Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: "InterActivity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the period of April 1st to March 31st, 2021;" "Project Charter for GNWTChamber of Mines COVID Recovery Working Group;" and "Funding Support for Airlines." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Government House Leader.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: "Plain Language Summary for Bill 33, National Indigenous Peoples Day Act." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Government House Leader. Tabling of documents. Colleagues, pursuant to Section 40.232 of the Public Service Act, I wish to table the "20192020 Annual Report of the Equal Pay Commissioner for the Northwest Territories." I also wish to table a document, provided for information purposes, by the Equal Pay Commissioner entitled "Addressing the Gender Wage Gap, Proactive Pay, and Equity Legislation, a publication of the Pay Equity Division of the Canadian Human Rights Commission". Tabling of documents.
Members, I wish to table the "Terms of Reference for the Electoral Boundaries Commission 2021." Thank you. Tabling of documents.
Merci, Monsieur le President. WHEREAS this 19th Assembly agreed in its priorities to increase food security through locally produced, harvested, and affordable food;
WHEREAS the Northwest Territories has the second highest level of food security in Canada as defined by Statistics Canada;
WHEREAS in a 2018 survey of Northwest Territories residents, 23 percent were worried about not having enough food money for food and in some communities, it was greater than 50 percent;
AND WHEREAS the Northwest Territories' food system is extremely fragile and dependent on global markets, which the COVID19 pandemic has brought to the forefront, including our reliance on imported food; near complete dependence on corporatelyowned grocery stores to feed residents; critical dependence on winter roads, trucking industry, and aviation sector to resupply communities; unknown food storage in communitybased freezers, fridges, and pantries; our unlimited or our uncertain and limited food supply chains and lack of systemic incentives that encourage territorial food solutions; whereas the federal government is yet to make the fundamental changes to the Nutrition North program that will best assist Northwest Territories residents with food security;
AND WHEREAS there are gaps in our current food security initiatives and the lack of coordination in current programs and services that cut across several departments; and whereas there is a need for a variety of programs, services, legislative and regulatory changes required to increase support for community and family renewable resource harvesting, availability of lands for agricultural purposes, support for smallscale food production; education and training in food production and storage and clear guidance for the preparation and retail of locallyproduced products and more,
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop a Food Security Strategy by engaging Northwest Territories residents, harvesters, and agricultural producers, develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to programs and services with specific targets, actions and timelines; and, further, that the Premier appoint a Minister responsible for Food Security to lead this work;
AND FURTHER, that the Food Security Strategy include the following:
The Government of the Northwest Territories prioritize the development of a Food Security Strategy based on lessons learned from communitybased food security initiatives and to complete this strategy in 12 to 18 months;
The Government of the Northwest Territories begin interdepartmentally advancing food security by identifying principles for NWT food security over the next four months;
The Government of the Northwest Territories coordinate the income assistance review with the development of a Northwest Territories Food Security Strategy to ensure the most vulnerable residents have access to affordable and nutritious food;
The Government of the Northwest Territories review the effectiveness of all Government of the Northwest Territories food security funding programs as based on the principles for achieving Northwest Territories food security and to revise program funding where necessary over six to 12 months;
The Government of the Northwest Territories implement communitybased food security coordinators in the most food insecure communities in the Northwest Territories;
The Government of the Northwest Territories remove all of its legislative regulatory barriers over the next 12 months to facilitate regional sharing of harvested meat or other products other food products;
The Government of the Northwest Territories pilot an initiative immediately that improves the effectiveness of communitybased freezers, kitchens, and food preparation and food food storage programs in the highest risk communities and use this experience to inform the development of the food security strategy;
The Government of the Northwest Territories develop and implement tracking of local food production, set specific targets to improve food security; and,
The Government of the Northwest Territories develop and implement a Northwest Territories food security website with email and phone contacts immediately so there is a clear point of contact in the Government of the Northwest Territories to track community concerns and advance initiatives; and, furthermore,
That the government respond to this motion within 120 days. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. It's been a long week. I'm not going to take up too much time, but I just I want to encourage all Members of the House to support this. I've heard a couple of concerns raised about this how much is this going to cost. I would actually ask how much would it cost if we don't do this? We need to ensure that our residents have access to food, nutritious food, affordable food, not just now during this pandemic but into the future as well. So what's the cost of not doing this?
The other concern I guess that I've heard raised is that the government is already doing this work. Well, if that work is underway, it hasn't been communicated very well to this side of the House. What we have received is a rather long laundry list of initiatives that are underway that may increase food security, but what we really need is better coordination and leadership, and what we suggest here is that there be a Minister appointed to lead this up, a Minister responsible for Food Security. So I would encourage all my colleagues to support this motion. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thanks.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the priorities of this Assembly was to increase food security to locally produced, harvested, and affordable food. There was a number of mandate commitments made in there. And my experience as a Member is that that mandate item is presently the responsibility of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Health and Social Services, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of Lands. And I've asked many questions about food security, and I've found it very difficult to try and get those departments to coordinate on the importance of this issue. And I asked this of the prior 19th Assembly. I think it's safe to say that all Members believe in food security, and we saw the fragility of our supply lines during COVID19, and, really, we don't want to live in a territory where children go hungry because a hungry child can't be educated. It sets them up for the rest of their lives. So food security is a priority. And I believe that we've set out some clear and tangible solutions. We've perhaps asked for a couple of the timelines in the mandate to be kicked up a little faster and made this a bit more of a priority. But I'm happy to support this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Motion is in order. To the motion. Government House Leader.
Mr. Speaker, food security is a priority of this government. This Cabinet and the Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes food security as an issue that is foundationally important to the health and wellbeing of the people of the NWT.
The mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories includes a commitment to increase food security through locally produced, harvested, and affordable food. Work is advancing to address these aspects of food insecurity throughout the territory. As a result of this mandate, partner departments are collaborating to build common momentum and create tangible progress on food security associated with poverty, building the territorial agriculture and fisheries sector, supporting access to traditional foods, and creating the regulatory regime needed to support all of this.
While there is still much while there was much work already being done, we acknowledge that there is still more to do, and we are committed to doing that work, and Cabinet fully supports the principles behind this motion; however, as this motion contains a recommendation to government, it is convention that Cabinet abstains from the vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Government House Leader. Motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Thebacha.
All those opposed, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise.
The Member for Nahendeh. The Member for the Sahtu. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you. There's also the recorded vote. Five in favour, zero opposed, five abstentions. Motion is carried.
Carried
Motions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Friday, June 14, 2021, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, October 14th, 2021; and, further, that any time prior to October 14th, 2021, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that this House should meet at an time during earlier than the adjournment, or at a time later than the scheduled resumption of the House, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for the Sahtu, that Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022 be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Motion is in order and nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. Bill 35 has had first reading.
Carried
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Bill 33, National Indigenous Peoples Day Act be read for a second time. This bill replaces the public holiday National Aboriginal Day held on June 21st of each year with the public holiday National Indigenous Peoples Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Government House Leader. Motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. All those
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. Bill 33 has had second reading.
Carried
Second reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for the Sahtu, that Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022, be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for the operations expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20212022 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. Bill 35 has had second reading.
Carried
Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters.
Committee Report 1519(2), Committee Report 1619(2), Minister's Statement 16119(2), Tabled Document 41319(2) with Member for Hay River South in the chair.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Committee wishes to consider Committee Report 1519(2), Committee Report 1619(2), Minister's Statement 16119(2), Tabled Document 41319(2), and Mr. Chair, we'd like to consider the last two items together as one matter. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
