Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like the Premier is starting to understand what it's like to be a Regular Member. Often, we raise concerns that are put to study or put to an internal working group when we're not at the tables, so perhaps this will inform his relationship when we're working with the government to find out how to make good decisions for people. My last question, Mr. Speaker, we've cut $5 million out of our public service capacity to address oil and gas development in the Northwest Territories. With what little is left, is that being used to address these issues and to develop...

Well, I appreciate that we've been safe so far, but these problems persist. This is the reason why a ban was put in place by Canada. I'd just like to take a minute to quote from debates in Hansard of February 2, 2013, when the Premier said:

"The Government of the Northwest Territories is focused on managing the business of the territory. It has to be our primary objective not telling the Government of Canada how it should do its business. Further, we aren't the federal opposition. We're governing our own right and we need to concentrate on managing our own affairs. We will continue to work with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all the Pages for their hard work over this sitting. I would also like to recognize my constituency assistant, Mr. Garett Cochrane. I couldn't do this job without him, and I am very appreciative that he is joining us here today. Thank you.

Thank you for that. I'm content that the government did conduct its consultations appropriately. I just raise this issue because often we aspire to very effective legislation that's based on examples drawn from other jurisdictions and sometimes we can forget that Northerners and northern districts may not be up to the same capacity as southern jurisdictions. I guess I'll just leave it with this. I think we're only affecting a small section of the economy, and if Mr. Walker did not raise those concerns, then I'm content that these concerns have been properly addressed through the legislative...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I spoke on the importance of immigration for countless benefits to our society here, in the Northwest Territories. I'd like to ask questions to the Minister of ECE's role in supporting our nominee program. I understand there are two new families and businesses and seven new residents in total that have come to the Northwest Territories through this program. Can the Minister explain how the department works to support family reunification through the nominee program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I said earlier, the Standing Committee on Government Operations heard from Mr. Roger Walker as owner and general manager of Territorial Tobacco Products. Mr. Walker presented us with a great many documents and a long history of dealing with taxation of tobacco in the Northwest Territories and his concerns about potential tax slippage. We were also provided with information from the government's own internal audit bureau on this, and at this point the standing committee is content with the response from government, and his concerns fell outside of the scope of the bill...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning is pleased to provide its report on the progress review of the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019, and commends it to the House.

The 18th Legislative Assembly's decision to set out a four-year mandate for its term represents an important evolution of consensus government. For the first time, all 19 Members agreed on defined actions to advance the priorities they set. These were set out in the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019 and approved...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 384-18(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2017-2018, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 384-18(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration and formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Rami Kassem, the owner of Javaroma, who provides fantastic catering for our building here, and makes sure I can stay away from those committee meetings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Also, under court services, we have some funding for courthouse cells, secure interview rooms, and a common lobby for a courthouse. I know that our courthouse facility here in Yellowknife is not owned by the government, and has undergone a number of retrofits over the years. Is any more work anticipated past this point of this project, or are we going to continually see large appropriations, as this is around $795,000 in retrofits? Are we going to continue to pay these kinds of rates for the facility we are currently renting? Thank you, Mr. Chair.