Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in our mandate, Commitment 1.4.6 says that this government will support net metering through clear policy direction to the Public Utilities Board to provide certainty to allow customers to recover their investments in renewable energy. This is a responsibility of the Premier, and I would like to ask the Premier today if he can advise if, in fact, clear policy direction has been provided to the Public Utilities Board and what the nature of this policy direction has been. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommends that the Minister of Finance work with the Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency to develop plain-language materials that summarize the public accounts for a given year in a manner that is understandable for an interested nonprofessional reader focusing on the key financial highlights and significant audit issues arising for that year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move this Assembly recommends that the Office of the Comptroller General and the Department of Finance work with all Government of the Northwest Territories public agencies to assist them to complete their audited financial statements to meet statutory reporting deadlines and to seek necessary extensions where those deadlines cannot be met. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On October 17, 2017, the Standing Committee on Government Operations presented its Report on the Review of the 2015-2016 Public Accounts, which included eight recommendations. Members of the committee may have additional comments. That concludes my opening comments, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will rise to commend the long service Mr. Schauerte has given to this institution and to us, in particular, on the Regular Members' side. I may have studied politics before I got here, but I certainly did not know how the sausage was made, and Doug is an excellent sausage-maker.

Other Members may know, since I have been here over the last two years, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning our procedures and practices here, and one thing I am going to miss most about Doug leaving is arguing with him over how best to do those policies and practices and always throwing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not the federal government's responsibility to fund our communities. It is this government's responsibility. The city's budgets are done on a calendar year. Can the Minister commit to getting this work done before the end of the calendar year so the city can have certainty about what their fiscal room is going to look like?

Is the Minister committed to tabling that strategy in the fall at some point? This is the last day of our sitting. Is the Minister going to table that strategy today?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to again remind the Premier that, over the life of this government in the last two years, any policy direction to the Public Utilities Board has been shared with standing committees after the fact. We have not been allowed to provide input into these policy decisions. Will the Premier commit to this side of the House today to ensure that the voices of the standing committees and the Regular Members are included before policy direction is given to the Public Utilities Board? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this report within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. It is always nice to work together with the Honourable Premier. I just want to lay out how confusing this picture is to Members on this side of the House. The Premier is responsible for this mandate commitment. The Minister of Health is responsible for the Public Utilities Board. The Minister of Justice is responsible for the Power Corporation. The Minister of Infrastructure is the chair of the Ministerial Energy and Climate Change Committee of Cabinet and is responsible for the government's 2030 Energy Strategy. Finally, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources is...