Kieron Testart

I do read the newspaper, and so do my constituents. When they see what is going on with this issue, they are concerned. They want to know what the government plans to do. I appreciate that the Premier has laid out his responsibilities very clearly, and I applaud him for that, but what I asked him for was a clear vision. Is it going to be a revenue neutral option, or are we going to see a revenue grab for government to fund clean growth? We need some certainty here that it is not going to unduly impact our economy and take money out of the pockets of Northerners. Can the Premier at least give...

Mr. Speaker, this summer the North American Indigenous Games were held in Toronto, and the Northwest Territories was well represented by so many talented young athletes. I want to acknowledge my constituent Deanne Whenham for winning the gold medal in 17 and Under Female Golf.

Ms. Whenham is a true athlete, and in addition to this year's games she has represented the Northwest Territories at the 2014 North American Indigenous Games, 2015 Canada Winter Games, and 2016 Arctic Winter Games. Honourable Members, please join me in congratulating Ms. Whenham and all the athletes, coaches, and...

If anyone should know what the demands are, it should be the person responsible for this project, and it is pretty shocking that he has no clue whatsoever. I will ask him now: will he do some research, potentially with his colleagues in ITI, to identify what the supply demands are going to be and how we are going to regulate that? This is a significant issue for Northerners, and they expect to receive safe, legal product. It is not just about the issue of legalization and consumption, but it is about these broader issues of supply that he has got no answer for. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the Minister of Justice for moving forward on cannabis consultations, but I would like to ask him today: the discussions that he is having with Northerners, do they involve supply and do they involve production? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, again, New Brunswick seems to be able to do it. Ontario seems to be able to do it. They have fully informed plans, and they are already making the plans. We still do not have answers. Again, instead of suggesting what our demand may be and how some of these features are going to work that are not being contemplated by the round of consultations which we now concluded, will the Minister do some work on this area and report back to the House so people can have certainty about what the economic opportunities are going to be for this product, and how Northerners are...

Well, given that reality, in New Brunswick they have negotiated for nine million grams of cannabis for their province. Does the Minister have an idea of what the supply demands would be in the Northwest Territories and is he working to secure a supply with the distributor?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the Honourable Minister of Justice for taking real action on cannabis and actually getting out and starting to do this work. It's a bit late, but we're making progress.

Other provinces are also making progress, Mr. Speaker. Recently the Ontario government announced it will create a Cannabis Control Board and open up 60 store fronts in the first year to manage the sale and distribution of cannabis products in the province, while privatized cannabis dispensaries in Ontario will be shut down over the next 12 months.

Now, I wouldn't recommend the Minister take...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I applaud the government for moving forward on all those projects. They are crucially important, but with things like the Small Community Employment Support program, it is a wage subsidy. This dispenses with subsidies. It dispenses with payments that are monitored. You will not get any income clawed back. This is a revolutionary policy that could transform how we address poverty in our society. Again, I urge the Minister to commit to taking real action on this by working to develop a pilot project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is good to know the government is paying attention to that project. As the Minister knows, I am a big fan of putting more money into the pockets of Northerners. At this point, is the department considering developing a pilot project for one of our small northern communities? I am thinking about those non-tax-based communities, where people do not have market conditions to support them. We could really make a big difference by raising them to the level that our tax-based communities enjoy. Is the Minister willing to the look into developing a pilot for one of those communities?

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin this session with a subject that has become the topic of conversation across Canada: a guaranteed basic income. Across the political spectrum, the private sector, and dinner tables of northern families, a guaranteed basic income is accepted as the inevitable future for our country. Guaranteed basic income is the best way to address income disparity, eliminate poverty, and prepare our economy for the future. It is time for the Northwest Territories to embrace what is inevitable and start testing guaranteed basic incomes.

Mr. Speaker, a guaranteed basic income is a...