Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. General comments on Bill 3. Detail?

As a government we have talked extensively about the cost of living in the Northwest Territories. When the GST was first introduced, we tried to have the GST exempted in the Northwest Territories. That did not work. That would have been an administratively burdensome thing for the federal government. The Minister regularly meets with his federal and territorial counterparts and, in fact, there’s a pan-territorial meeting on issues as well. Is this something, as a cost of living relief measure, that could be put on the agenda of the next meeting he attends with Finance Ministers or other...

Question is being called. Motion is carried.

---Carried

Does the committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance; Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act; Committee Report 1-17(3), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2010-2011 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories; and Committee Report 2-17(3), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2010-2011 Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission Annual Report, and would like to report progress with eight motions being adopted...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As announced in the recent federal budget effective this past June 1st, the Government of Canada will be raising the duty-free exemptions for cross-border shopping. Canadian residents who have been out of the country for 24 hours will be able to bring back $200 worth of goods duty free. This current exemption is only $50. The exemption for trips of 48 hours or more will increase from $400 to $800 worth of product duty free.

For the majority of Canadians who live within a few hours of the U.S. border – which is most of the country – this is a real tangible benefit. It...

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, committee. Bill 1 is now deemed ready for third reading. I’d like to thank Minister Lafferty and his witnesses for their attendance here today. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms if he would like to escort the witnesses out of the Chamber. Thank you.

Please turn your attention to Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act. I’d like to ask MLA Blake if he would like to introduce the bill. Mr. Blake.

Does committee agree that this concludes the business before Committee of the Whole today?