Colleagues, before we begin today, I just wanted to say a few words. As Speaker of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, I wish to convey my condolences to the family of Darius Elias, the Vuntut Gwitchin people, and the Yukon Legislative Assembly. A celebration of life for Mr. Elias is being held this afternoon in Whitehorse.
Mr. Elias served as MLA for the Vuntut Gwitchin riding in Yukon for 10 years. He also served as deputy chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin. His riding included the community of Old Crow, a part of the Yukon with deep connections to the Gwich'in people and communities of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, professional engineers and geoscientists play an essential role in the growth and development of the Northwest Territories. They help address our society's needs and solve our problems. Their work is evident all around us in our buildings, highways, and airports; our safe drinking water; in our power and communications; and in our mapping and resource development in the North, just to name a few. These professions play an important role in achieving our priorities under the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2019-2023, such as making strategic infrastructure investments that connect communities and investing in alternative and renewable energy.
Mr. Speaker, professional engineering is at the core of the Department of Infrastructure. Engineering and Geoscience Week is an opportunity to express appreciation to the professional engineers and geoscientists who work hard every day, often in challenging environments, to protect public interest and safety and to improve our quality of life. The Northwest Territories and the Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists, or NAPEG, will be celebrating their annual Engineering and Geoscience Week from February 27 to March 6, 2021. Normally, youth engagement, networking, and professional development activities would be taking place in person, but this year the venue has shifted to a virtual space. The focus is to improve public awareness of the important role that these professionals have in the North.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Infrastructure recently took over the responsibility for administering the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act from the Department of Justice. This will allow for legislation to be administered by a department that has knowledge and experience with the work of professionals to whom the legislation applies. We look forward to working with NAPEG and other stakeholders to review the act and to see what changes may be required so that it is responsive and reflective of the current needs of the public, the professionals, and the industry.
Mr. Speaker, later this sitting, I will be tabling the Good Building Practice for Northern Facilities 2020 manual. The 2020 Good Building Practice manual is an extensive update to the 2009 edition and incorporates 10 years of research and development in new codes and standards, which many of the Northwest Territories' registered engineers and technicians contributed to. It adds new sections for environmental regulations; climate change; and civil, environmental, geotechnical, and hazardous building material assessment considerations. It contains updated recommendations for more sustainable development, improvements in energy conservation, accessibility, as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation for northern buildings. Managing the full lifecycle of infrastructure in the North requires a deep awareness and understanding of the unique challenges and risks arising from harsh climate conditions. The new edition of the manual illustrates the complexities that may be encountered when planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining infrastructure in remote cold regions.
This manual supplements the objectives of the national codes and standards and presents a compilation of best practices and requirements developed by many decades of experience designing and building in cold regions. It also incorporates new technologies and methods for northern infrastructure and is expected to benefit a broad range of stakeholders beyond the Government of the Northwest Territories, such as owners, developers, planners, designers, builders, as well as suppliers, building maintainers and operators. In preparing the updated Good Building Practice manual, the GNWT has drawn upon the experience of numerous individuals from within the Department of Infrastructure, other GNWT departments, and private sector agencies. Many of them contributed technical writing and comments to this guidebook. We hope this kind of shared learning experience and cooperation effort can continue during the production of future editions.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to recognize the Northwest Territories' past and present engineering and geoscience professionals. Their curiosity and creativity have led to the countless contributions that we enjoy today and will undoubtedly play an important role in solving the challenges to come. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The safety of our residents is a priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Through the Office of the Fire Marshal and the Emergency Management Organization, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs supports communities in building local capacity to respond to emergencies. Fires can place a heavy burden on families, communities, and governments. Providing fire services in the North is challenging for all community governments given our remote locations, limited access to resources, and harsh environment.
Mr. Speaker, in order to deliver fire services, the NWT relies heavily on volunteer firefighters. The delivery of fire prevention and fire protection services in our communities would not be possible without the many career and volunteer firefighters across the Northwest Territories and their significant contribution. This is a tough job. Thankfully, we have many individuals who take on this duty.
