Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Robertson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In all regions, we do have a mix of our own equipment, as well as we utilize the equipment of contractors. In this case, this is the proposed piece of equipment for our own operations. It is generally so that we can have this piece of equipment there available at the landings to be able to respond extremely quickly and make sure that we have the equipment on site when we need it so that we can keep the ferries operational. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Robertson. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank Ms. Robertson for that answer in clarifying. Sometimes we need to get the information out there because sometimes the contractors are asking those questions, why the equipment is not being utilized.
The ferry in Fort Simpson, the Lafferty ferry engines, it says 2019-2020. Is this going to be engines that are going to be in place for the year 2019 season, or is it going to be for the 2020 season? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our plan is to move ahead with changing out these engines and have them ready for next ferry season. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you. I greatly appreciate that. I guess the question is: when are we going to start looking at doing the changeover? I believe tomorrow our season is done. I think that is the last email I got, and I thank the department for keeping it open for such a long time with the challenges that we are facing. When is the ferry engine going to start to be replaced? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Once we pass this capital budget, we will do the procurement process and hopefully have them delivered for April and do the replacement in April, May, June. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I hope he is not saying in June; I am hoping we will see it done in April because our ferry kind of starts running around the beginning of May. That would be a huge concern for the constituents in the Nahendeh riding.
Can the Minister just clarify exactly when the replacement will be done? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to alleviate any concerns that the Member has, we just did these exact same replacements up in the BeauDel on an existing ferry up there. The biggest lee time is to get to procurement and get these engines delivered, but I don't believe it will interfere with the sailing season at all, for the Member's concerns. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the department for making this change. You know, if the engines are going to be quieter, that means the hearing of the staff is going to be not impacted as much. If we are saving 20 percent, I think that's a great, you know, fuel. That's a great start to looking to maybe extending the hours of the ferry operation later on, but I won't be asking that question here today. I thank the Minister and the department for all the work they are doing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. More a comment. Any further questions from the committee? If not, I will read the page. Infrastructure, asset management, infrastructure investment, $129,905,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Next, we have Infrastructure, programs and services, infrastructure investment, $64,976,000. Any questions? Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Next, we turn to page 41. Infrastructure, total capital estimates, $194,881,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Does committee agree that we have concluded the Department of Infrastructure?
Agreed.
Thank you. Thank you to the Minister and his witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Committee, we have agreed to now consider the Department of Finance. Does the Minister have witnesses he would like to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Thank you. Please introduce your witness, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my right, I have Mr. David Stewart, who is the deputy minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Committee, we will now defer departmental total until after consideration of the activity summaries, which start on page 28. Finance, office of the Comptroller General, infrastructure investments, $1,630,000. Any questions? Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. I will now call the page. Office of the Comptroller General, infrastructure investments, $1,630,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Next, we have department as a whole. The Department of Finance, total capital estimates, $1,630,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Does committee agree that we have concluded the Department of Finance?
Agreed.
Thank you. Thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witness from the Chamber. Thank you, committee. Do you agree we have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 215-18(3), Capital Estimates, 2019-2020? Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chair, I move that consideration of Tabled Document 215-18(3), Capital Estimates, 2019-2020, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 215-18(3) be reported as ready for further consideration in the formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Committee, there is a motion in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions?
---Carried
Thank you, committee. The tabled document is now concluded. We will now turn to Bill 24. Does committee agree? Committee will now take a five-minute break just to reorganized. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
I call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act. I will now ask the Member responsible for the bill to introduce it. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As chair of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures, I am pleased to present Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act.
Bill 24 is the result of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures review of three reports submitted by the Chief Electoral Officer in the life of the 18th Assembly. The first, entitled "Modernizing Election Administration in the Northwest Territories," was tabled by the Speaker on May 31, 2016, and reports on the conduct of the general election. The second report is a white paper on the independence and accountability of election administration in the Northwest Territories commissioned by the Chief Electoral Officer and tabled in the Legislative Assembly on February 28, 2017. The third report provides four supplementary recommendations on the administration of the 2015 general election. It was tabled on June 1, 2017. Together, these reports contain 107 recommendations for changes related to election administration, including legislative amendments.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is responsible for reviewing these reports and for making recommendations to the Legislative Assembly. Because the Chief Electoral Officer's two reports and white paper are closely related, the committee carried out a coordinated and comprehensive review of all three documents, involving in-depth examination of each recommendation, and extensive public and stakeholder consultation. The standing committee notified former candidates, interested stakeholders, and the media prior to holding public hearings with the Chief Electoral Officer in Yellowknife on September 9, 2016, and June 12, 2017. Public submissions were received from two individuals, and additional submissions were sought from stakeholders and from the public via the standing committee's website after the white paper was tabled.
At the conclusion of this consultation and review process, the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures released its report on the review of the Chief Electoral Officer's three reports on October 17, 2017. The standing committee report was debated in Committee of the Whole on October 19, 2017, and this Assembly adopted each of the standing committee's 15 recommendations. Since that time, the law clerk and legislative drafters have been working to translate these recommendations for improvements to the Elections and Plebiscites Act into the amendments found in Bill 24.
The amendments were also reviewed and discussed by caucus by all MLAs earlier this month, where some additional minor changes were made. The overriding purpose of these amendments is to increase the opportunity for members of the public to participate in the democratic process in the Northwest Territories and to improve administration of elections. These amendments also allow for modernization of our electoral system. The most important changes include:
fixing the election date to the first Tuesday in October;
setting rules for third-party advertising;
allowing greater flexibility and financial reporting by candidates;
allowing absentee voters to vote electronically;
clarifying the mandate of Elections NWT, including working with youth in schools;
increasing penalties under the act;
expanding the scope of annual reports by the chief electoral officer; and
improving powers of investigation and enforcement.
Bill 24 recognizes the strength of our existing system, and builds on this strength to ensure our electoral process is modern, inclusive, and more accessible to all voters in the Northwest Territories. That concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chair, and I'm prepared for any questions that Members may have. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?
Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Mr. O'Reilly, please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have two witnesses here with me today. Mr. Mike Reddy, the legislative drafter with the Department of Justice, is on my left, and I have Ms. Alyssa Holland, who is a law clerk, on my right-hand side. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
