Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Please, colleagues, remember to look at me. Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I happen to know that Housing NWT is actually putting together some information about their capital process and how they do their ranking and how they do their assessments because that then does feed into what we do at the financial management board and the Department of Finance and our processes. So, for example, when there's an increase on utilities costs, that's a forced growth matter that comes to the financial management board from Housing NWT, and it goes through the same forced growth process as everywhere else. And in that sense, they are in fact then compared. If there was an initiative over in housing saying, you know, we need an additional navigator, that too does get assessed at the same time as the other initiatives that happen at the financial management board. But the day-to-day operations that happen over at Housing NWT are separate day-to-day. I acknowledge that that's a bit tricky so again I don't want to commit on behalf of the Minister, but I happen to know she's already tasked her department with this work. I just happen to have heard that from her directly. So they are going to put together some information that will hopefully help delineate the operational side of what's happening and how that is feeding into those processes I described. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Great. So just finally, does the Minister of Finance have some idea when we will get this briefing or explanation of how it's all going to work? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That's definitely a little outside of my wheelhouse, Mr. Speaker. And I'm honestly just going off of a briefing I happen to have about where I was present with the Minister for housing. So I don't want to commit on her behalf. I know that she feels it's a priority. Again, brought that initiative forward to really help this Assembly to understand how things happen there. So I will commit to getting a number -- or to getting a date, and we'll make sure that that comes back to the House. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: 2023-2024 Annual Report Director of Child and Family Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Tabling of documents. Minister of Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Northwest Territories and Nunavut's Compensation Appeals Tribunal 2023 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the recommendations of the Integrity Commissioner be accepted and that this Assembly reprimand the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh and impose a fine of $2,500.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today regarding recommendations of the Integrity Commissioner respecting the conduct of the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Member from Yellowknife North is asking for unanimous consent to bring forward this motion today for discussion. Is there any nays? Seeing no nays, Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS the Integrity Commissioner received a written complaint and carried out an investigation pursuant to Section 100(2) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act;
AND WHEREAS the Integrity Commissioner submitted an investigation report dated October 8, 2024, to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly into the conduct of Mr. Richard Edjericon, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh;
AND WHEREAS the Integrity Commissioner has concluded that the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh violated the Members' Code of Conduct;
AND WHEREAS, based on that conclusion, section 102(c) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act provides that the Integrity Commissioner may recommend to the Legislative Assembly one or more punishments in accordance with Section 106;
AND WHEREAS the Integrity Commissioner, pursuant to section 106(1)(a) of the Act, had recommended the Legislative Assembly reprimand Mr. Edjericon and require him to pay a fine in the amount of $2,500.
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the recommendations of the Integrity Commissioner be accepted and that this Assembly reprimand the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh and impose a fine of $2,500.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Any abstentions? Motion has been carried.
---Carried
Colleagues, I would encourage you if you have any questions in the future, if you're not too sure, to reach out to our Integrity Commissioner. I had him on speed dial in the 18th and 19th Assembly. He is very helpful in providing some clear direction to help you move forward. So thank you very much.
I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2024; Committee Report 9-20(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 8: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act. The committee also wishes to consider Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act. And Tabled Document 193-20(1), 2025-2026 Capital Estimates for the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Does the committee agree? Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Thank you. I now call the committee back to order. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2024. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act 2024. I will ask the Minister of Justice to introduce the bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm here today to present Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2024.
The Department of Justice routinely brings forward Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Acts which make changes to various statutes that require minor amendments, or where errors or inconsistencies have been identified. These must not be controversial, involve the spending of public funds, prejudicially affect rights, or create a new offence, or subject a new class of persons to an existing offence. The proposed amendments are minor, uncontroversial or non-substantive, and many consist of technical corrections. The amendments are of such a nature that the preparation and legislative consideration of individual bills to correct each statute would be time-consuming for the government and the Legislative Assembly. This concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, to the Minister. Minister, would you like to bring witnesses into the chamber?
Yes, please.
I'd like to ask the sergeant-at-arms to escort the witnesses in.
Thank you. Minister, can you introduce your witnesses, please.
Thank you. With me today, I have Mr. Brad Patzer, assistant deputy minister Attorney General with the Department of Justice. Thank you.
Thank you. I will now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, the committee that reviewed the bill for any opening comments on Bill 7.
I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 7. Yes, I'm going to go to the -- sorry, I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2024, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on June 12th, 2024, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. Bill 7 introduces amendments across a range of existing legislation in the Northwest Territories. These changes are administrative and technical, aimed at improving the clarity, consistency, and accuracy of both English and French language versions of the legislation. The clause-by-clause review of Bill 7 was held on October 2nd, 2024, with the Minister of Justice. During its review, the committee moved four motions to amend the bill, with concurrence from the Minister on all of them.
I want to thank the committee for its work on the review of Bill 7 and, in particular, to committee staff also who brought forward thoughtful changes for committee's consideration. Individuals may have additional comments or questions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 7. Any comments? Seeing none. Does committee agree that there are no further general comments?
Agreed.
Can we proceed to clause-by-clause review of the bill? Committee, we will defer the bill number until after consideration of the clauses. There are 33 clauses in the bill, and we will review them in groups. Please turn to page 1 of the bill.
Clauses 1 to 10, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Clauses 11 to 20. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clauses 21 to 30. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Clauses 31 to 33. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will now turn to the bill number and title. Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2024, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, to the bill as a whole, does the committee agree that Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2024, is now ready for third reading?
Agreed.