There is a tremendous commitment required to be a volunteer firefighter. These individuals:
sacrifice time away from their families and friends;
must attend training to keep their skills fresh in order to safely respond to calls;
have a role in educating residents to how they can protect themselves from fires;
respond to and investigate the cause of fires; and
have a role in inspecting our buildings to ensure people can get out safely.
Mr. Speaker, given this very important role that firefighters have, it is essential that we recognize and acknowledge the efforts of those who provide these services that contribute to our safety and security.
The first is a Long Service Recognition Program, which awards recipients of the Northwest Territories for fire services with medals and pins for years of service; and
The second is the NWT Fire Service Merit Award. This award is presented to individual firefighters and community fire departments who have made significant contributions to the Northwest Territories fire services and community fire protection.
Mr. Speaker, today, I want to highlight the service of one of the Northwest Territories' most outstanding volunteers and to celebrate the recipient of the 2020 NWT Fire Service Merit Award, Mr. David Bernhardt. The community of Inuvik nominated Mr. Bernhardt for his contributions to the NWT fire service and an incredible 40 years of dedicated service to the Inuvik residents.
Originally from Cape Dyer, Nunavut, Mr. Bernhardt moved to Inuvik with his family early in the 1960s. He joined the Inuvik Fire Department in 1980 and has served as a firefighter, lieutenant, captain, and deputy fire chief. In 2019, his colleagues bestowed him with the Canadian Municipal Long Service Award, which recognizes achievements of long-serving volunteer firefighters in our communities across Canada.
Today, Mr. Bernhardt remains an active member of the fire department, sharing his history and knowledge as a mentor to junior firefighters. Although he no longer is a front-line firefighter, he currently ensures exterior firefighting operations run efficiently and, more importantly, maintains a calm and steady presence, with a watchful eye that provides for the safety of everyone on the fire scenes.
Mr. Bernhardt does not know when he will retire from volunteer firefighting, but he considers his fellow firefighters as family and loves to contribute in any way that he can. Firefighter Bernhardt is a unique and admirable individual, and so I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on receiving the 2020 Fire Service Merit Aware. I also want to thank all firefighters across the Northwest Territories for their dedication and their commitment in making us safer. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today, while I stand here, I want to talk on behalf of the elders. A lot of the elderly ladies have spoken to me of how the road comes, and also, whenever we have an all-season road, a lot of the elderly ladies are very concerned about how come they don't have safety, on behalf of the elders. Mr. Speaker, I will speak in English. [Translation ends]
I want to speak about the issue that, for reasons you will soon understand, rarely makes it to these hallowed walls. Some might be tempted to laugh, but it's deadly serious, as you will see. It's about toilets, Mr. Speaker, public toilets. I'm referring to the provision of lavatories on the most travelled section of road in the Northwest Territories, Highway No. 3. The problem is that there are no restrooms or toilets. I'm talking about the 100-kilometre stretch of Highway No. 3 between Behchoko and Yellowknife, and when the winter road opens up to the outlying communities, that's even further.
There is not a single gas station or restroom on the whole, entire road, Mr. Speaker. I talked earlier about the very unfortunate death on Highway No. 3 of my constituent, the late Kelly Washie. When Kelly got out of the car on the roadside last New Year's Eve, I'm sorry to say that it was to relieve himself. That's when he was tragically hit. This is the most tragic consequence of there not being public washrooms or restrooms on this highway, but in fact, not a day passes when the absence of public restrooms is not illuminated in the most urgent way because, Mr. Speaker, for some, especially the most vulnerable elders, elderly women, and especially children, sometimes an hour and a half, two hours, two and a half hours, or even from Wekweeti, it's even further, almost five or seven hours; way too long to wait. What does your mother, your wife, your sister, and your little daughter do then, Mr. Speaker? I will have questions for the appropriate Minister at the appropriate time. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to focus on some positive news that relates to an important sector of the economy which can greatly impact our residents' access to fresh and reasonably priced products in the Northwest Territories. That sector is agriculture. This government developed an agricultural strategy in 2017 with overall goals of building a relevant and viable agriculture industry; providing support for the safe, sustainable development of food production systems; support to advance and contribute to the sustainability of NWT communities; encourage and support the transfer of food production skills; and increase availability of local food for northern residents.
