Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a letter from a constituent to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, dated October 25th, 2021 regarding the Business Incentive Policy and Enforcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present to the House Bill 58, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 58, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act is deemed read for the first time and is now ready for second reading.
First reading of bills. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present to the House Bill 59, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Colleagues, pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 59, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act is deemed read for the first time and is now ready for second reading. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to go back to recognition of seek unanimous consent to go to number 5 on the agenda. Thank you.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize former chief Gladys Norwegian from Jean Marie River but also the former grand chief for Dehcho First Nation. Now she has moved out of the Nahendeh riding and has moved into the Dehcho. So I'd like to recognize her and thank her for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if we're going back, I might as well recognize my youngest son Dalyn Bowden who has joined us in the gallery today. Thank you.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I see that Doreen Cleary is in the gallery, and I would like to acknowledge her and welcome her to the House. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to welcome Ms. Doreen Cleary. She is originally from the Sahtu but resides here in Yellowknife. Mahsi.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, committee wishes to deal with Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act and Tabled Document 72319(2), 20232024 Capital Estimates, Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item.
I now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we've agreed to consider Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act. I will ask the Minister of Finance to introduce the bill.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm here to introduce Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act. This bill proposes four administrative amendments to the Liquor Act that would benefit from immediate attention.
First, updating personal importation limits to increase the quantities of liquor that a person may bring with them into the Northwest Territories;.
Second, removing enforcement as part of the Northwest Territories Liquor Licensing Board's role due to potential conflict of interest;
Third, removing the ban on licensed applicants who have been charged with but not convicted of a criminal offence, which is necessary for consistency with the legal principle of innocent until proven guilty; and
Fourth, officially updating the name of the Northwest Territories Liquor Commission to include cannabis.
The legislative amendments proposed in Bill 53, as well as the more other significant changes that the department is working towards through the holistic liquor legislative review, will ultimately support liquor legislation in the Northwest Territories becoming more nimble, modern, streamlined, and responsive to the needs of residents. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?
Thank you. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. On my left is Billy MacKay, the deputy Minister of Finance. And on my right is Stephen Flanagan. He is the drafter from legal division.
Thank you. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 53. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, received second reading in the Assembly on May 31st, 2022, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for a review on October 7th, 2022.
Committee held a public hearing with the Minister of Finance and completed its clausebyclause review of the bill. Committee received no submissions on this bill.
I thank committee for their efforts in reviewing this legislation. I have no comments at this time, but individual Members may have additional questions or comments. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Committee, are there further questions, comments? Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Minister referenced in her opening remarks that the department is working towards phase 2 of this act, and I'm wondering if the Minister can provide a commitment as to when we will see the bill brought forward on the floor of this House for phase 2. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not in a position to give a specific time at this stage. I am live to comments from committee regarding their interest in the larger piece of this, and I have certainly been working in the last little while with the department towards being in a position to give a more specific timeline. It is certainly my expectation that we will still see the completion of the larger act within the life of this government. But, again, I'm just at a stage of being able to confirm that hopefully before the end of this sitting. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions, comments?
Is the committee agreed that there are no further general comments?
Agreed.
Can we proceed to a clause by clause review of the bill?
Agreed.
Okay. Committee, we will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. Please turn to page 1 of the bill.
Clause 1, does committee agree?
---Clauses 1 through 9 inclusive approved
Committee, to the bill as a whole, does the committee agree that Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act is now ready for third reading?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Does the committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act?
Agreed.
Thank you. Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your witnesses. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 72319(2), Capital Estimates 20232024. We will now consider the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Does the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment wish to bring witnesses into the Chamber?
Yes, I do.
Thank you. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses.
To my left I have deputy minister John MacDonald, and to my right is assistant deputy minister of corporate services Sam Shannon.
Welcome. Committee has agreed to forego general comments. Is the committee agreed to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
