Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,
WHEREAS the federal government implemented a tax on vaping products effective October 1st, 2022, under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and has extended an offer to enact an additional duty on vaping products with the revenues to be received by the Government of the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS the federal government has presented the Coordinated Vaping Products Taxation Agreement with Canada, which the Government of the Northwest Territories desires to sign;
AND WHEREAS as a condition of a coordinated vaping products taxation agreement, the Government of the Northwest Territories must confirm its support for the Government of Canada to levy an excised tax on vaping products on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories to receive 50 percent of the federal Vaping Products Excise Tax duties levied on vaping product sales in the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS the authority to tax residents of the Northwest Territories resides with the Legislative Assembly.
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Government of the Northwest Territories should agree to receive revenues from an excise duty in respect of the Northwest Territories as imposed as part of the federallylegislated vaping products excise tax.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions about this, if I could. I think we I'm trying to remember if I actually saw this motion before. But can the Minister tell us a little bit more about what this is actually about, what kind of revenues we expect?
Sorry to cut you off, Member for Frame Lake; there is no questions, but you could have debate on your concerns and anything you have. Member for Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do have a few things I'd like to know a little bit more about, and perhaps the Minister may get up and actually provide some more information about this. But I'd like to know a little bit more about what this agreement is all about, what level of revenues our government expects to receive, and where those revenues would end up. I suspect they'll probably just go into the consolidated revenue fund which, quite frankly, I always have a little bit of trouble with and, of course, people at finance really hate targeted revenues. But I do think that we owe it to the public to give a little bit better explanation about what this is all about. And I look forward to some further information, and I hope that the Minister would provide some explanation here.
But I do support this. We dealt with vaping in the last Assembly, and I think it might have even flowed over into this Assembly if I remember correctly. This is a real problem for our youth. It's causing severe health problems with our youth. It's very addictive stuff, and we need to deal with this more seriously. I know that there's people in the Department of Health and Social Services that are working on this. But this is really bad stuff, and we got to help our youth understand that and get off this kind of stuff. And if this money can help do that, I'm all for it. But we need to do more and better. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. The motion is in order. To the motion. I'll allow the Minister to close debate.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This motion is of importance to the people of the Northwest Territories. I did intend to make some brief remarks this morning. I'm not entering, obviously, into any sort of a question period. But there has been a process by which the House would follow to keep committees apprised of their work and respond to correspondence from committee relating to any uncertainties about what was proposed.
But for the sake of the public, Mr. Speaker, on April 7th of 2022, Canada announced the implementation of a federal vaping products excised tax that would be effective in October of that year, of last year. And provincial and territorial governments were invited to join a coordinating vaping products tax regime. That would then apply an additional duty on vaping products for those participating jurisdictions. It's that which we are now looking to participate in. And under this approach, Canada is responsible for administering the collection of the tax, which comes at no additional cost to the Northwest Territories. But it does also then share some of those revenues with the Government of the Northwest Territories. More specifically, we're expecting right now based on a current projections and current sales that it's somewhere in and around $500,000, but obviously ideally, Mr. Speaker, it would be less because ideally there's less products being sold.
And on that, just a couple final notes, Mr. Speaker. We are hopeful that the additional tax and the fact that it's it's enhanced by participating in this regime will, in fact, discourage the use of vaping products and, particularly for youth, they would hopefully be even more sensitive to an increase in the prices of these products. It's certainly is something that is of concern. It's concerning to the Government of the Northwest Territories, and that is one particular reason we would want to participate in Canada's regime. Again, I would note this was supported by Canadian Cancer Society and certainly we do look forward to ongoing efforts by the federal government, by our own department of health, and by nonprofit organizations to discourage the use of vaping. And hopefully this is one more tool in that toolbox. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. The 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
Motions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I MOVE, second by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that when this House adjourns on Friday, September 29th, 2023, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023;
AND FURTHERMORE that at any time prior October 3rd, 2023, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during 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 Thebacha. The 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
Motions. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Bill 23, 65, 74, 75, 78, 80, 81, 84, 85, 93, and 94, Committee Report 5219(2), Committee report 5319(2), Committee report 5519(2), Committee report 6119(2), Committee report 6219(2), Minister's Statement 26419(2), Tabled Document 681, 973, and 97419(2).
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 97319(2) Capital Estimates 20242025, Tabled Document 97419(2) Supplementary Estimates, Committee report 6119(2), Bills 81, 93, and 94. Mahsi, Madam Chair.
Thank you, committee. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item.
SHORT RECESS
I now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 97319(2), 20242025 Capital estimates. Minister, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, I do, Madam Chair.
Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Madam Chair. On my left, Madam Chair, is the deputy Minister of Finance, Bill MacKay. And on my right is Perry Heath, the director of infrastructure planning at the Department of Health and Social Services.
Welcome. Committee, yesterday, we ended just before we're going to start turn to page 45, longterm care and continuing care services with information items on page 46. Are there any Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to talk about the longterm care facility for Hay River. It's something that's needed, and I'm glad to see it's in still in the capital budget. I guess my first question is has there been a need to update the cost and scope of work for that project? Thank you.
Sorry, is there problems with the earpiece? Okay, I'll just have somebody fix that, and then I'll stop your time and you can just reask the question. Can you hear? Can you hear me? Okay. I'm just going to get the Member to reask the question, and then I'll start the clock again. Go ahead, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I just want to know if there's been a requirement to update the cost and scope of work for the project? Thank you.
Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There was a requirement to do that, and the budget that's in the capital plan before you does reflect that. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can we I guess I'd like to know there what work, I guess, has been completed to date on the project and is the as well as the estimated completion date, is that still a good date that is it still relevant? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
I'll turn that to Mr. Heath, please.
Mr. Heath.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As people are likely aware, we ended up changing locations of that due to the implications of the flood. I'm happy to report that we have an MOU with the town of Hay River, and the new site has been secured. We are currently in evaluations for the design services related to the facility and the new locations. We we expect to have the design contract awarded shortly with design to begin immediately. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess that was my next question. Has the site been secured for it, and you have answered that. Is that site will it be adjacent to the current health centre, or will it be accessible, I guess, as will there be some type of connection between the health centre and this facility? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
It'll be across the street, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I guess I'm just I'm just pleased to see that, you know, that we're moving along with it and that, you know, we're hoping the completion date is still going to be good. We need those beds as, you know, as Hay River has an aging population. And I just want to make sure I got a bed when it's built. Thank you.
Thank you. Are there any further questions to Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I also want to just touch base on the longterm care facility for Fort Smith, the 24bed, the planning process will start after the next election. I'm just wondering, there will be public consultation with the seniors' society and the caregivers with regards to this facility; is that part of the process, Minister?
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair, there is an engagement process that will be undertaken. I don't have the details of it here, but certainly, I you know, I would expect that the relevant organizations of the community would be engaged. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Also, I just want to ensure, for the record, that there's some assisted living accommodation within this facility. You know, there's a lot of people that are kind of in between longterm care and having to have that extra care sometimes, and I'd like to see this facility going in that route because that's what the seniors' society would appreciate. So I just want for the record to put that in. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
