Andrew Wing

Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning offers postsecondary education programming in the Northwest Territories. Budget 2024 made a commitment to provide over two years, starting in 2024. Lobbying activities will seek to secure stable and sustainable sources of funding for years beyond the current commitment. As a leader in Indigenous and Northern education, Dechinta will also be working with Northern Affairs on strategies and policies related to education in the territories. Recommendations and input will be provided to the Minister and to department officials through planned engagement processes and through written submissions. Dechinta will seek to keep updated members of parliament and senators that have supported them.

Further understand engage the federal government regarding their plans for Defence funding in the Territory. Seek opportunities for further consultation and input. Provide advice and feedback on the federal government's response to wildfires and flooding. The unique conditions of Northern and remote communities greatly affect how municipal infrastructure is built and maintained. Northern communities have unique realities that need to be addressed in program design through flexibility in how funding is disbursed and how programs are applied to Northern communities. For example, construction seasons in the North are much shorter than southern municipalities. The scale of the Climate Change Challenge in the NWT far exceeds the capacity of the Territorial or local governments to address and will require a considerable fiscal investment by the federal government first to finish articulating the scope and scale of the challenge as well as actually mitigating and addressing those impacts. tax incentives or other measures must be used to stimulate new rental and affordable housing construction Implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Implement the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework to create a future where Northern and Arctic people are thriving, strong and safe. Affordable housing agreements must be flexible and respect provincial and territorial jurisdictions, chronic homelessness and inadequacy of housing must be eliminated through proven strategies; Adequately fund the provision of Mental Health and Addictions treatment to allow the Territories to move beyond the harm reduction model that is not even being achieved. special, territorial funding transfers are required to preserve and renovate existing social housing units.

Support digital access for primary and secondary education programming for northern communities and securing long-term federal and provincial contribution agreements for these programs.