Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Thank you to the Minister for that very thorough response. I wonder, though, with all of our legislative priorities and privacy this government in a very large mandate document, do we have the capacity to accommodate a significant shift like this? The Minister just spoke of involving three departments, and if not more, in making all these changes, so is this working group analysing the kind of capacity it's going to take for our government to get up to speed? I would hate for Northerners to be in a legislative lurch while this change takes place and our government to be playing catch-up.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health. Does the Minister support a marijuana regulation regime for the Northwest Territories that both allows us to capture more taxation revenues and keep our kids safe from a substance that is very much out of control under the current prohibition regime? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has committed to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017 to effectively legalize marijuana. During the meantime, they are looking at regulations with respect to production, distribution, and retail sale and consumption of marijuana. The market is adapting to pending changes, drawing in national and international investment that is already roughly created a medical marijuana industry valued at $200 million, and one that may grow 20-fold in the next five years.

To give you a clear example, Mr. Speaker, on October 6th a publicly traded marijuana company...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to the Minister for that. I look forward to working with this government on that issue. Finally, a more technical point: does the department or the working group currently have any recommendations on the legal age or the minimum legal age is 25 or 19 or something else, or is it too soon to make that determination? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the Minister informing this House or keeping this House up-to-date on our federal engagement of this issue; however, my questions are more precisely about what this government's response will be to this new regime. It's not a question of should we support, it's a question of how do we manage it once the law changes. So I'm wondering what the Minister has launched or what this working group the Minister's department is a part of has launched in terms of looking at research or modelling studies here in the Northwest Territories for how this is going to work after April 2017.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, this government will need to implement a prevention and public awareness strategy aimed at assuring that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children. This government will also need to consider whether or not it implements an age restriction higher than the restriction currently in place for alcohol. The OHM has recommended the minimum age be set at 25, to not inhibit brain development, and though I'm hesitant to entirely concur at this time, I look forward to the debate on how we provide least harm with the greatest opportunity...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the hard work that's gone into developing this motion and I certainly appreciate that our colleagues across the way are in support of it as amended as am I.

I've heard from many residents in Kam Lake, as my colleague has said in his own circumstance, expressing similar concerns. My own son has been in two day homes since I was a single parent many years ago, and the care provided to him was topnotch, so I certainly understand the value of these programs and the value of early education, but we have to make sure it's done right.

The department commissioned...

Is the Minister aware of the long-standing resolutions being passed by the NWTAC, and more recently by the City of Yellowknife amongst other councils? Is the department paying attention to that? Is the Minister paying attention to that, and how does she respond to these long-standing issues? Has the department looked into this before, Mr. Speaker? Has the department done research before this point, or is this research just starting now?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently there was a news release from the City of Yellowknife recommending certain changes to the City, Towns and Villages Act to allow them the flexibility to engage in certain initiatives like local improvement charges, hotel taxes, etc. These recommendations have been long supported by the NWT Association of Communities. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs today if the department plans to take action on that request from our municipal partners? Thank you.