Recently the federal and territorial governments provided three, I am proud to say, Hay River businesses with grants to assist in the expansion and growing of their businesses in the agricultural sector. Riverside Growers, received $118,642; Greenwood Gardens received $111,174; and Choice North Foods received $180,000. It is support such as this which will encourage others to view the agriculture sector not only as a hobby, but just as importantly, as a business that provides jobs and promotes healthy homegrown agricultural products.
Mr. Speaker, I know that those who are taking on the challenge of promoting and producing agriculture products, not only in Hay River, but throughout the Northwest Territories, are to be commended for outstanding work and dedication. When one looks at the climate of the Northwest Territories, agriculture seems like an industry that does not belong here. However, many Northerners are showing and proving that, through advancement in technology, our need to provide residents with access to fresh and reasonably priced foods, along with the passion they have for the industry, agriculture is alive and well in the NWT. Not only do we have those businesses producing foods, but we have those that are supplying infrastructure, such as greenhouses, production equipment, training, and research development.
The agricultural industry in the Northwest Territories requires this government's continued support, both financially and in kind, if we expect it to develop, grow, and become sustainable. I would encourage all of you in this room to visit Hay River this summer. Visit with the people and businesses that are providing agricultural products and services. Stop by the fisherman's wharf on Saturdays during the summer months and pick up some fresh produce, eggs, fish, and have a taste of Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to start with a quote made on February 4, 2021, by Marc Miller, the federal Minister of Indigenous Services, on defending the decision to prioritize Indigenous people in the roll out of the vaccine: "The decision to prioritize Indigenous people living in remote communities, but also in other parts of the country, including those living in urban centres, is based on science. It's not a matter of politics or opinion." Why is it, Mr. Speaker, that Indigenous people have not been placed on the priority list in the NWT, if our federal Minister is defending this publicly?
I am aware that the entire of what we call in the NWT small or remote communities have been prioritized in the NWT, which is a great start, but I am sure, when the federal Minister said "remote Indigenous communities," Inuvik, Hay River, and Fort Smith would fall under that term, coming from Ottawa. Why haven't the mostly Indigenous regional centres been on this priority list? Yesterday's announcement of the expanded priority groups still do not have Indigenous people without falling into all the other additional priority lists in other communities and urban centres, which I would consider Yellowknife to be in the Northwest Territories.
Inuvik is an Indigenous community. It is a designated Gwich'in community under the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim, as well as an Inuvialuit community under the Inuvialuit Land Claim Agreement. It can't get more Indigenous than that, can it? I am also questioning why a two-week scheduled clinic was changed in my community to one week a month ago, and the vaccine for the second week was then designated for Yellowknife. Was this based on science?
Yesterday, it came to my attention that non-resident mine workers may be prioritized or considered for vaccines in the Northwest Territories. I hope this is not the case, Mr. Speaker, not before Indigenous people and the people of the Northwest Territories. I know that there are NWT residents working out at the mines, but non-resident employees should have to get their vaccine in their home province, not by receiving doses for NWT residents that are shipped to the Northwest Territories. I say maybe put some COVID cops at the mines so they follow the rules as well as we have to in the rest of the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am going to talk about seniors' housing in the NWT and speak once again about the Core Need Income Threshold. Twenty years ago, the NWT Housing Corporation created a seniors' housing strategy. The strategy was created to address the needs of seniors in a number of areas, which included over-crowded public housing units while families remained on waiting lists; a lack of proper senior housing; and a lack of public housing units built specifically for seniors.
