Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has committed to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017 to effectively legalize marijuana. During the meantime, they are looking at regulations with respect to production, distribution, and retail sale and consumption of marijuana. The market is adapting to pending changes, drawing in national and international investment that is already roughly created a medical marijuana industry valued at $200 million, and one that may grow 20-fold in the next five years.

To give you a clear example, Mr. Speaker, on October 6th a publicly traded marijuana company...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to the Minister for that. I look forward to working with this government on that issue. Finally, a more technical point: does the department or the working group currently have any recommendations on the legal age or the minimum legal age is 25 or 19 or something else, or is it too soon to make that determination? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the Minister informing this House or keeping this House up-to-date on our federal engagement of this issue; however, my questions are more precisely about what this government's response will be to this new regime. It's not a question of should we support, it's a question of how do we manage it once the law changes. So I'm wondering what the Minister has launched or what this working group the Minister's department is a part of has launched in terms of looking at research or modelling studies here in the Northwest Territories for how this is going to work after April 2017.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, this government will need to implement a prevention and public awareness strategy aimed at assuring that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children. This government will also need to consider whether or not it implements an age restriction higher than the restriction currently in place for alcohol. The OHM has recommended the minimum age be set at 25, to not inhibit brain development, and though I'm hesitant to entirely concur at this time, I look forward to the debate on how we provide least harm with the greatest opportunity...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to welcome Manuel Jorge who is here today with us. He's a great member of my constituency in Kam Lake, and the owner/operator of Energy Wall Building Systems. I'd also like to recognize Mr. Tony Whitford, former member for Kam Lake amongst many other things. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and welcome.

Is the Minister aware of the long-standing resolutions being passed by the NWTAC, and more recently by the City of Yellowknife amongst other councils? Is the department paying attention to that? Is the Minister paying attention to that, and how does she respond to these long-standing issues? Has the department looked into this before, Mr. Speaker? Has the department done research before this point, or is this research just starting now?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently there was a news release from the City of Yellowknife recommending certain changes to the City, Towns and Villages Act to allow them the flexibility to engage in certain initiatives like local improvement charges, hotel taxes, etc. These recommendations have been long supported by the NWT Association of Communities. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs today if the department plans to take action on that request from our municipal partners? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken before on the need to diversify our economy and I have always supported a key industry that can help achieve this goal, our northern manufacturing sector. If this government is truly committed to building a diversified and sustainable territorial economy that can be resilient in the face of volatile commodity cycles, then it must continue providing support for this sector in Yellowknife and throughout the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, for those who don't believe the NWT can support a viable manufacturing industry, I believe now is the time to break new ground and be ambitious, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I try to be economical in my questions. Finally, does the Minister believe that this work will be completed by the end of this term, or will we have to wait until another Assembly, or potentially the Assembly after that, to see these changes come forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I believe the legislation was last updated in 1988, and many of these recommendations have been long-standing for as long as five or six years. When does the Minister plan to direct the department to begin this work? Can our municipal partners have some timelines to consider, as they've been asking for a very, very long time?