” said Wawzonek, referring to affirmative action. And people ask: ‘Are you hiring?’ And we say we’ve applied the affirmative action policy. This article initially stated the GNWT’s affirmative action policy provides prioritization for Black people among other groups.
Now is not the time to replace N.W.T.’s affirmative action hiring policy, say some MLAs
December 20, 2024
CBC North - It will be introduced in April and replace the territory's Affirmative Action Policy which has been in place since 1989. Jane Weyallon Armstrong, MLA for Monfwi, is on the standing committee on government operations. "We told her [Wawzonek] to put a pause on it, wait until we get some more information," Weyallon Armstrong said. Weyallon Armstrong thinks there could have been work done with the old policy instead of getting rid of it completely. It will replace the territory's Affirmative Action Policy from 1989 and come into effect in the spring.
Nutrition North considers expansion to more northern communities
December 5, 2024
Cabin Radio - Currently, there are 125 isolated northern communities eligible for the Nutrition North Canada subsidy, which is given to grocery stores to bring down the prices their customers pay for certain foods. On Wednesday, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada director-general Wayne Walsh presented to MLAs about the Nutrition North program alongside representatives of Food Banks Canada. At the Wednesday briefing, Dehcho MLA Sheryl Yakeleya asked if Nutrition North plans to expand to all northern communities. Nutrition North has no office in Yellowknife – its staff are located in the Ottawa vicinity. Both Nutrition North and Food Banks Canada have been invited to visit communities in the Sahtu.
$375M agreement was a deal done differently
November 14, 2024
Cabin Radio - More than 20 Indigenous governments based in the NWT are signatories to the agreement. Proponents say the deal shows conservation can become a significant driver of the NWT’s economy in its own right. “All the Indigenous communities have something in common, and it’s our dependency on the land and its resources,” he said. Normally, bills of this kind are held for months between readings to allow for public engagement and detailed scrutiny by regular MLAs. Even the day after the bill sailed through all three readings, its text had not been made public.
N.W.T. assembly passes capital budget despite concerns over priorities
November 1, 2024
CBC North - Legislative Assembly passed the capital budget Thursday night in an 11 to five vote. The $339 million budget was criticised by regular members who said they wouldn't support it without more investment to their priorities, particularly housing and healthcare. Members who voted against the budget pointed to those concerns, saying there isn't enough money for housing amid a housing crisis. The budget passed with cabinet voting in favour, along with MLAs Danny McNeely, Jane Weyallon Armstrong, Kate Reid and Denny Rodgers. Testart pointed to Nunavut, which he said spends a third of its capital budget on housing.
MLAs want auditor general to investigate health authority
November 1, 2024
Cabin Radio - “I’ve received complaints about the healthcare services as well, just like every MLA in here,” he said. “This can be the government that finally, finally sets healthcare on the right course for the Northwest Territories,” he said. “In the process, our people are not getting the treatment they deserve.”All 10 regular MLAs in the assembly voted in favour of the motion. Cabinet abstained from voting, as is usually their practice when a regular MLA makes a motion. This week’s audit of Stanton Renewal also had its roots in a motion by regular MLAs.
Could a similar Stanton Renewal Project debacle happen again?
October 30, 2024
CKLB 101.9 - “Instead of a renovation and expansion, the project now included building a new hospital and renovating the existing hospital to lease it out. If anyone needed to wonder why this government is in such dire financial straits, then look no further to the persistent failures to ensure good money, good value for money, analysis across numerous projects. “Our people are going to be the ones left paying for the increased cost of this project,” she said. All 49 NWT schools, and all junior kindergarten to grade 12 students will have access to the program as needed. “We need a school food program that can teach them the importance of balanced diet and the benefit benefits of nutrition and the values of sustainable respect for the land.
Going off the deep end arguing for a new all-season pool for Behchokǫ̀
October 23, 2024
CKLB 101.9 - “I can tell you that families will use a swimming pool to spend quality time with their children,” she said. “A year round swimming pool in Whatì and Behchokǫ̀ would create meaningful employment, new training and career opportunities. “Therefore, I want to ask the Minister, can the Minister commit to trying to find funds for the Behchokǫ̀ swimming pool?”Replied McKay: “The territorial government supplies or funds communities. Through community funding, it’s up to the communities, whether or not they want to utilize some of that funding for things like pools. Live anywhere in the country and (earn) enough Aeroplan points to get as many as 10 free flights a year.