In the 20 years since this seniors' housing strategy was implemented, the NWT has seen some improvements within these areas, such as more senior public housing being available today than before. However, senior housing needs have only increased along with the increased population of seniors in the NWT. I believe that the NWT Housing Corporation needs to once again create a seniors' housing strategy. Building upon the previous strategy, we must create a modern strategy that won't discriminate against any seniors, period. Right now, any senior or senior couple whose income is above the Core Need Income Threshold will not be eligible for public housing. Seniors in this boat must find housing by themselves.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Core Need Income Threshold exists to help low-income people find housing. However, I think this means test needs to be dropped when it comes to seniors. As I said in a Member's statement last month, some seniors may demonstrate on paper that they are financially capable of finding housing by their own means. However, that should not be the sole determining factor for whether seniors should get help finding housing. For example, some seniors have dysfunctional family members who depend on their parents or grandparents for food, shelter, and other needs. In these situations, the monthly income for seniors dwindles quickly, leaving them far less income to address their own necessities. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In closing, the needs of seniors are diverse and unique, but our housing policies need to reflect that reality. We need to re-evaluate how we help seniors find suitable housing for their situations. It cannot be just about income. As I said last month, we need to consider something like a universal flat rate for all seniors in public housing. I will have questions for the housing Minister later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. The first report of the court-appointed receiver for the NWT assets of Strategic Oil and Gas was released on November 9th. The available funds for the receiver to manage the site, keep it in environmental compliance, and to prepare regulatory submissions are dwindling quickly. There appears to be only about $2.4 million remaining available for the site from the financial security held in the Northwest Territories. Clearly, the costs for remediation of this site will be in the tens of millions of dollars for taxpayers as it is inevitable GNWT will become the owner in 2021.
The Cameron Hills mess represents a total system failure to prevent this property from becoming a public liability. The last few stages have played out under our watch. We accepted this site under devolution, did not use any of our available tools to require full financial security or even a closure plan, and have not put in place any policies or legislative changes to prevent such a mess from happening again. We can't afford more public environmental liabilities. Our government has not done enough to demonstrate responsible resource development. The tens of millions of dollars that will need to be spent to properly remediate Cameron Hills should and could have been spent on housing, childcare, education, and other needs.
Preventing and better managing environmental liabilities was a priority of the last Assembly. We collectively failed and failed badly. Preventing environmental liabilities is not one of the priorities of this Assembly or in the mandate or even in the mandate letter of any Minister, as much as I tried and will continue to try to get our government finally moving on this issue. There's no roadmap, identification of gaps, or even a list of publicly available policies or legislative changes that are needed.
I've met with the Minister and his staff on this issue, and would dearly like to get something done during this Assembly. We need to do a number of things including: mandatory legislative requirements; foreclosure plans and full financial security consistent with the polluter pays principle; reasonable limits on the total discretion of Ministers on the form of financial security; better coordination of closure planning; and financial security across land, water, and resource specific legislation; and an early warning system that alerts political and senior managers when action is required. I will have questions later today for the Minister of Lands. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This month, the Canadian Liver Foundation is recognizing Liver Health Month in Canada. The liver is the body's third largest organ and weighs in at approximately three pounds. Your liver can regenerate to 90 percent of its original size and serves as the body's filter, cleaning our blood and regulating hormone levels and cholesterol as well as vitamin and mineral uptake. The liver is our processor and, daily, performs over 500 functions essential to life.
When people think of liver disease or failure, there is often stigma attached. An automatic assumption is that it is caused by alcohol when, in fact, there are over 100 diseases that affect the liver, and only one is alcohol-related. Liver cancer is one of the fastest-growing and deadliest types of cancer in Canada today. As well, up to 20 percent of obese individuals in Canada have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which may require a transplant sometime down the road. Liver disease can affect people from all walks of life, regardless of their age, gender, ethnic background, or socio-economic status. While one in four Canadians may be affected by liver disease, many are unaware. Early diagnosis remains the key to a successful treatment or cure.
