Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the many businesses in my riding of Kam Lake, and many of these businesses rely on government contracts to keep their operations viable and create employment for our communities. This government has a responsibility to northern entrepreneurs to make sure government procurement is efficiently administered, easy to access, and creates a competitive edge for those companies that choose to do business in the North and call the NWT home. I have spoken on this issue in the House before, Mr. Speaker, and though the Minister of Infrastructure remains confident that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to state my strong support for this bill. I think that it creates a very effective way to support modest- to low-income families through the enhanced NWT Child Benefit. It's a very progressive piece of government policy. It's income-tested and it's going to apply to I think the total number is 2,000 families after it is implemented. The only regret I have is that it's not a mandate commitment, and I believe it should be. It directly speaks to our support for lowering the cost of living. It directly speaks to our support for families in need. It's a very good piece...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Good to see you back. Committee wishes to consider Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've made progress today. The Minister has received two complaints. That's way better than zero complaints, but that's still just the tip of the iceberg. I appreciate that the Minister doesn't want to make this an expensive and an ineffective process, so I would suggest that we can work together to develop terms of reference that would ensure we streamline this process and make it work.

I'm disappointed that, even if I pay for the meeting, he's not willing to come to it, but I'll put it this way, Mr. Speaker: did the Minister hear the complaints from those vendors when...

I'm a bit disappointed. I know the Minister is fond of advisory committees. He's established one for the Yellowknife Airport, so I was hoping he'd consider doing one for this issue as well. If not a committee, then, or a panel, would the Minister be willing to hire a consultant who can issue a comprehensive report that looks at government procurement policies and then we can take action on that report? Is the Minister willing to make that commitment?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that commitment. I'll be happy to sit down with him and share my constituent's experience with our procurement system. Finally, I know that the Department of Procurement Services through the Department of Infrastructure is undertaking some vendor workshops. Is there any opportunity for public engagement in the procurement process through those workshops, or is this merely an effort to tell vendors how to do business with government? Are we actually listening to them or are we just telling them they're doing it wrong? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, the Minister consults with me; that is one person. I am wondering if he will consult with everyone in the Northwest Territories through a public engagement process, and then create a report that can come back to this House and be assessed by the standing committee and the government on its results and lead to comprehensive procurement reform in the Northwest Territories. Will the Minister commit to do that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Fraser Oliver, a strong Kam Laker who is taking an interest in our proceedings and also president of the NWT Teachers' Association. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the Chair rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Standing Committee on Government Operations concluded its review of Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, on April 6, 2017, for the public hearing held here in the Legislative Assembly building. The bill amends the Income Tax Act by facilitating the provision of additional financial support to low- and modest-income families by:

adjusting the formula for the NWT Child Benefit;

incorporate provisions of the federal Income Tax Act that relate to the withholding of tax refunds;

updating the names of some federal agencies;

clarifying the definition of the...