Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I agree with the statements and comments made by the Member from Kam Lake, in short. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommend that the Department of Health and Social Services ensure the territory's drug plan reflects the importance of smoking cessation aids, including that the plan provides smokers with access to these tools on a timely, as-needed basis. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. The motion is in order. It is being distributed as we speak. [Microphone turned off]
[Microphone turned off] and in communities where usage is the highest and to ensure that they have the information they need to make informed decisions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Thompson.
Mr. Chair, I move, to the extent it is possible before the dissolution of the 18th Assembly and for the public record, that the government provide a response to these recommendations, even of a preliminary nature, that the committee may publicly disclose. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
I see nothing further from committee. Does committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Committee Report 23-18(3)?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. This concludes consideration of Committee Report 23-18(3). Committee, we have agreed to next consider Bill 40. Committee, you have big grey binders next to your desk where you will find this legislation printed out. If everyone wants to get their big grey binders and turn to number 40. Or it might be sitting on your desk. I am not sure. As long as everyone has the reprinted version of Bill 40, I will ask the Minister responsible for the bill to introduce it. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to introduce Bill 40: The Smoking and Control Reduction Act. The development of this bill has been the result of significant time and effort by the Department of Health and Social Services and wouldn't have been made possible without the input and contribution from the Standing Committee on Social Development as well as members of the public.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Social Development for the time they have taken to ensure that this bill received a comprehensive review. I wish to acknowledge the time and effort members of the public took to develop submissions and share research on the effect of smoking on today's society.
Mr. Chair, smoking is a serious public health concern, and the NWT has one of the highest smoking rates in Canada. The primary purpose of this Bill 40 is to protect the public, particularly children and youth, from a variety of second-hand smoke exposure, including vaping aerosol. To protect the public's health, prohibiting the general act of smoking any substance is considered more effective than trying to distinguish between which product is actually being used.
Bill 40 would repeal the Cannabis Smoking Control Act and replace it with the comprehensive legislation that restricts smoking of any substance in specific public areas to protect the public, deter uptake, and denormalize smoking. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minster. I will now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development that considered the bill for any opening comments. Mr. Thompson, do you have any opening comments on Bill 40?
Just quickly, Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the department, their staff, and the Legislative Assembly staff as we worked forward to get this bill and the motions and amendments made. I would like to thank the Minister and his staff and Legislative Assembly staff for great work, as well as committee and the people who did submissions to us. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minster, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, Mr. Chair, I do.
Thank you, Minster. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Welcome to the witnesses. Minster, would you please introduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have two different individuals with me; Heather Ruptash, who is the senior policy analyst with the Department of Health and Social Services, and Laura Jeffrey, who is legislative counsel, Department of Justice. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will open the floor to any general comments on the bill. Seeing none, does committee agree that we move into a clause-by-clause review?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. There are 31 clauses. Can we take them in groups of five?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. As I call out the clauses, if committee agrees, please respond accordingly. If you have comments or questions, please put up your hand, and I will call on you. I will begin calling the clauses. Clauses 1 through 5?
---Clauses 1 through 30 inclusive approved
Clause 31. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I would like to ask the Minister: when is this bill going to come into force? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe that we were asked this question in Committee of the Whole when we did our clause-by-clause, but we are hoping to have it early in the life of the next Assembly, preferably right at the beginning.
Thank you. Anything further? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. That's fine that it was done in Committee of the Whole in clause-by-clause. What steps does the department need to put in place to have this come into force? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We just need to finalize a number of regulations, but as I said, we are hoping to have that done at the beginning of the next Assembly, after the election.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess that I am worried about the kind of display that is in the Gas Bar at the Co-op here. We have to stop that kind of stuff from happening. That might even be in the next bill, I guess, but the sooner that this could be done, the better, I think, we will all be off. I probably don't have to tell this Minister that. Thanks.
Thank you. Anything further? Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is why the bill is in front of us. That is what we are hoping to accomplish and do. We want to get this done as badly as the Members want it done, and we will get it done as quickly as we can. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will once again call the clause. Clause 31. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. I will now call the bill number and title: Bill 40, Smoking Control and Reduction Act. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. To the bill as a whole. Does committee agree that Bill 40, Smoking Control and Reduction Act, is now ready for third reading?
