Kieron Testart

When you combine prompt-payment issues with progress-payment issues with all of these payment issues, it seems there is a payment problem. Should I, as a private Member, bring forward a bill that would support a prompt-payment regime, would the government be in a position to support that legislation so we can get some work done in this House?

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. I want to get into this issue of payment and prompt payment in particular. I have previously raised this issue in the House. There is movement in our country on making this process fairer, more transparent, and more timely for subcontractors and businesses who benefit from government procurement, especially in the construction industry.

Three of the sections set out in Ontario's new Construction Lien Act set out that the owner's payment obligation is transferred down to the contractor. The contractor's...

This government has just done a lengthy public engagement process on manufacturing, and in some of those sessions, concerns were raised. I find it hard to believe that there are no concerns that are coming out of these meetings. Maybe the Premier is not talking to the right people, or maybe the Premier needs to listen to this side of the House. So will the Premier commit to look at the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment that recommended procurement reform or an evaluation of procurement policies? Will he look at that recommendation, accept it, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, my honourable friend the Member from Hay River North, talked about the GNWT. I have less of an issue with the policies that our public service has to follow; I'm more with the government. So I want to ask the Premier today if he will direct his Cabinet to do a comprehensive reform of procurement on all of the government approach? Will the Premier commit to doing that? Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the manufacturing strategy doesn't include a section on progress payments, prompt payments, and doesn't include a clear policy direction in that strategy to resolve this issue. Thank you.

I have a constituent who is a subcontractor and did not receive payment from a government contract. It is an issue. I can tell the Minister that. It is an issue. I will give him the full details when we are out of the Chamber. The Government of Canada is doing more than looking at it. There is a bill called the Canada Prompt Payment Act currently in first reading. Is the Minister willing to develop a legislative proposal and to share that proposal with the standing committee so we can get to work on prompt payment legislation here in the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Speaker, I don't know how many more Member's statements that I need to make or that my honourable friends need to make before the Premier will listen to what we're saying and address those issues. So to the issue of progress payments, will the Premier direct his Minister to fix that problem, to ensure progress payments don't require bonds, and that they can move forward to support small businesses? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My next question, again, is for the best Premier ever: will he commit to amending the Minister of Infrastructure's mandate letter to include a review of the procurement policies in the GNWT?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is going to be an exciting day for the Minister of Infrastructure, as a number of us today have statements on procurement.

Mr. Speaker, I have raised numerous complaints around the procurement policies of this government. It is adversely impacting my constituents and the constituents of many other MLAs across the territory. It is time that we take a look at these policies and make them work for the people of the Northwest Territories, not for the Department of Infrastructure. It's time that we invest in the North and use procurement as a way to grow the...

I'm very eager to see this legislation, but I notice the budget doesn't have an ombudsman office listed, so how are we paying for the ombudsman role once the legislation is passed?