Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 Annual Reports for the Office of the Languages Commissioner for the Northwest Territories and commends it to the House.

On October 17, 2017, the Standing Committee on Government Operations conducted a public review of the Office of the Languages Commissioner for the Northwest Territories Annual Report 2015-2016, which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on February 8, 2019.

On February 8, 2018, the committee held a public review of the Office...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. How much revenue is this expected to bring in year 1, year 2, and finally, year 3? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that Committee Report 20-18(3), Report on the Review of the 2017-2018 Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission Annual Report, be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. My understanding is that the majority of land transfers or land title transfers take place in the City of Yellowknife. Is that information correct?

Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 54, Standard Interest Rates Statutes Amendment Act. Mr. Speaker, committee wishes to report that Bill 54 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole, and, Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(5) and have Bill 54 moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you. What is the policy rationale for increasing these fees? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to discuss the important steps this Assembly has made to strengthen our democratic institutions in the Northwest Territories.

During the 18th Assembly, we should all be proud of our shared record towards this end. We have made all committee meetings public by default; we have ensured that important votes of this House are recorded; we ensure that there was time for the public to comment on choosing the Premier during the Territorial Leadership Committee before this House voted on that outcome. The Legislature has improved its broadcast of proceedings, both...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Over the course of our review of this legislation and hearing from other Members, honourable Members, some of who were Members of the committee and others who participated in some of our discussions around Bill 54, it became apparent that there was a lot of land tenure uncertainty in the Northwest Territories. Although this bill doesn't directly affect that, the consequences of overdue tax arrears on unpaid land taxes is a live issue in many of our communities, in particular for Indigenous peoples and our smaller communities.

Although this bill sets the standard interest...

Thank you to the Minister for that clarification. The Minister hasn't looked at this. Has any analysis been done on it, not just on whether it is for a GNWT project, but just on the viability of the building as a commercial development? The GNWT rents space from this development corporation. Is there any reason why they are not renting space in this particular asset?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In recent weeks, there has been media reporting about the demolition of the Bellanca Building in downtown Yellowknife. This has been part of our skyline for many years, and many residents have been concerned about tearing down what seems to be a viable asset and whether or not there are options to convert it to, some of the ideas that have been brought forward, student housing, a university campus, or transitional housing or low-income housing. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure if the GNWT has considered the Bellanca Building as an asset for any of its...