Rylund Johnson

I'm very happy to see that this Minister is committed to a governance review. One of the fundamental problems with this governance review is we as government are asking our deputy ministers to review themselves and see if there is the proper accountability. Much of the Power Corporation's bookwork is done behind closed doors. Much of this review and these decisions come to Cabinet, which is also behind closed doors. My question for the Minister is: given the just inherent conflicts and trouble navigating accountability of a non arm's-length corporation that's supposed to be, will the GNWT do...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that $5 million not previously authorized be deleted from the Health and Social Services operations expenditures, COVID secretariat in the Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I look forward to that work. I find it's truly exciting. One of the other issues that we have seen is: it has been very difficult for apprentices to find journeypersons and journeypersons to find apprentices, such that, if you are in a community and you want to be an apprentice, you often have to leave. Four years away from home can be a long time. If you are a journeyperson in that community, it can be hard to find an apprentice. However, I think some of the steps we have taken with putting Aurora College online really can be used in the future to pair journeypersons and apprentices up...

I have no further questions, Madam Speaker.

I am glad to hear we're at 25 percent. That's pretty good, and we're on track to getting to 40 percent. I do note that the short-term goals the Minister refers to are to be completed by 2021, so that gives us one more year. Specifically, one of my favourite sections which I've brought up is the support the residual heat and biomass district heating section. Can I get an update on how that short-term goal is working and whether it will be completed by 2021?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's good to see you in the big chair today. I hope you can keep this unruly bunch in line. Madam Speaker, the first week of November is National Skilled Trades and Technology Week, and I would like to congratulate all of our new journeypersons and top-mark earners. My colleagues and I have spoken at length about the need to increase the amount of tradespeople in the North, and I know it's a shared priority both for the Minister and all my colleagues in this House.

However, the numbers are not just low in the Northwest Territories. There's a trade shortage across...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am embarrassed that I have to sit here and support a motion to end fax machines in the use of the health and social services sector in 2020. I do not even know how to use a fax machine, Mr. Chair. I recognize that there are some complications here. One is getting Alberta's records and our records to be able to share digitally. We need to do that. I recognize one of the other issues is that sometimes the Internet is not all that reliable in our communities, so we rely on fax machines. I guess that ties to a larger problem, of making sure that all of our communities have...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to bring some context to these motions as, both, our Information and Privacy Commissioner put a lot of work into these. I would like to thank her for many years of service. Our new Information and Privacy Commissioner has a big task, as well as the Department of Justice, in bringing this act online. I really do believe we have one of the best ATIPP acts in the country. However, it is not presently in force, and there is a lot of work to do. What this motion speaks to specifically is, typically, ATIPP coordinators have been located individually in all...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I just would like to rise in support of this bill. I am sure my colleague, Mr. Simpson, is happy to see that this bill will pass first reading today and we will, ultimately, I believe, lower the small business tax rate. I really think the backbone of our NWT economy in recovery must be our small business. As we enter into a world and compete in a world where capital increasingly gets held in the hands of large businesses, I think we as government have to do everything we can to support our small businesses. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to move the motion for the establishment of a special committee on reconciliation and Indigenous affairs.

WHEREAS the Members of the 19th Legislative Assembly agreed upon a priority to settle and implement treaty, land, resources, and self-government agreements;

AND WHEREAS the Members of the 19th Legislative Assembly also agreed upon a priority to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

AND WHEREAS the Members of the 19th Legislative Assembly believe that a special committee could seek and encourage discussions and...