Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a letter from ENR to the chair of the Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board, entitled “Response to Board Requests for Comments – Ekati Reclamation Security.” Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table photographs of the Tulita health facility showing some mousetraps and other things of interest.
I would also like to table a document, called “Oil and Gas: Contaminated Drinking Water Linked to Faulty Wells, Not Fracking.”
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Pursuant to Section 99 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I hereby table the 2013 Annual Report of the Legislative Assembly for the Period of December 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014, of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, October 27, 2014, I will move that Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act, No. 2, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS the Elections and Plebiscites Act provides for the appointment of a Chief Electoral Officer who has the responsibility to exercise general direction and supervision over the administrative conduct of an election and enforce, on the part of all election officers, fairness, impartiality and compliance with the Elections and Plebiscites Act;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that this Legislative Assembly, by virtue of Section 5 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, recommends to the Commissioner the appointment of Ms. Nicole Latour of Yellowknife as Chief Electoral Officer for the Northwest Territories for a term of four years commencing November 1, 2014.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. David Brock for all his time and effort. It was a pleasure working with him and I wish him well in his future endeavours.
I would also like to thank Ms. Nicole Latour and I look forward to working with her in the future. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. To the motion. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to take a second to thank David Brock for his service to the House and to the residents of the Northwest Territories. He is a consummate professional. I wish him well in his future endeavours, and I am very happy to see a local woman become the new Chief Electoral Officer here in the Northwest Territories, a proud moment for our territory and a proud moment for Ms. Latour.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. To the motion. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize and thank Mr. David Brock for his hard work, his expertise and commitment to equality and fairness in this House as well as his professionalism and also giving sound direction to the way we run business here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours, and I would like to welcome Nicole Latour and I look forward to working with you in the years to come. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to join in the chorus of thanking Mr. Brock for his service. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. I found him to be the consummate professional, and he eventually made life easier during the last election when we had the issues that we had to deal with. So, thank you, Mr. Brock, for your service and best wishes on whatever your next endeavours are, and I would like to welcome Ms. Latour to the position. It’s great to have another female in a leadership position. We need lots more. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too wish to use the occasion to wish Mr. Brock well and certainly on his journey that he will be taking. His next steps are unknown to most of us. So let me just say that wherever you go, I am sure you will do a fine job as well.
Mr. Speaker, this also gives me the occasion to welcome Ms. Nicole Latour. Many of us have known her for many years. We have known what great work she did here at the Legislature but we also know her reputation as being a very tough and hard, straight shooter, as she is well known as. If you have ever dealt with Ms. Latour, you will know she’s tough. So, many of us look forward to dealing with her in the future.
It also gives me great pride that, as MLA Bisaro just pointed out, we now have yet another female in a leadership role. What a fantastic milestone we have crossed. I think it is a great thing that it continues; it is something that needs to be certainly recognized. But something that hasn’t been said here today, to my knowledge, is Ms. Latour is now, I believe, the first Aboriginal woman to take this type of leadership role in Canada. I think that is a special distinction that we should honour. So, Mr. Speaker, let it not be the last of many types of appointments like this. I certainly hope it is sort of the kicking of the doors of the new way of doing business. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS Section 16.(2) of the Human Rights Act provides that the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission is composed of such members, between three and five in number, as may be appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly;
AND WHEREAS there will be two vacancies on the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission as of October 30, 2014;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following individuals be appointed by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories to the Human Rights Commission of the Northwest Territories effective November 3, 2014:
Mr. Yacub Adam of Yellowknife, for a term of four years; and
Ms. Gerri Sharpe of Yellowknife, for a term of four years.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Blake.
WHEREAS Section 48(1) of the Human Rights Act provides for the establishment of an adjudication panel composed of at least three persons, appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly;
AND WHEREAS Section 48(5) of the Human Rights Act provides that the members of the panel hold office, during good behaviour, for a term of four years, with the exception of the first members appointed;
AND WHEREAS there are currently two vacancies of the adjudication panel;
AND WHEREAS the Board of Management has considered a number of qualified individuals for appointment as adjudication panel members;
AND WHEREAS the Board of Management is tasked with recommending individuals to the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Assembly is prepared to make a recommendation to the Commissioner;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories for appointment as members of the Human Rights Adjudication Panel, effective November 3, 2014, for a term of four years:
Ms. Kerry Penney of Yellowknife, and
Mr. Colin Baile of Yellowknife.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, October 23, 2014, it shall be adjourned until Monday, October 27, 2014;
AND FURTHER, that any time prior to October 27, 2014, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Motion is carried.
---Carried
Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills.
Colleagues, before I place you in Committee of the Whole, by the authority given to me as Speaker, pursuant to Rule 11(4) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, I hereby appoint the Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bob Bromley, to act as deputy chair of Committee of the Whole for the remainder of this Fifth Session.
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to continue consideration of Tabled Document 115-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2015-2016, continuing on with Health and Social Services and then, time permitting, Justice and Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We’ll commence after a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. I’ll go to the Minister of Health. Do you have any witnesses to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, Mr. Chair.
Does committee agree?