Liver Health Month is especially important to me as I lost my maternal uncle, William Grant, to primary liver cancer, likely due to his time as a military airline mechanic working with solvents and chemicals; and I, myself, suffer from an immune disease called sarcoidosis that affects my liver. I was diagnosed 10 years ago after having surgery in Edmonton to remove benign tumours from the right lobe of my liver. This began my own health journey where I soon learned I would have to navigate not only my own diagnosis and subsequent health-related issues, but become an expert in medical travel, specialist appointments, blood work, self-advocacy, and diagnostic imaging.
My story is not a unique one. Many people across the North face the same struggle, trying to balance living life with a chronic disease or condition. This balance is hard to achieve at the best of times and is only been thrown on end by COVID-19. Given the challenges of receiving healthcare in the North, it only seems smart that we be proactive and work on preventing people from getting sick in the first place. Education will be the key to reducing the mortality related to liver diseases, and I urge my colleagues to help by sharing posts from the Canadian Liver Foundation this month. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When people are working and our economy is booming, the North feels different. Meaningful employment improves mental health outcomes, increase in school attendance, jumpstarts community participation, and decreases social support demand. Our North success is deeply rooted in the GNWT's ability to support northern small and medium businesses that rely on the financial influx of public service procurement.
This past Sunday, Industry, Tourism and Investment completed its second online public engagement session to gather feedback from northern entrepreneurs as part of a comprehensive review of all procurement policies. Their goal is to modernize the procurement process to the benefit of northern residents and businesses.
The most common procurement feedback I received from NWT residents is that northern employment outweighs a southern business with a northern address. In short, Mr. Speaker, keeping Northerners working through meaningful, stable employment is our key to procurement success. As part of its existing procurement process, the Department of Finance provides vendors with an avenue to handle written complaints in an organized, consistent manner using the vendor complaint policy. According to the policy, the Office of the Comptroller General receives an annual report tracking all vendor complaints to improve the procurement process.
Mr. Speaker, this means the GNWT has, at its fingertips, at least a decade of annual reports outlining the unique vendor challenges experienced as well as patterns of complaints within the procurement process. This information adds value to the procurement review process, and I hope it will be used as an added tool to form the procurement review panel recommendation.
This information is not only valuable today, Mr. Speaker. It is also valuable into the future. Policy documents need to be living documents that ensure we are continually learning and improving the services of government. I would like to see a public version of this annual report shared on the open government portal with recommendations to and responses from the government that ensure the GNWT continues to improve its procurement practices.
I hear weekly from Kam Lake businesses about yet another GNWT contract being awarded to a southern vendor. As we review another annual operating budget on the heels of the largest capital budget ever passed in the NWT, we cannot afford to mess this up. We need to get procurement done right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Hear ye, hear ye. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to announce that today is the grand opening of the Snowking's Winter Festival. I want to thank the entire Snowking crew, staff, and volunteers for all of the hard work they do to building such an amazing festival, 26 wonderful snow-filled years running, and this year, a pandemic can't stop them. However, things are going to look a little different this year, Mr. Speaker. Instead of a castle, it's more of a snow garden this year, filled with a series of adventures. Best of all, it is completely free this year, just remember to book a time slot before you head on down. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all residents of our Snowking to go down the snow slide, play in the snow maze, check out the merch, check out the awesome snow-carving competition. There is fun to be had for all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am bringing up rapid testing across the territory. We have been having so many deaths in the communities. We are having some problems getting family members into the community. For instance, I have six members from my riding in hotel rooms in Inuvik right now. They're unable to get hotel assistance. Under the rules, it doesn't state that you have to be from the territory. If you are coming home from a funeral, it's not their fault they are going to school or they have to work elsewhere because there's no work in the communities. It's not their fault, but the government should be taking care of that. The mourning and grief these six members have of a family from my hometown. It's tough.
