Louis Sebert

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my wife, Anne Sebert, and her son Peter Reid in the audience.

While we do meet with the RCMP, we do not interfere, if I can put it that way, directly with their day-to-day operations. As I mentioned earlier, I think that the enhanced criminal record checks provided for in the Criminal Records Act are a good idea protecting vulnerable groups. So I am not asking for any change.

Thank you. In the year 2000, the Criminal Records Act, the federal piece of legislation, came into effect. It provided for an enhanced criminal record check in situations where vulnerable people, either children or other vulnerable people, were involved. This was seen as a way of protecting the vulnerable groups. I appreciate the Member's opposite concerns as there is also balance between individual right and the rights of the vulnerable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Within the Department of Lands, the assistant deputy minister of Planning and Coordination is leading and coordinating the NTCL file, supported by a director, regional superintendents, as well as our lands inspectors. Our team has been proactively meeting with officials from across the GNWT, including ENR, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, and the Department of Justice. Meetings occur regularly and, in fact, there is another scheduled for this very afternoon. We are treating this matter very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, this is a complex issue. The company is not yet bankrupt. They have a lease, and we need to wait for the CCAA process to proceed. However, the department has conducted inspections of lands that are leased to NTCL. This includes lands that are directly leased to the company by the GNWT, as well as those leased through head leases given to the Town of Hay River. No lease compliance issues have been identified. Lands will be working with other departments to identify areas of particular concern that would be in need of additional environmental assessment. Again, we must wait for the...

The GNWT has been subsidizing the cost of power for NWT residents, most recently through the $44 million to offset low water in the North Slave. I certainly agree with the Member opposite that finding ways to make our energy system more sustainable is crucial, and the government is in the early stages of partnering to tie into the continental grid.

We have also been partnering with communities such as Colville Lake to introduce solar arrays and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. I look forward to hearing what other ideas are out there and the results of the energy strategy that I referred to...

Mr. Speaker, the Public Utilities Board sets rates for both NTPC and Northland Utilities. NTPC did apply for 114 per cent in 2013-2014 based on a calculation of revenue-to-cost coverage. The Public Utilities Board rejected this calculation and directed that NTPC bill electricity at 98 per cent which is where it remains to this day. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Legislative Assembly of the NWT first established a self-imposed code of behaviour during the 12th Assembly. Each subsequent Assembly, except the 15th, formally adopted a similar code of conduct.

The Code of Conduct was amended by the 18th Assembly to put greater emphasis on effective representation. An excerpt from the Conflict of Interest provisions of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act was added to help ensure Members arrange their private matters so as to maintain the trust and confidence of the public. A commitment to respect and abide by the laws...

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned already, I believe that these types of checks, this enhanced record as it could be called, are essential in certain circumstances dealing with the vulnerable populations or children. I am always willing to consult, but I am not just going to go forward with the position that this should be changed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The short answer is no, Mr. Speaker. As I say, this act came into force in the year 2000. It has been in force for 16 years now. I frankly don't know whether it has been subject to Charter scrutiny or not, but since it still seems to be in effect, I assume that Charter challenges have not been made or failed. In my view, there always has to be a balance between protecting individual rights and, as I mentioned earlier, the rights of those that are vulnerable, children, and perhaps the aged in some cases. I think the act does set a correct balance. This can't be asked for in all circumstances...