Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, the 33 communities of the Northwest Territories are governed by a suite of territorial legislation made up of the Hamlets Act, the Charter Communities Act, and the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, all of which were enacted in 2003. Together, these statutes provide the legal authority for municipal operations in all of our communities.

The Cities, Towns and Villages Act, also referred to as the CTV Act, governs the larger communities in the Northwest Territories, including the City of Yellowknife. It provides the essential legal framework establishing a municipality and authorizing...

When is that later date?

I will move off this, Mr. Speaker. In the case of the City of Yellowknife, if the City of Yellowknife is unable to establish the appropriate authorities in time to fund tourism and visitor services, will the Minister commit to providing additional funding to the City of Yellowknife so that they will not be faced with a budget shortfall while these amendments take time to get started?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs for clarifying that the department is moving forward with amendments on the CTV Act. I have a follow-up question: will the Minister coordinate the introduction of the CTV Act amendments with municipal governments, including the City of Yellowknife, to allow municipalities time to establish their own authorities to effectively implement the changes? Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

I'll just remind the Minister that the changes that the department has narrowed down and has been consulting on have been recommended by Regular Members every year. So I can speak for the standing committee now that, if the legislative proposal contains the exact same recommendations that we've been making, we're pretty good to go with it. So, again, will the Minister expedite this matter? My concern is: we need to meet the timelines. I represent the riding here in Yellowknife. I'm looking out for my constituents, and I want to make sure that they're not burdened by the inability of this...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Over the course of this budget review, I want to be able to speak to some of the work standing committees did during the business planning process. We touch on this often in our sittings to benefit our constituents that MLAs are hard at work for the fall of every year, reviewing the departments' annual business plans. This takes a lot of time from the Ministers' offices, the standing committees, and from the departments and departments' staff. It is a significant amount of work, and it should not be understated how important this is in the functioning of consensus...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 1, the Western Canada Lottery Act. Bill 1 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 20, 2017, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review.

Today, I would like to advise the House of the committee's wish to extend our review of the bill with the intention of reporting back to the House on or before February 28, 2018. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Rule 75(1)(c) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest...

Government.

I will remind the honourable Minister that we're the ones who make the rules for the industry. They don't make the rules for themselves. The industry seems to be quite fine to have this information published on a federal website which includes payments made to the GNWT and to Indigenous organizations within the Northwest Territories. If he is not willing to move forward on legislation, will he begin the work on a clear annual statement on how much royalties were received; how much were shared with each Indigenous group; and that this report be tabled annually in the Legislative Assembly? Will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke on the importance of the arts and the need for further investment, but let it be known that that does not take away from my deep admiration for those who participate in sport, physical activity, and recreation. It is on that note that I would like to give special recognition to those Northerners who are participating in the largest display of athletic about in the world, the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Sport brings the world together in celebration of excellence.

It is with the deepest pride and greatest pleasure...