Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, looking at social media recently around the new Cannabis Commission and cannabis sales in the Northwest Territories, I saw an image yesterday posted on the commission's website saying, "Unfortunately, we are sold out. Product will not be available until further notice." I have received some complaints that online orders haven't shipped, and no notices have been provided to residents.

After six days, it seems like we are having issues with the operation of our Cannabis Commission. Can the Minister of Finance provide some clarity on whether or not there is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report tabled in this House on October 11th of this year outlined grave consequences for the future of our planet if immediate action is not taken to mitigate the increasing global temperatures. This 1.5 degree Celsius increase in temperature is predicted within the next 12 years, and if nothing is done, there will be catastrophic consequences. The cost of inaction is estimated in the same report at $54 trillion by 2040, costs to the global economy.

Mr. Speaker, Northerners know all too well the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Crown corporation is also subject to different rules than the government, as an operating entity. You know, the Minister said famously on Small Business Day, when we pressed him on questions, that the GNWT is not a business; it's up to individual businesses to come forward.

Well, as it relates to MTS, it is a business, and it's in the business of shipping. The longer there is uncertainty around the arm's-length nature of this, the more liability the GNWT potentially brings itself on from the people who feel that the government is unfairly competing in both domestic and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The data is old news. We have all known that this program is oversubscribed. I know the Minister said he can make the submission; will he make that submission, based on the debate we are having right now, and based on what he already knows, that this program is oversubscribed? Will the Minister make that submission? Yes or no? Thank you.

It seems that, when we have an immediate need, we can find the money. We can find money for barges; $16 million conjured out of thin air. I wonder if the Minister can answer this question: does he think it is acceptable that available funding for entrepreneurs is running out within two to three months of the fiscal year?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's Small Business Week. Whether you need auto work done, a veterinarian for your little companion, landscapers, metal working, a building built, area cleared, or road built, Kam Lake is the economic engine of the capital city. With that in mind, our priority in this House must be to foster continued economic growth, remain competitive, and create well-paying jobs for the middle class and everyone working hard to join it.

The GNWT must remain committed to helping northern creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs target, explore, and take advantage of global...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to have reviewed Bill 8, Emergency Management Act. We consulted broadly with all governments in the Northwest Territories responsible for providing municipal services in the Northwest Territories, and we held public meetings in Hay River, Enterprise, and Yellowknife, in addition to meeting with the mayor and council members in Inuvik.

Several issues were raised during our public consultations. The act changes the existing process so that Ministerial approval is required to renew a state of local emergency. We heard...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be cautious around the Minister's opinions. The statements he is making around not having enough funding, I mean, he sounds more like a deputy minister than a Minister, but is the Minister prepared to make a submission to the Financial Management Board during the next round of budget deliberations to increase the available SEED funding?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is good to see that we have gotten into a discussion around ITI's available funding for entrepreneurs. I want to talk about the SEED program.

The Minister has spoken about increasing the funding criteria for entrepreneurs, but the Minister didn't actually make more funding dollars available, which means that the complete allocation is being spent, but fewer businesses are receiving funding. In fact, the funding for agriculture, film, and manufacturing strategies have been taking it out of the SEED program. They don't represent new funding. When is the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that Minister's Statement 101-18(3) delivered by the honourable Minister of Infrastructure regarding Marine Transportation services be moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.