Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure. It's quite simple. Will the Minister of Infrastructure bring forward accessibility legislation for the NWT during the life of the 20th Assembly?
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the first things I asked the department to look at was building a building standards framework for the Northwest Territories. And that can certainly include an accessibility provision within it. That work's only just getting underway, obviously depending upon the passing of the budget, to determine what kind of ability our departments all have to conduct that work, but hopefully we will be in a position to achieve what's in our business plan which is a buildings standards framework and one that includes accessibility within its provisions. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And just to get a bit of clarification, I believe the Minister said building standards framework. Is this going to be a Building Act, or are we talking about something different? Because I know the city of Yellowknife has been asking for a Building Act with accessibility standards built into it, so can the Minister provide some clarity on that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's my hope that it is a Building Act. Again, at this point, it's in our business plan. It's part of the work that would happen with the department, subject to where we land in terms of our budgets here. But if we are in a position, that is my intention, is that we'll move forward. We have a working group formed now and hoping to get started the process of developing what would go into a Building Act for the Northwest Territories, including what kind of accessibility legislation it would include. That would be what comes in the next fiscal year, or over the course of the next fiscal year, leading ultimately up to the process that builds towards that Act. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister able to give the Assembly a timeline for this? When can the Assembly expect a legislative proposal to come forward within reasonable time that the Assembly would be able to establish this new legislation within our the term of the 20th? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have my business plans open in front of me right now. I think for the next fiscal year is the part that I have in mind and the first step already having been achieved is a working group. The next step is the work plan to scope out what should or potentially should be included in a building standards or a Building Act. And that, really, would be the first set of deliverables. Once we know the scope of what would be included, for example, including accessibility, that can determine the size and scope and timeline required for a full Act. I would certainly hope that we could get to the point of an LP soon thereafter, whether it would get all the way to being passed this Assembly or not, again, will depend on the scope and size of the Act. But it was certainly, as I said, one of the first asks I made when I had the opportunity to take on this portfolio. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Oral questions. Member from Tu NedheWiilideh.