MLAs highlight use of traditional knowledge in N.W.T. firefighting efforts
October 21, 2024
CBC North - Traditional knowledge plays 'big role': ministerThe question was part of a larger conversation around the use of Indigenous traditional knowledge in fighting fires and forest management. "Traditional knowledge plays a big role in how we fight fire in the Northwest Territories," said Jay Macdonald, minister of Environment and Climate Change. "Over the last number of years … it was noticeable that you could see we were starting to lose that traditional knowledge." During Monday's committee meeting he said the department is working to have better training to transfer traditional knowledge. Gravel said the department is also considering mitigation measures that draw upon traditional knowledge: controlled (or prescribed) burns around communities.
Imperial should ‘step up,’ minister says as MLAs debate Sahtu fuel crisis
October 18, 2024
Cabin Radio - Imperial Oil must do more to help Norman Wells – a community it has drawn profit from for decades – get through the town’s current fuel crisis, the NWT’s finance minister said on Thursday. Caroline Wawzonek said this is a time for Imperial “to step up” as residents report heating fuel bills that now cost more than their entire monthly salaries. Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month and have since been on a rollercoaster ride. That field has been Imperial’s responsibility for 40 years, Wawzonek pointed out as the legislature agreed to an emergency debate on the cost pressures hitting Norman Wells and the Sahtu region. In Norman Wells, Imperial is in charge of fuel supply rather than the GNWT.
‘We are in a dire situation right now,’ says Deputy Premier Caroline Wawzonek
October 17, 2024
CKLB 101.9 - And the “humanitarian crisis” in the Sahtu region, especially with cost-of-living and fuel shortages in Norman Wells, MLAs entered into and emergency debate following a motion by Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart. He asked Minister Wawzonek if she considers the dire straits faced by residents of Norman Wells , where a month’s pay won’t even fill up a heating oil tank, to be an emergency? “Will the Minister agree that this is a crisis emergency situation?” he asked. Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong had done her homework on the poor outcomes facing students in smaller centres in the NWT. Why are we failing these students, students in all small communities?
Breaking down some of the big issues with NWT medical travel
July 8, 2024
Cabin Radio - Slow decisions, denied escorts, and a lack of funding are some of the medical travel issues routinely raised. The territory’s medical travel policy covers transportation costs to get people from one place to another for necessary medical care. When none of these insurance providers are eligible, the NWT’s Medical Travel Policy is the payor of last resort. To have your medical travel covered by the policy, you must:be an NWT resident;have a valid NWT health card;have a medical referral from within the NWT; andhave approval from the Medical Travel Office prior to travel. The GNWT is responsible for administering its own NWT Medical Travel Policy, and also shoulders much of the administrative work for the federal NIHB.
Edzo Elders spend their pension on Housing NWT arrears
July 3, 2024
Cabin Radio - Two Elders with health issues and a permanently disabled son in their care are paying Housing NWT a monthly $200 to whittle down arrears. In the legislature last year, fellow MLA Caitlin Cleveland said more than 900 residents owed more than $13 million to Housing NWT in arrears. In a formal response to Weyallon-Armstrong’s motion, the GNWT stated that Housing NWT does not garnish Elders’ pensions. “Rental income, mortgage income, those are all significant revenues in the Housing NWT budget,” Kuptana told Cabin Radio. Once the couple discovered $200 was being diverted to Housing NWT every month, they reached out to Weyallon Armstrong for help.
MLAs want GNWT to back temporary housing in Enterprise
June 16, 2024
Cabin Radio - Regular MLAs want the NWT government to contribute funding for temporary housing in Enterprise. “This funding opportunity from the federal government may not be the most ideal solution, because it is only temporary housing,” she said. There has to be a creative way that temporary housing can transform into long-term housing options.”Yakeleya said she wants to ensure displaced Enterprise residents are housed by the fall. She questioned why the NWT government would pass up a temporary housing option when the territory is in a housing crisis. Regular MLAs Kieron Testart, Jane Weyallon Armstrong and Danny McNeely spoke in favour of the temporary housing proposal.
After weeks of back and forth, N.W.T. Legislative Assembly passes budget
June 14, 2024
CBC North - Northwest Territories MLAs passed the territorial budget on Thursday, after weeks of debating and often pushing back against its contents. The $2.2 billion budget passed unanimously Thursday, with an additional $13 million added onto it. Denny Rodgers, MLA for Inuvik Boot Lake, was pleased the budget passed but still wants to see more housing money for his riding. Rodgers said he's pleased the budget passed, but he'll continue to advocate for more housing money for his constituency. Despite that, Weyallon Armstrong said this budget "will not close the municipal funding gap."