Debates of October 27, 2022 (day 127)

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to table the following document: PoliceReported Crime Statistics in Canada, 2019, release date October 29th, 2020. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Tabling of documents. Member for Thebacha.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a letter from the NWT Senior's Society dated October 22nd, 2022, to the Minister responsible for Housing Northwest Territories regarding Seniors' Housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I need to start by apologizing to the interpreters for speaking a little fast during questions today; my apologies to everybody.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 31st, 2022, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Government of the Northwest Territories to establish a suicide prevention fund of $250,000 in each region and is expedited directly to communities in crisis without application.

And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories create a coordinated collaborative multidepartmental suicide prevention team to meet with communities in crisis to assist community leadership identify suicide prevention strategies and activities as well as Government of the Northwest Territories funding that communities can access.

And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories subsidize all recreation fees in small communities and create new recreational activities for youth and young adults.

And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Notices of motion. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 31st, 2022, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Tabled Document 68119(2): Government of the Northwest Territories response to Committee Report 2619(2): Report on the Child and Family Services Act Lifting Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together, be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Notices of motion. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 31st, 2022, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Tabled Document 69419(2): Northwest Territories Coroner Service 20212022 Early Release of Suicide Data and Minister's Statement 26419(2): Response to the NWT Chief Coroner's Report on Suicide, be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 31st, 2022, I will present Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Hay River North, that Bill 58, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the second time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

MR. SPEAKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thought I got off on that one, but.

This bill amends the Elections and Plebiscite Act to implement proposed changes identified by the Chief Electoral Officer in the report following the 2019 general election and the Legislative Assembly's Committee of the Whole after reviewing the Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on rules and procedures report to the Legislative Assembly on February 23rd, 2021, and its motions on March 30th, 2021. Additional amendments are proposed as modernized language. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

MR. SPEAKER:

Carried

Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and have Bill 58 referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you the Member is seeking unanimous consent to move Bill 58 into Committee of the Whole later today. Are there any nays? Thank you. Bill 58 will be moved into Committee of the Whole later today.

Second reading of bills. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Hay River North, that Bill 59, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscite Act, be read for the second time. Thank you.

Thank you Member for Hay River South.

This bill amends the Elections and Plebiscite Act to implement proposed changes identified by the Chief Electoral Officer in their report following the 2019 General Election and the Legislative Assembly's Committee of the Whole after reviewing the Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on rules and procedures report to the Legislative Assembly on February 23rd, 2021, and its motions of March 30th, 2021. Additional amendments are proposed as modernized language. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. The motion is in the order. To the motion.

Question.

MR. SPEAKER:

Carried

Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and have Bill 59 be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you.

Thank you. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to move Bill 59 into Committee of the Whole later today. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Hearing none, Bill 59 has been referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration later today.

I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 72319(2), 20232024 Capital Estimates Finance; Committee Report 3419(2), Report on the Review of the 20202021 Annual Report of the Ombud; Bill 58, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act; and Bill 59, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscite Act. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you does committee agree?

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. We'll take a short recess and start with the first item.

SHORT RECESS

Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 72319(2), Capital Estimates 20232024. Committee, we will now consider the Department of Finance. Does the Minister of Finance wish to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, with me today are Bill MacKay, the deputy minister of finance, and Rick Wind, chief information officer.

Thank you. Welcome. Committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?

Agreed.

Committee the Department of Finance begins on page 32. We will defer the departmental totals and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning at page 33 with the Office of the Chief Information Officer with information items on page 34.

Finance, Office of the Chief Information Officer, infrastructure investments, $3,380,000. Does committee agree? Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I'm going to ask one of the questions I always ask about, is I have concerns that we do not publish the cost of any projects. And, you know, I can kind of understand for tendering certain things but here I'm looking at a list of software. I guess, is there any concern that if we went out and tendered this software, and somewhere in the public record of this Assembly we showed the costs that we expected it to be, that that would affect the tender? I'll note that I have never seen a IT project or software licence come in anywhere on time or on budget to date. So I have a hard time believing that if I put the amount that we expect it to cost in here that some company who designs software is going to tweak their bid accordingly. Thank you, Madam Chair.