Kevin O'Reilly

Against.

For.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the mover and the seconder of the motion. I know the mover's obviously done quite a bit of work on this.

I do have a problem with the word "growth", quite frankly. You know, we do live on a finite planet and growth in some parts of the world, we just cannot sustain it any further without getting another planet somewhere. But I understand that the thrust of this is really about trying to maintain programs and services and sort of critical mass of folks in parts of the Northwest Territories, so I can support it.

We do have to start, I think, to pay a...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I apologize to the interpreters and the House.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the mover and the seconder of this motion for the work that they've put into it.

You know, Mr. Speaker, I've had the opportunity or privilege to visit many of the smaller communities here in the Northwest Territories in this job, previous jobs I've had. And, you know, I've spoken to many people about the pride that they have in owning their own homes. And people have seen that the HAP units that, you know, that are still they're in many of those communities. Unfortunately, we don't do that program anymore. I think it was a great program and...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I want to thank the committee and the Minister for the work on the bill. I was able to sit in on a lot of the committee proceedings and discussions, deliberations about this bill.

The one improvement that the Minister did not mention, that I think is worthy of highlighting here, is that the addition of section 24.1 which modifies the way in which the work on regulating the medical profession is going to change.

This new clause, which was proposed by the committee and accepted by the Minister, but it was proposed by the committee, requires that there be consultation with the...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. But clearly our government should be in a position now to stand on its hind legs and actually say something about the importance of caribou, the importance of this region for our communities. But I guess we have to wait and be told this.

So I'm giving my feedback to the Minister now. It's become best practice with an environmental assessment to ensure that there's participant funding for Indigenous governments and the public and to provide for a level playing field during these kinds of things.

So can the Minister tell us what...

Yes, thanks, Madam Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that. I guess maybe I might suggest, then, that in the review of the Fiscal Responsibility Policy that this idea of a reserve on the infrastructure side is something that the department might look at. Yes, is that something that they could consider? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Of course, perfect is the enemy of good.

But, you know, I understand that the final decision, of course, is going to be made by a federal minister but clearly there's a lot at stake for us, and I know that the federal minister has consulted with our government. I just want to know what our government is saying back.

So can the Minister tell us whether GNWT intends to engage Indigenous governments, the public, and even Regular MLAs with regard to our position on this regional this proposed regional study. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, and I appreciate the position the Minister's in; this coming as a bit of a surprise. But I think we're trying to figure out to make this more transparent process for everybody.

So one of the issues that I've got with the capital planning, the way that it's been done is, you know, Members sit in the Chamber, they get the capital estimates, they vote on them, most Members vote in favour, even this lowly Member occasionally but not probably in this Assembly. But so Members vote in favour of projects in the capital estimates but then somehow during the course of the...