Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee heard a number of questions from the public. People were interested in knowing how the system will work. They asked whether the government intends to get rid of the existing emergency numbers. They asked whether there are any communities in the Northwest Territories using 911 right now.

There was also a recognition of the benefit that 911 would bring for tourists visiting the NWT and for travelers to other communities. However, committee was cautioned that information for the public should ensure that people are made aware that 911 will not work on those parts...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Committee Report 12-18(3) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its report on the review of the 2018 report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly (Child and Family Services) and commends it to the House.

Before we begin, we would like to recognize the contributions of the Auditor General of Canada, Mr. Michael Ferguson, to the completion of this report. Mr. Ferguson, who passed away on February 2, 2019, was a dedicated public servant who will be greatly missed. We offer our condolences to his family...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 26, the Statistics Act. Bill 26 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 29, 2018, and it was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review.

To permit time for the legislative drafters to complete the proposed amendments, I would like to advise the House of the committee's wish to extend our review of the bill with the intention of reporting back to the House on or before March 11, 2019.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with rule 75(1)(c) of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The clause-by-clause review of the bill was held on February 21, 2018. At this review, the committee moved the following motions:

Motion 1: That Bill 31 be amended by adding the following after subclause 4(4):

Subclause 4(5) - [Limit on cost recovery fee amount]:

For a period of three years following the coming into force of this section, the cost recovery fee established under subsection (1) shall be no more than $1.70 per month. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs concurred with this motion, and the motion was carried.

Motion 2: That Bill 31 be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of Bill 31: Northwest Territories 911 Act, and commends it to the House.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations ("the committee") is pleased to report on its review of Bill 31: Northwest Territories 911 Act.

Bill 31, Northwest Territories 911 Act, sponsored by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, has been referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. The bill proposes to:

Direct the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Nearly two decades ago, the Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC) recommended that the department develop caseload standards for CPWs. Following the OAG's 2014 report, the department commissioned the Child Welfare League of Canada to complete a workload management study, wherein the CWLC repeated its recommendation. Our predecessor committee made a similar recommendation in 2014.

Despite this, the OAG found that the department has still not completed this work.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is Indigenous Languages Month. It is now the time to celebrate the NWT's Indigenous languages and encourage people to learn about and use them. Here in the NWT, we are very fortunate that we live on lands rich with languages and cultures. We have 11 official languages, nine of those are Indigenous. For Indigenous languages to thrive and survive, it is important to promote their everyday use at home, in the community, and at work. The importance of Indigenous languages has been elevated by the United Nations, who have declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous...

Thank you. I am not disagreeing 100 percent. I think that this is doing a good job. It's just that we could be doing an even better job, and of course, there were changes to SEED that have allowed the program to flow a bit more broadly throughout all of the regions of the territory. Doing the best job that we can with the available resources isn't doing better. We are looking at a future of recession. We are looking at economic hardship ahead. No one denies that. We should be using funding like this and resources like this that, A, we know work; B, we know that entrepreneurs are readily...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister. I very much appreciate that. If the results of this survey confirmed these concerns that have been brought forward today, is the Minister willing to go that extra distance and commit to at least exploring a possibility of adding more money into the program to address these shortfalls? Thank you.