Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. Well, let's talk about that public engagement period. The extension might allow for more meaningful public input on the guideline but communications from the department, in my view, need to be improved.

Can the Minister tell us whether he is prepared to improve public communications, including a further extension, some plain language materials on this important policy document, and maybe even a public meeting or a webinar? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I think that was a detailed explanation of yes, this is a onetime increase. But maybe I'll just turn it back to the Minister. Thanks.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like recognize one of the pages, Kole Lizotte. I believe he has a special someone who might work here as well. But also I believe Frame Lake resident Audrey Henderson is, I think behind me, is here as well and I want to welcome her to the Assembly. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I've got a couple questions if I can. Is this a onetime increase, or is this a permanent increase to the borrowing limit? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I just a few things I guess I want to say that having sat eight years on this side of the House, one of the few points of leverage that Regular MLAs have is in budgets and both on the capital and O and M side. And, you know, I think Regular MLAs can and should and do use that leverage to negotiate what we believe sometimes should be priorities for our residents as well. Sometimes we maybe have a slightly different take than our colleagues on the other side, but that's how consensus government is supposed to work. People don't elect us here to agree with each...

Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. I have a question about the amendment, and I want to ask the law clerk.

I'm just the Minister said that the if this motion is not passed that dental hygienists would be completely unregulated. And I believe that the motion actually is to the first part of the bill, not the second part, which is where you would remove the Dental Auxiliaries Act application. But thanks.

Merci, Madam la Presidente. Committee wishes to deal with Bill 80, Tabled Document 97319(2), Tabled Document 97419(2), Committee Report 5219(2), and Committee Report 7519(2). Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I recognize it's very late in the day, but I have to go on record as to how I'm going to vote so I believe that the bill was not particularly well crafted. There was a pause when it was the Minister kind of took it back and went back to Indigenous governments, tried to do some engagement. So I believe that there's really there was inadequate consideration of Indigenous rights in the development of the bill. I'm concerned that the bill doesn't bind the Government of the Northwest Territories, which is the largest contracting authority. What's the point of trying...

Merci, Monsieur le President. If it's not the case that they've done that engagement, I really urge that this department do that work.

I guess my next question, Mr. Speaker, is once these are finalized, what sort of public communications is there going to be? Because this will have implications for people that buy and sell land, real estate agents, banks that do financing. This has got some pretty serious implications. So what is the department going to do to communicate these new guidelines to the public and interested parties? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Like my colleague, who serves as chair of the committee, we did talk about this and I'm not sure I can share my colleague's characterization of committee reports. Committee reports are from a committee. They're not from one or two Members. And believe me, I've seen the how hard the clerks work to make sure that there is consensus from committee, and if needs a majority vote, it gets a vote. Reports are not from one or two Members; they are from a committee. And that's the way it needs to be interpreted in this House so I don't feel very good about my colleague's...