Latest news with #CarolineWawzonek
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
GNWT employees may get bonus for speaking Indigenous languages
GWNT employees who learn one of the nine official Indigenous languages of the Northwest Territories may be eligible for a bonus under ongoing development of the Indigenous Recruitment Framework. A report highlighting the goals and progress of the program, now in its second year of operation, was released on Tuesday. 'The GNWT recognizes the importance of sustained investment in Indigenous employment and is committed to building a representative, inclusive public service that reflects the population it serves,' said Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek. 'Departmental Indigenous Employment Plans are driving meaningful progress and accountability. 'We're seeing more departments take ownership of their targets, explore innovative hiring approaches, and prioritize the advancement of Indigenous employees. This is about changing systems to create lasting opportunity.' Under the framework, the GNWT is seeking to reward employees who speak an Indigenous language and use it routinely in their duties. The report notes the discussions are underway between the Indigenous Languages Secretariat and the department of Finance to establish a system for 'bilingual bonus' employees and promote them. To further facilitate multi-lingual employees, the GNWT has also placed Indigenous languages in the same category as post-secondary education, enabling employees who take lessons in their mother tongue to claim some of their expenses for compensation. These include payment for instruction, travel costs and training materials. A second area the GNWT is directing its agencies to establish is a running shortlist of Indigenous candidates who qualified for a previous and similar job opportunity but was not hired. Even if the candidate doesn't apply for a new position when it comes up, if they're within two pay ranges their resume is given to the hiring manager, who reviews them as if they were submitted by the candidate. If the hiring manager decides to proceed, the candidate is contacted and offered the position. If interested, the hiring manager proceeds to reference checks and then offer them the position 'without further assessment.' Other highlights of the report include the use of the Indigenous Career Gateway Program, which provides $600,000 annually to allow for up to 15 positions to receive $40,000 in funding to cover the costs of entry-level and trainee opportunities for Indigenous candidates. It was first established in 2018, but 2024 was the first year the fund was used in its entirety. The report notes additional applicants were hired even though the funding had run out. All GNWT employees are also now required to complete Indigenous Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training, which consists of a series of eight modules educating staff about major issues ranging from developing an awareness of the impacts of colonization and relations between colonists and First Nations, to developing a cultural sensitivity and best practices to promote reconciliation. Management is able to waive certain elements of training if there is a danger of trauma to the employee, however. Efforts are also underway to ensure all employees of the GNWT undergo 'anti-racism' and 'unconscious bias' training. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Here's why Ottawa still covers most of the N.W.T.'s annual budget
This year, the territory is receiving about $1.8B through federal funding to cover its $2.5B budget It's the biggest source of revenue for the N.W.T. government this year, just as it was last year and the year before that: federal transfer payments. "Territorial Formula Financing is the largest source of the government's revenues and the primary driver of overall revenue growth," N.W.T. Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek told MLAs last week, during a committee meeting to help them understand how the funding works. In 2025-26, the N.W.T. is receiving about $1.8 billion through Territorial Formula Financing, a major chunk of revenue for its $2.5 billion budget to run the territory this year. The funding is also especially useful because it's unconditional, and can be spent however the territory wants. Why the N.W.T. gets this funding N.W.T. finance department officials said the formula for this transfer payment takes into account several factors including the territory's population growth, and spending on public services elsewhere in Canada. This year, the federal government has calculated that the N.W.T. will need $2.2 billion to deliver public services such as health, infrastructure, and education, that are comparable to what is available in the provinces. But the territorial government is only expected to be able to raise $386 million in revenue through taxes — less than a fifth of that $2.2 billion. The $386 million would include revenue from personal income taxes, business income taxes, property taxes, and other sources. "That gap is just so large relative to what we see elsewhere, that we need a special type of transfer," Trevor Tombe, an economics professor at the University of Calgary, told CBC News. Tombe says the Territorial Formula Financing from Canada bridges this gap, so the N.W.T. can offer public services similar to the provinces. He added it's unlikely the territory would ever be able to outgrow this support, pointing out that this year's Territorial Formula Financing is around five times as much money as the N.W.T. could get from taxes over the same period. He says the additional money is necessary to run a vast, sparsely populated territory. "N.W.T. is not unique," Tombe said. "Yukon and Nunavut are also quite reliant on Territorial Formula Financing for the simple reason that spending needs to be a lot higher to deliver comparable levels of public services compared to the tax base that actually exists in the territories." Population effect In the briefing, several MLAs told Department of Finance officials that most N.W.T. residents believe the funding is calculated solely based on population numbers, so increasing the territory's population would result in getting more money in total — but staff at the department said that's not completely accurate. Tombe explained the payment is based on how much spending on public services has increased across the country, as well the N.W.T.'s population. He said in the most recent aggregate figure, about $820 billion was being spent altogether across the provinces to deliver public services. That increased from about $767 billion the year earlier, a seven-per-cent increase in total provincial and local spending elsewhere. He said some of that increase in spending Canada-wide is because of population growth in other parts of the country. Tombe says the N.W.T.'s population growth is about 1.6 per cent slower than other places in the country — and this number is used to calculate how different the increase in funding for N.W.T. services should be than that national average. "If the population in N.W.T. is growing more slowly than what we observe elsewhere, then we want to deflate, you know, how much of an increase N.W.T. would get," Tombe said. The N.W.T.'s Territorial Formula Financing of $1.8 billion is up from about $1.7 billion last year, less than that seven per cent number to reflect the N.W.T.'s slower population growth. Currently, the N.W.T. gets about $42,000 of Territorial Formula Financing per person. "There's a lot going on under the hood," Tombe said.
