Debates of December 12, 2019 (day 4)

Date
December
12
2019
Session
19th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
4
Members Present
Hon. Frederick Blake, Mr. Bonnetrouge, Hon. Paulie Chinna, Ms. Cleveland, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Ms. Green, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Martselos, Hon. Katrina Nokleby, Mr. Norn, Mr. O'Reilly, Ms. Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Rocky Simpson, Hon. Diane Thom, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek
Topics
Statements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

The Member has requested a recorded vote. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Recorded Vote

Speaker: Mr. Mercer

The Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Monfwi, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Yellowknife South, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Great Slave, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

All those opposed, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise.

The results of the recorded vote: 17 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 1 has had its third reading. Third reading of bills. Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2019-2020, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request for a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister. The Minister has requested a recorded vote. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Recorded Vote

Speaker: Mr. Mercer

The Member for Yellowknife South, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Great Slave, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Monfwi, the Member for Nahendeh.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

All those opposed, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise. The results of the recorded vote are: 17 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 2 has had its third reading. Third reading of bills.

Colleagues, with us today we have our Grand Chief and President of the Gwich'in Tribal Council, Ms. Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan. Welcome.

Colleagues, today we will conclude the First Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly. The Second Session is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. Since election, we have spent many hours working together as a Caucus, as committees, as Cabinet, and in this House. For many of us, it has been a new experience, and we have learned a lot. I know I have and I know we all have a lot to learn as we prepare for the next session.

I would like to thank each of you for the positive and respectful tone of the proceedings during this short session. As legislators, we directly influence the well-being of all residents of the territory. We will not always see eye-to-eye, but, when we work together in a respectful and collaborative manner, we have the ability to positively affect our people and our shared future.

As this House will not sit again until the new year, I would like to take this time to wish all of you and your families a very merry Christmas and best wishes for the coming year. I hope that each of you will have the time and opportunity to celebrate with your constituents, family, friends, and loved ones during this holiday season.

Colleagues, I would like to thank the Pages who have been with us in the Chamber during this sitting, the interpreters who have been with us each day, and everyone else who has contributed to our shared success. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed, and we appreciate your dedication and professionalism.

Finally, I would like to invite you to join me in the Great Hall at the rise of the House for a small reception and a performance by the Aklavik drummers in celebration of the prorogation of the first session of the 19th Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Clerk, will you ascertain if the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the honourable Margaret Thom, is prepared to enter the Chamber and prorogue the first session of the 19th Legislative Assembly? Thank you.

Speaker: Hon. Margaret Thom

Please be seated. Mr. Speaker, Members of the Legislative Assembly, good afternoon. [English translation not available.] Mahsi. Thank you. It is always a great pleasure to be in this great hall, this great Chamber, and to be in the presence of such an amazing team who works diligently for the betterment and for the quality of life for all Northerners.

It gives me great honour to announce that a new deputy commissioner has been officially appointed by the federal government. Our new deputy commissioner is Mr. Leonard Kenny from Deline in the Sahtu region. Mr. Kenny will be officially sworn in on Tuesday, December 17th. We applaud this appointment and send congratulations to Mr. Kenny and his family.

I believe that we are the first government in Canada to have such a large proportion of women elected to a Legislative Assembly: nine women of 19 Members. You have also chosen a woman to serve as our Premier for just the second time in the history of the Northwest Territories, the only female Premier in Canada. Congratulations, Premier Cochrane.

It is extra special during this festive busy season that we take the time to stop and feel grateful and to give thanks. I say with a grateful heart, mahsi cho to each and every one of you, along with your staff and the Legislative Assembly staff, for your hard work for all of the Northwest Territories residents since the October election.