Bob Bromley

In four years I don’t recall ever being given a departmental briefing on this project. We are not standing up for the public interest. It’s time to start.

I’d like to thank the Minister and witnesses. I’d like to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Is committee agreed that we go to Bill 21, private member’s public bill, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act?

Thank you, Minister. Welcome, witnesses. Next we will go to general comments on the bill. General comments?

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 20, Vital Statistics Act, and Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, and would like to report progress, and that Bills 20 and 21 are ready for third reading. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Mahsi.

The bill as a whole.

Thank you, Minister. I’d like to ask if committee agrees.

Does committee agree that Bill 21 is ready for third reading?

---Bill 21 as a whole approved for third reading

I appreciate that commitment again from our Minister. Of course, that was just an example, the east side of Prosperous. It’s within the entire watershed. MACA is moving the Recreational Leasing Policy Framework forward proficiently and says public consultations will begin shortly. Can the Minister inform us of the schedule for consultations and give his assurance that the opportunity for input will be widely publicized so that non-resident users of the area will know they can’t contribute? Obviously, we have cottage owners that live throughout the city.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning I received an excellent briefing from officials of Municipal and Community Affairs updating the work being done on the Recreational Leasing Policy Framework in the Yellowknife block land transfer area. Control of squatting and protection of the watershed of the Yellowknife drinking water supply are major issues for my constituents. Here again the biggest obstacle, though, is how to get comprehensive action in the negligent federal government on this issue.

The GNWT can hardly control squatting or protect our waters when the federal government does nothing on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every day this government loses revenue due to its failure to collect reasonable resource rents.

We have a bill before this Assembly for the creation of an NWT Heritage Fund to put aside funds from existing revenue for the future. The steps to devolution are started; actual implementation is years into the future.

The promise of additional resource revenues is a big part of that agreement’s allure to this government. But why wait to get a fair return from our natural capital? Various commentators have emphasized that the economic rent we are collecting now is much too...