Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I talked about the federal government's new plan, and that's for the Prime Minister to implement a new Indigenous Rights Framework. Some of this stems from the Royal Commission on Indigenous Peoples, which dates back to the 1990s. In particular, it's a call for the federal government to help foster autonomy by moving communities away from restrictions of the colonial-era Indian Act, which has impacts on Canada, but it also has impacts on self-government. I'd like to ask the Premier if this government has a position on the newly announced...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past week Indigenous activists across Canada have raised their voices in frustration and anger over the ongoing effects of colonization in our country, and they have reinforced the clear message that there can be no peace or harmony unless there is justice.

We must all admit as a society that successive governments have tried, sometimes intentionally, sometimes in ignorance, to absorb Indigenous peoples into Canadian society, thus eliminating them as distinct peoples. Policies pursued over the decades have undermined and almost erased Indigenous...

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...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Chairman leave the chair to report progress.