CBC
19-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.W.T. scrapping consumer carbon tax following federal cancellation
The Northwest Territories is cancelling its consumer carbon tax following last week's federal decision to kill the measure. The N.W.T. is one of three provinces and territories that has its own carbon tax legislation, something finance minister Caroline Wawzonek said would allow the territory more flexibility to adjust how the tax is applied to northerners. That means that federal changes don't automatically change the territory's legislation and the N.W.T. needs to undertake its own process. The change comes into effect April 1 with residents to receive their last quarterly cost of living offset (COLO) payment in April. The government isn't able to repeal the Carbon Tax Act since the legislature isn't in session. Instead it's making changes to set the tax value to zero — effectively ending the tax without formally repealing the act. Carbon pricing has been heavily criticized for punishing Northerners who don't have more ecological alternatives for heating their homes, despite COLO payments that some politicians say has reimbursed residents "significant amounts". How will it impact consumers? Cancelling the tax will mean a drop of about 20 cents per litre at the pump, about 20 cents per litre. If gas prices are $1.629/litre — as they were at one Yellowknife gas station March 18 — without the $0.176 tax, consumers will pay $1.45/litres. In February 2024, the territory announced a carbon tax exemption on diesel for home heating fuel. For those who heat their homes with propane, they'll save about $0.123 per litre without the tax. But changes also means residents will no longer receive rebates. Those payments came four times a year in July, October, January and April with a tiered system that has residents furthest north receiving the highest offset payment. A family of two adults and three children in Paulatuk, for example, had been receiving quarterly deposits of $2,542, which it will no longer receive after the final payment in April. The Government of the Northwest Territories had also expected to earn about $97.5 million in carbon tax revenues. In the 2023/24 fiscal year, the territory collected $68.7 million. It used the revenue to invest in emission-reduction projects with some of that money distributed to communities helping to reduce property tax hikes in Yellowknife. Revenue from the tax has also helped pay for a 3.5-megawatt solar plant at Diavik Diamond Mine through the large emitter grant program. 'Northerners want this off the books' MLAs have voiced concerns and critiques of the tax since it was introduced saying it makes life less affordable for residents, especially those in smaller communities. Yellowknife MLA Kieron Testart went as far as introducing a bill to repeal the carbon tax, which passed second reading and is in a committee review stage. On March 13 he again told the assembly that the N.W.T. should adopt the federal backstop to be ready for Prime Minister Mark Carney's change to scrap the tax. "Northerners want this off the books. They're tired of paying a consumer carbon tax. Canadians are tired of paying a consumer carbon tax. We shouldn't be waiting. We should be moving," he said. The finance minister and department staff declined an interview. But in astatement, the department said the territory doesn't need to adopt federal legislation since its structure allows for immediate changes when the federal system is changed, "as is being demonstrated by the Northwest Territories changes coming into effect on the same date as the federal changes." The changes don't apply to large emitters, like mines, that will continue to pay the tax and receive a 72 per cent rebate. Dale Beugin, executive vice president with the Canadian Climate Institute, has championed that tax on heavy emitters as key to meeting Canada's climate goals. "Those industrial carbon pricing systems across the provinces and territories are the single most important systems in terms of delivering on climate objectives," he said.
CBC
14-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.W.T. budget passes with $41.6M addition to housing
N.W.T. ministers and regular members are crediting the consensus process for a boost in housing money in the 2025/26 operating budget. The budget passed Thursday in a 15-3 vote. It's a $2.5-billion plan with a $41.6-million boost for investment in public housing. "This is probably the single biggest budgetary change, that I'm certainly aware of, ever being made, but we're proud of it," Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek said in the legislature. "It's one that does reflect the priorities of the assembly and I thank my colleagues for getting us here." The new $41.6-million investment, together with funds already in Housing NWT's capital plan, is a sum of $50 million to build, modernize and replace public housing units. The territorial government also committed to an annual $50 million housing investment over the next two budgets. The government had previously committed to this funding during capital budget discussions last fall. "These homes will change lives and this investment means that more N.W.T. families will have a safe and comfortable place to call home," Housing Minister Lucy Kuptana told reporters in a news conference after Thursday's session. She said that each region would see the benefits of that investment, but couldn't yet say specifically what each community would receive. Three members opposed the budget: Robert Hawkins, Kieron Testart and Richard Edjericon. "I don't feel like we negotiate, I feel like 'what are you going to let us have?'" Hawkins said in the legislature. He said the investment barely makes a dent in the housing needs in the territory. "I don't think it's going to change anything." Testart also thought there should be more money toward housing, and more resources for the RCMP. The three opposing members have pitched the idea of voting with all regular MLAs as a block, though other members haven't committed to that. Community learning centres, Arctic defence Other members spoke about the collaborative process that led to the additional housing investment. Denny Rodgers, chair of the Accountability and Oversight Committee of all regular members, said the budget reflects input from all 19 members. "Whether you thought the budget went far enough or not, you certainly had the chance to contribute," he said. Rodgers said the investment will help get residents into homes and will also creates work across the territory. On top of the housing investment, the territory also restored $100,000 for in-person training and meetings for family violence shelters and committed to developing a forgiveness program for elders in public housing who are in arrears. Minister Wawzonek said solutions for the closure of Aurora College's community learning centres and plans around Arctic defence sovereignty were also significant issues brought up in budget discussions. She said the government will have a strategy ready for the assembly's next sitting in May. Yellowknife MLA Kate Reid said the budget is proof that cabinet is listening, even if it can seem slow going. "We are spending on core social needs for the benefit of our residents, which is something we talk about every single day in this house, and I am glad that we are making notable progress," Reid said.
