Thank you, Minister. 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. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Act, be read for the second time. This bill amends the Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Act to expand the types of certificates that the Minister may issue under the act. The amendment does this by allowing the Minister to issue certificates prescribed by regulation. The bill also removes the requirement for certificate application forms to be prescribed, instead allowing applications to be in the form directed by the Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 12 has been referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development. Thank you. Second reading of bills. Minister of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, be read for the second time. This bill amends the Interpretation Act to remove references to "mountain standard time" and "daylight savings time" and replace them with a reference to "standard time," which will be the applicable time all year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. To the principle of the bill. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I am concerned about the way this bill has been drafted, that it gives total discretion to my colleagues in Cabinet to decide to do away with daylight standard time. I think that this is not a decision that should be left with Cabinet alone, that it is something that should require some level of public engagement and certainly consultation with the rest of the House. This should not be a decision that rests solely with Cabinet, so I am opposed to this bill in principle. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 13 has had its second reading and is deferred to the Standing Committee on Social Development. Second reading of bills. Minister of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Securities Act, be read for the second time. The bill amends the Securities Act to provide a framework for the designation and regulation of benchmarks and benchmark administrators. The amendments are consistent with amendments across Canada and are based on recommended amendments from the Canadian Securities Administrators. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
I will call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Norn.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 181-19(2), Capital Estimates 2021-2022, Department of Infrastructure. Marsi cho, Madam Chair.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short break and resume with the first item.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to resume consideration of Tabled Document 181-19(2) Capital Estimates, 2021-2022, with the Department of Infrastructure. Does the Minister of Infrastructure wish to bring any witnesses?
Yes. Thank you Madam Chair.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses to the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have with me Steve Loutitt, who is my acting deputy minister for Infrastructure, and I also have David Moore, who is the assistant deputy minister for asset management with the Department of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Minister, and welcome. The committee has agreed to forgo general comments. Is committee agreed that we will proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we will defer the departmental totals and refer to the estimates by activity, beginning with asset management on page 41, with the information items on page 42 and 43. Are there comments or questions to the asset management? Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you Madam Chair, I note that with the department that when they are shutting down a building or because a new one has been built this goes to a lot of the older buildings. When they're going in shutdown mode because other groups, maybe there are groups in the communities that are interested in those buildings, could be any building in any community. Why the department doesn't conduct an HBMA, a Hazardous Building Materials Assessment, so that they already have it on hand? That is valuable information for anybody that's going to take over an asset, so they know what they're dealing with. I can just start with that. Mahsi.
Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll get Assistant Deputy Minister David Moore to answer this. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Moore.
Thank you, Madam Chair, Minister. There is a process, definitely, for the disposal of assets. The disposal begins with what is basically a canvassing of GNWT departments, boards, and agencies of the NWT to determine if other requirements can be used for that building. That follows a process of what is called the Disposal of Improved Real Property Policy. As part of that process, Madam Chair, there is an assessment done of the facility, including the Member's question about assessment of qualifications and conditions of the facility. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moore. Member for Deh Cho.
I'm not aware of the assessments being available. As I know in my community of Fort Providence, we were wondering about the old health centre unit and, even in K’atlodeeche, the former treatment centre building. I advised them to get the HBMA assessment and the ESA 1, 2, and 3 for the building. It wasn't readily available to anybody in the communities, and I'm just wondering, even in their inquiry, why that information is not released to them? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll get Mr. Moore to answer the question.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Moore.
Thank you, Madam Chair, Minister. Basically, through the disposal of real property policy, working through the various priorities of the policy, starting with Northwest Territories public corporations, moving on to community governments, non-profit organizations, and general public, bids are welcomed from those and in that priority sequence. As bids are received, the information is shared with those parties who submit bids through the policy. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Moore. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi for that. I wanted to touch upon the many, many older buildings that Infrastructure has in stock. I know, as a former employee, back then, we were in cost-saving measures at that time. There were lots of suggestions that you shut down these buildings so that they don't consume power or use up fuel, as they're going to be disposed anyway. I'm wondering if the department is in that mode or looking at that possibility. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have a disposal of property policy and part of the policy is: once the building is declared surplus by the client department, the Department of Infrastructure disposes of the building in accordance with the Disposal of Improved Real Property Policy. There is a process, Madam Chair. In the interests of property from within the GNWT, Infrastructure offers surplus property for the sale to priority interest groups in the following order of preference: NWT public corporation and community governments, not-for-profit organizations, and the general public. However, there is work that needs to be done before any of these policies are started. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Deh Cho.
