Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 381-18(3), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2018-2019; Tabled Document 382-18(3), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2018-2019; Tabled Document 388-18(3), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2019-2020; Tabled Document 389-18(3); Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures) No. 1, 2019-2020; and Committee Report 14-18(3) Interim Report of the Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you to the Minister. I know from my own knowledge working with the school boards that they are very good to supporting to parents at most times. Is there any work being undertaken to strengthen the curriculum that is offered to students in these learning environments? I know that my son, for example, is learning how to use computers and the Internet. He has a Google account. These are things that I didn't expect a nine-year-old to have, but he has them. Is there a focus from the department on looking at those curriculums and making sure that they are providing appropriate tools to our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the government in a position to be open to supply contracts or sole-sourcing northern businesses that enter into the cannabis market? Is that something that is a possibility if a viable business is brought forward to help address our supply needs? Thank you.

Thank you to the Minister. I know that production is a federal power. It is very complicated. There is a whole lot of regulatory process. Can the government provide support to people who are interested in getting into the market with production? Can they give them support as a pathfinder, to walk their way through the system and understand exactly what they need to get started?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize one of the Pages from Kam Lake, Ms. Tegan Konge. It is great to have her help, and it is great to have the help of all the Pages. Thank you very much for your service to the Legislative Assembly and the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, could committee begin with consideration of the Interim Report of the Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly, Committee Report 14-18(3)?

I know that the Minister is fond of saying, "Nothing for us without us." How are students involved in this process, and what are the feedback mechanisms that either the school boards, or the department has working in conjunction with the school boards, and the district education authorities, to ensure that students have an ability to provide feedback to these materials and so that our policies and our supports to families and our kids are informed by young people's own experiences with the Internet and other material?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have risen on the floor of this House to address the concerns of parents around the safety for their children in online environments. I am wondering if the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment can tell me what efforts the department has undertaken to ensure parents are aware of the risks and have the appropriate tools to respond to any concerns. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, our children's safety is always a concern for parents, especially when it comes to their interactions on social media. The next generation is growing up in a rapidly-changing technological environment, and although this has the possibility of reward and greater individual potential, not everyone or everything online will have your best interests in mind.

News of the "Momo Challenge" has been making the rounds, reportedly an online phenomenon where people, mainly children, are sent disturbing images on social media and are told to act out until a point of self-harm. Thankfully, this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not going to attempt to repeat what some other Members have said, only to say that, behind the scenes, when the standing committee is working on developing some of these pieces of legislation, oftentimes it is a back-and-forth process, where bills are sent in draft form only to be returned and worked on again. I can think of some successful examples of that; the Mineral Resources Act, the Petroleum Resources Act, bills before this House. Those went through that kind of collaborative effort. This bill did not.

The quality of the legislation is a very important...