R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 19-18(3), Aurora College Foundational Review Process, and would like to report progress, and I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred about. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I won't be supporting this motion, although I do agree with much of what has been said. One of my professors once said that the development of a 19yearold to a 25yearold's brain is like turning a dirt road into a superhighway. It is true that a lot of development happens during that stage, but reducing the possession limit, in my opinion, won't do anything to curb consumption.

When I see people coming out of the liquor store, 19to25yearolds, they're not carrying Texas mickeys; they're carrying bottles. They're not going to go in there and buy as much cannabis as they can...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I will shortly close debate on this. I just want to thank all the Members for the spirited and entertaining conversation we've had around this. I knew there was a good chance the previous motion was going to be defeated, and that's why I agreed to move this. I'm in the camp that I believe this is better than nothing. I don't believe it's a smokescreen, and I don't believe it's a compromise. I think it's better than nothing.

There's a lot of "us versus them" here, but I have to remind everybody that this act is going to outlast this current Cabinet. The first six months...

Mr. Chair, I move that Schedule A to Bill 6 be amended by deleting subsection 5(1) and substituting the following:

(1) The Minister shall, where the Minister considers it to be in the public interest, designate a person to act as a vendor in a particular community for the operation of a cannabis store and the sale of cannabis in that community.

(1.1) The Minister shall, within six months after the coming into force of this subsection, recommend that the Commissioner make regulations prescribing criteria to guide the Minister in considering whether the designation of a person as a vendor is in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will actually be brief, unlike the other 10 Members who said they would be brief and then went on. I have talked a lot about cannabis and this legislation. I am profoundly disappointed in what has been put forward. I know that we can't do everything perfectly. The Minister has stated that.

Perhaps I am just out of step with this government, because my priorities don't always line up with this government's priorities. As I was quoted by the Member for Yellowknife Centre, it is less than once in a generation that a prohibition is lifted. This is something we are going into...

Mr. Speaker, I now move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that Committee Report 8-18(3) be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I heard "possibility" in there. I was under the impression, or maybe it was just hopeful thinking, wishful thinking, that the department was moving forward with this. The Minister mentioned a review. Can I have some sort of timeline of when this review will be complete and when he can give a definitive answer of whether or not this transition is going to take place?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just for clarity, this allows the first motion I made to come into effect on the day of assent, which would start the clock ticking on that six months from when the bill receives assent. It has been a long night. I apologize. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Justice. During our last sitting, the Minister stated that the corrections service has established a committee to examine the feasibility of implementing a therapeutic community model to treat inmates at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre.

The therapeutic community model considers substance abuse as a symptom of much broader problems in a residential setting and uses holistic treatment approaches that have an impact on every aspect of a resident's life. This represents a substantial shift in our approach to corrections. In...