Rapid testing should be available. If we have the units, why aren't we using them? Check them when they come in. Give them three or four days. Check them again, then let them go home, but in a social bubble at a house so that they could be home and grieve. Unable to grieve, it's not right, Mr. Speaker. We spend so much money on COVID secretariat and all this. If we are buying the unit for rapid testing, use it. It has to be dealt with, Mr. Speaker. Too many people are hurt. We are not testing residents across the territory. It could be saving our government more money by using these testing units.
Compassionate exemption on rapid testing: we need to get that sorted out, Mr. Speaker. Today, I will be asking the Minister why we aren't using those rapid testing units for the community. We are legislators here who could make changes. Nineteen Members, we could make changes and let the Minister take over that instead of having Dr. Kandola run that department. We have the Premier and we have the Minister who are able to do that. I am going to be asking them why not. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. Bill 16 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on November 2, 2020, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. On February 25, 2021, the standing committee held a public meeting with the Minister of Finance and completed its clause-by-clause review of the bill. Mr. Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Social Development is pleased to provide its report on the review of Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, and commends it to the House.
Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development October 29, 2020. Bill 13 amends Interpretation Act to remove references to Mountain Standard Time and Daylight Savings Time and replaces them with a reference to one standard time. Bill 13 will allow the Commissioner in Executive Council to replace the current Daylight Savings Time regulations, with permanent year-round time standard regulations.
Committee invited written and in-person submissions from municipal and Indigenous governments, organizations, education councils, and the business community. Committee received seven written submissions from:
Nahanni Construction Ltd. / Cold Weather Construction Experts
Dehcho Divisional Education Council
Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Dettah Administration
Sahtu Divisional Education Council
Mayor and Council, Town of Hay River
Dave Nickerson
David Wasylciw
Submissions received by committee are attached in appendix A, and committee thanks those who took the time to share their views. The submissions received by committee are broadly supportive of allowing the Government to amend Daylight Savings Time to one fixed time. Committee notes that the submission from the mayor and council of the Town of Hay River provided support conditional on Alberta advancing changes to one standard time.
Committee also considered recommendations from the work done by the 18th Legislative Assembly's Standing Committee on Social Development. In the report, Review of Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories, committee acknowledges an elevated level of attention from the public. Petition 6-18(2) had 533 signatures from residents of 18 different NWT communities, supporting the Government of the Northwest Territories to move to one standard time.
Prior to making any changes to the Daylight Savings Time Regulations, committee report recommendations advise the Government of Northwest Territories to consider conducting broad public and targeted stakeholder engagement and to consult with counterparts in Alberta.
In their review of Bill 13, committee shared concerns about the lack of options for government public engagement and consultation prior to the Commissioner in Executive Council making changes to the Daylight Savings Time regulations. This concern was addressed by a committee motion to amend Bill 13. Committee's motion requires the Minister to conduct public engagement with residents of the Northwest Territories regarding the elimination of the time change and prior to the setting of standard time.
A clause-by-clause review of the bill and public hearing was held on February 9, 2021. Committee moved one motion to amend Bill 13, which is attached in appendix B. The motion was carried, and the Minister concurred with the motion. Committee thanks the honourable R.J. Simpson, Minister of Justice, and members of his staff for their appearance before committee.
Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, as amended and reprinted, as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Committee thanks all those who took the time to make written submissions on this bill. This concludes the standing committee's review of Bill 13. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that the Standing Committee on Social Development report on Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act be received and adopted by the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. The motion is in order and is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The questions will be for the Minister responsible for ITI. Currently, the GNWT has an Agriculture Strategy which is nearing its good-until-2022 expiry date. Can the Minister clarify the reference dated time frame of 2017 to 2022 with respect to the Agriculture Strategy? Is the department considering an update or a revision based on progress or lack of it over the last four years? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
