Kevin O'Reilly

I'm glad to hear there are some meetings going on. I'm worried about what's going to happen when those tourists start to cross the highway to go to the Visitors Centre. While we're on the subject of the Visitors Centre, there's still no signage for the Visitors Centre along the highway beyond the small sign near the intersection with 49th Street, and there's nothing here at the turnoff that comes into the Legislative Assembly. Can the Minister tell this House when new signage for the Visitors Centre will finally be installed?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There's been some serious construction all summer outside of this Assembly on the highway. Can the Minister of Transportation explain what is happening and when it will be completed? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Kimberly Doyle. I can't see her, but she's a constituent. She helped me set up a constituency meeting last week. Also Lois Little, who is the chair of the local chapter of the Council of Canadians and is doing some important work on public education around the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, and Mr. Craig Yeo who is my constituency assistant, does a lot of work behind the scenes and doesn't often get the recognition he deserves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Premier some questions about his sessional statement that was delivered earlier today. In here, he mentions that there's going to be a technical team that will visit the Northwest Territories to study issues around carbon pricing. I'm wondering if the Premier can just tell us a little bit more about what this team is going to be doing. Are they going to be designing a carbon pricing system for us? Just if the Minister could just tell us a little bit more about what this team is going to be doing. Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

Can the Minister tell this House what the consequences are for breaching the process convention on communications between Executive Council, Ministers, standing committees and Regular Members?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I talked about the growing problem of poor communications between Cabinet and Regular MLAs. My questions are for the Minister of the Executive. Does the Minister agree that there were several significant breaches of the process convention on communications between the Executive Council Ministers, standing committees and Regular Members this past summer, as outlined in my Member's statement?

Merci, Monsieur le President. The process conventions on consensus government developed by the last Assembly stated the following as a guiding principle: "Open and respectful communication between all Members is the most essential feature of consensus government." Furthermore, the Process Convention on Communications between the Executive Council, Ministers, Standing Committees and Regular Members, signed by Premier McLeod on September 8, 2014 states: "Except under extraordinary circumstances Members of the Legislative Assembly should be made aware of and have opportunity to discuss...

I appreciate the response from the Minister. I'm just wondering when this technical team comes up, can the Minister commit to have the team meet with Regular MLAs through the standing committee if necessary? I think it would just be important that we understand a little bit more about what this technical team is going to be doing and that we're able to offer our perspective on some of these issues, as well. Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Well, we could probably go on and debate this for quite some time, but clearly when I continue to find out things that are going on through the media there's a problem. But I'd like to know from the Minister, what is he prepared to do to prevent poor communications from happening again and again? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response from the Minister, but we obviously disagree on communications. I'd like to know, can the Minister tell us whether the current executive has accepted and abides by the process convention on communications between the Executive Council, Ministers, standing committees and Regular Members that he signed on September 8, 2014?