Rylund Johnson

Madam Chair, I move that this and committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment strengthen the languages commissioner's ability to get requested information from public bodies including timebound requirements to respond to requests. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee's report was read into the record on Thursday, May 26th, 2022. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed the 20202021 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner. The Official Languages Act requires the Commissioner to prepare an annual report. The report includes information on the number of complaints filed. It can also include recommendations. The Speaker tables the report in the Legislative Assembly. Once tabled, committee reviews the report.

As part of the review the languages commissioner, Ms. Brenda Gauthier, appeared before the...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, it's my hope that since this was a priority of this Assembly that we would see something in this Assembly. And if we have to live with an action plan that, you know, we get on the last day and we actually don't do any of the work in it in the life of this Assembly, well, that's better than nothing. And I guess the other debate here is that BC and the federal government have introduced actual legislation which create a legal obligation for the government to do this work and for departments to do this work. Are we going to see legislation to implement the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I'm curious about any internal work that's kind of occurring. I recognize that there are larger questions that the declaration raises, you know, how we are going to operationalize free prior informed consent is obviously a very large question we have to work with the Council of Leaders. But to me, there's a number of smaller internal changes to GNWT internal policies, perhaps our consultation policies, perhaps how we structure the government to empower regions differently. I think there's probably a lot of work that we just need to do internally.

So my question...

Well, if the Premier's going to do it, I'll do it too. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a Yellowknife North constituent Lee Mandeville, a friend and colleague of Adrian Lizotte, and one heck of a fiddle player as well, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment impose timebound requirements on public bodies to respond to the recommendations from the Languages Commissioner. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin today's statement with an apology in this House.

On Friday, I referred to His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, as "ole Chuckie Boy." The Rules of the House do not allow us to speak disrespectfully of the Monarch, or any Member of his royal family, and I withdraw those remarks, Mr. Speaker.

But with all due respect, I will now deliver a statement, Mr. Speaker, that I believe it is time for Canada to end its relationship with the monarchy, and I think a good start in that House would be to remove that rule, Mr. Speaker.

Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I'd like to begin by I'd like to thank the Premier today who tabled the GNWT's territorial principles and interests, and I'm going to speak to that a bit in that in conjunction with this report. I think that's a great step, and I think this report is a great step in bringing some transparency to this issue.

I have spent lots of time, both in this committee and otherwise, trying to figure out and get to the heart of why we are not settling, I'm going to speak specifically and start with land claims, in the NWT most specifically the Akaitcho, Deh Cho, and Metis land...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Thebacha, that Committee Report 3019(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations report on the review of the 20202021 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner be received by the Assembly and referred to the committee as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I guess, you know, I recognize it's largely a symbolic position but from where I sit, one of the parts that kind of rubbed me wrong is the mandatory nature of swearing an oath of allegiance. You know, perhaps you're an Irish member and there's been some blood shed on both sides of that. Perhaps you're of Scottish descent and you got a grandpa who's a strong independence movement, Mr. Speaker. You know, there's no shortage of countries that have fought very hard to be free of our sweet Queen's rule.

But my question is, does our Premier support amending the rules of this House so...