Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I appreciate the clarification around the essential services. Although I do want to note that the Status of Women does do a lot of other work that is quite key, whether or not it's actually deemed essential by the government. I know that they've been doing a lot work with, like, RCMP and analyzing things around domestic violence, etcetera.
Can the Minister or the Premier answer whether or not the gender equity unit is actually being positioned to replace the Status of Women given that there's more funding there than there seems to be to the Status of Women. Thank you.
Thank you. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll start, and then the Minister of the Status of Women might want to expand on it. At no time so I'm not sure if I'm understanding the question quite right. But the gender equity unit is not to take the place of the Status of Women. It's totally different. The gender equity work is to work with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, around that kind of work that we're working on. But at no time have we had any discussions about taking over and replacing the Status of Women. Madam Chair, I'm not sure if the Minister of Status of Women wanted to expand, or if she's okay with that.
Thank you. Did you have anything to add, Minister of Status of Women?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Only to further echo what the Premier's already said. Gender equity unit, just to be very clear, replaces what was formerly known as the women's advisory office, which had exactly one person working in it which is not a whole lot of horsepower to deal with when you have the breadth of matters that come through. As the Premier said, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the response to the national action plan comes through gender equity as is work in terms of training departments on genderbased analysis as well as work in terms of intimate partner violence, and there's multidepartment initiatives that touch on both of those things that then have to run through or do run through. Also the campaign schools are running through this division. So there's a lot of work happening there that is separate and apart from what the Status of Women are doing and certainly, as the Premier said, not the intention to step on their toes. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So this is what this seems to me, and I hear a lot of what the description about the gender equity unit does actually seem to me to quite overlap with some of the work that is being done by the Status of Women. So, again, just like our shelter situation where we put it on NGOs that can't afford to pay proper wages to do work, it seems like this is another one of those types of situations where we underfund an NGO to do work but then we have a parallel department or other department doing some of that work. Those people are making more money. They're getting better benefits and wages than the people that are working for the NGO or the arm's length entity. And as a result, we are seeing a mass exodus of those NGOs and those nongovernmental groups to the government. So maybe just more of a comment. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Are there any further questions on the additional items on page 141 and 143? Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just while we're talking about the Status of Women, I believe it was last summer there was engagement done on the Status of Women Act. And I'm wondering what the expected timeline is on that act and if we'll see a bill in the life of this Assembly? Thank you.
Thank you. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I do know that the bill will be coming in this Assembly, but I'd like to transfer it to the status of women Minister who will know the timing better than me. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister responsible for Status of Women.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I think the Premier's given oh no, hang on, Madam Chair, I may actually have it here handy. If I don't, I can certainly provide it. But the Premier is correct, it is going to be coming in the life of this Assembly. I think this session, Madam Chair.
This sitting? This sitting? Okay, just to clarify. Member for Kam Lake.
No, that's excellent. We look forward to seeing it and working with Cabinet on it. Thank you.
All right. Are there any additional questions? Seeing none, Members, thank you. Please return now to the departmental summary found on page 119, revenue summary information items on page 120.
I will now call the departmental summary, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, operations expenditure, total department, 20232024 Main Estimates, $21,994,000. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs at this time. Mahsi, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Just a moment while the motion is being distributed. All right. Members, the motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Consideration of Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, 20232024 Main Estimates, operating expenditures, total department, is deferred. Thank you to the Premier and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
What is the wish of committee? Mr. O'Reilly.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I move that the chair rise and report progress.
Thank you. The motion is in order. The motion is nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 81319(2), and would like to report progress, with two motions adopted. And Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Twin Lakes. Do we have a seconder? Member for Monfwi. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 57, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2022, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the motion?
Question.
The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Nahendeh. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Yellowknife Centre.
All those opposed, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise.
The results of the recorded vote: 16 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried. Bill 57 has had third reading.
Orders of the day for Tuesday, February 28th, 2023, 1:30 p.m.
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Returns to Oral Questions
Oral Question 1343-19(2), Impacts of COVID-19 on Education
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner’s Address
Petitions
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Bill 64, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act
Bill 29, Resource Royalty Information Disclosure Statute Amendment Act
Bill 56, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Act
Bill 61, An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Committee Report 40-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 61: An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Minster’s Statement 264-19(2), Response to the NWT Chief Coroner’s Report on Suicide
Tabled Document 681-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-19(2): Report on the Child and Family Services Act – Lifting Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together
Tabled Document 694-19(2), Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2021-2022 Early Release of Data
Tabled Document 813-19(2), Main Estimates
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 5:33 p.m.
