Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Presently, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is consulting with Ingraham Trail constituents and they are giving them the option of paying $1.7 million to start up providing fire services and, thereafter, $1.2 million annually. I'm a little confused, and in the resources provided, there is no real explanation of what these numbers are, where they came from, or what they're going to get. Can I just have some explanation of what that $1.7 million and, thereafter, $1.2 million would actually be paying for? Is it buying a fire truck? Is it hiring staff? What...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If it was the department's position that at no point was the GNWT going to pay for any of this service, it would have been very helpful to know that in October because it completely changes the whole conversation if they had to approach the city and completely fund this with their own taxes. Currently, residents on the Ingraham Trail, they pay taxes every year. They receive zero services for those taxes. Is the Minister willing to take some of the taxes that residents pay and use that, those taxes that already exist, as a portion of any agreement that could be reached...

I think the unfortunate reality here is that the residents who built their houses and have lived out there for decades with fire services kind of expected them to continue. Now, the city and the GNWT are in some sort of fight over jurisdiction, and it seems the city wants $1.7 million to accommodate. The loss is really to the people, to my constituents, while this kind of fight between governments occurs. However, I never viewed this as a $1.2-million-annual problem. I thought the city was more in the hundred-thousand-dollar range, that we were going to get this to continue. It is one fire a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In October 2020, the City of Yellowknife voted to end fire services on the Ingraham Trail. The most frustrating part of that decision was that residents were only given six months to find an alternate solution. I implored the Minister during the multiple city council votes to send someone from MACA to ask for more time, knowing full well that the GNWT could not find a solution within six months, but GNWT bureaucracy doesn't move quickly and the idea of someone approaching city council to pitch a case without going up and down eight levels of bureaucracy first was an...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Despite my willingness that maybe bars and restaurants could serve alcohol on election day, I think it would be ridiculous to allow Members to expense alcohol and cannabis as part of the campaign. Thank you to committee for this explicit direction. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the Guiding Principles and Process Conventions for Consensus Government in the Northwest Territories dated August 2020.

I tend to agree with the Minister, but my concern here is that we seem to have no plans in this area to increase access to justice. Right now, I know that we have done some good work. We have one outreach lawyer. They run a Legal Aid clinic that does some of this work in poverty law, but I think there is definitely much more that can be done in that area. I think it starts by having it be a more public-facing law centre, one where people can find access to resources. Are there any plans to expand our current Legal Aid outreach clinic so that, perhaps, people looking for information can start...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first answer, I am hoping for a yes. Presently, right now, if you want to access the law resource centre, it is behind a locked door. Is the Minister willing to unlock the door? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm in favour of the motion to amend. Right now, if you make a donation to any political candidate, your address becomes public information, and I'm not sure that's needed. I think it should be required that whoever donates to a political candidate, their name should be attached to it, but I'm not sure of the necessity of having residential addresses. As my colleague from Great Slave pointed out, there are some concerns there for people, so extending this to people who also make donations I am in favour of. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would have preferred committee to support the recommendation of the Chief Electoral Officer. The days of having prohibition on election day are long gone. They arise from the time when politicians used to fill bars and buy votes. Nowadays, it's an annoyance and a loss to the hospitality industry. I know many people who would like to watch the election results come in and maybe enjoy a beer, and here we are saying that they can't do that nor can they go purchase cannabis. I am opposed to this motion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.