Do I have a seconder for the report? Sorry, Member has asked for a recorded vote. For those all in favour, please stand.

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

From Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Do I have a seconder for the report of the Committee of the Whole? Member from Frame Lake. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? Opposed? All those abstaining? The motion has been carried, and the report of the Committee of the Whole has been concurred with.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Orders of the day. Madam Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, and would like to report progress and that Bill 1 is ready for third reading. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Mahsi.

May I have the report of Committee of the Whole. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. If carried -- sorry. All of those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress. Thank you. Mahsi.

---SHORT RECESS

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Members. And thank you to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Mahsi.

What is the wish of the committee? I'm going to go to the Deh Cho Member.

Thank you. Does the committee agree that concludes our consideration of Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act; does the committee agree?

That Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, is now ready for third reading. Does the committee agree?

Committee, to the bill as a whole, does committee agree?

Clause 4, does the committee agree?

Clause 3, does the committee agree?

Clause 2, does the committee agree?

Okay. Committee, we will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses.

Please return to page 1 of the bill. Clause 1, does the committee agree?

Thank you for your comment as well. Is there any further Members from the Assembly that have general comments? Okay, thank you. Doesn't look like there was anybody putting their hands up. Thank you.

Is the committee agreed that there are no further general comments? Committee, we'll -- thank you.

Does the committee agree to proceed to a clause by clause the review of the bills? Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Not a question but a comment. It is my understanding, for further clarity on a political matter of us discussing our own salaries, that -- sorry, one of the sections is actually tied to the collective agreement. The northern allowance section copies what the public servants receive depending on their community of origin or community of work, and it is my understanding that in the past MLAs have made the decision collectively to restrain their income based on the fact that public servants were not given percentage increases. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the Premier for your clarification. Any further comments from the Members? I'll go to Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the salary of MLAs is something that's been an issue in every Assembly I've been in. It's always a political issue. And part of the reason, from my understanding, that it's not tied to any sort of a negotiated contract, a collective agreement, is because we don't want our salaries -- we don't want any skin in the game when we're in those negotiations. It wouldn't make sense. I don't think it's good practice to basically be negotiating our own salaries. So I think that is the rationale for the exclusion. So, thank you.

I'm going to go back to the Member of Frame Lake. No further questions? Any further comment from the MLAs, Members? I'm going to go to the Premier. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I appreciate the question from the Member just to further clarify. It does not. This guidance has been -- this guidance is offered and given by the independent review committee and passed on to the Assembly for final direction.

Thank you for your question. I'm going to go to the Member of Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I just wanted to follow up on the question asked by my colleague from Nunakput. She asks whether it aligned with the collective agreement of the public service and so I just wanted to get some clarification on that.

Is there any further comments from Members? I'm going to go to Mr. -- or sorry, hang on. I want to get this right.

Member of Frame Lake.

I have no further questions, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Rutland. I'm going to go back to the Member from Nunakput.

Mr. Rutland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Member. I believe if I understand it correctly, most of this is set by the independent commission and given the direction to the Assembly on that. If I need a further -- there is maybe one further comment provided by our clerk who can elaborate. Thank you.

Good question. I'll go to Member of Yellowknife Centre.

My second question to the Member and the staff is it consistent with like collective agreements and what the CPI increase would be with collective agreements; is there consistency with that?

Thank you, Mr. Rutland. I'm going to go back to the Member from Nunakput.

Thank you. Meanwhile we'll go to Mr. Rutland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the question. I believe if I have it correctly, the change is to bring consistency over a five-year period that reflect the consumer price index. If it went year by year, it would be influenced by major spikes, be it up and down, therefore this brought longer-term consistency. I look to the -- I look to the clerk for maybe some further explanation beyond that.

Thank you. I will move to the Member of Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question for Mr. Hawkins and the staff. Why the change to the -- why the change to the bill was made, if you can explain that?

I will now open the floor for general comments on Bill 1. Members may speak up to ten minutes at a time. Anyone -- any Members want to speak up? We got a Member that's going to speak up so make sure I get this right. Member from Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, to my left is the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Rutland; and, to my right is deputy clerk, Ms. Wickens.

Thank you, Member of Yellowknife Centre. Member, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Okay, sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the chambers. Members, please introduce yourself and your witnesses. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to speak to Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, in my capacity as a Member of the Board of Management.

In the previous Assembly, changes were made to the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to adjust pay by the average percentage increase or decrease in the consumer price index for Canada in a period of five years. This bill aligns the maximum amounts allowed annually for Members' expenses to the same consumer price index to make sure the act is uniformly using the same measurements. That concludes my remarks on Bill 1. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. I'll be asking -- I'll ask the sponsor of the bill, the Member of Yellowknife Centre, to introduce the bill.

Okay, thank you. We'll resume after a short 30-minute recess. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Does the committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'd like to call committee to order. I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Member. The Member is asking unanimous consent to move Bill 1 into the Committee of the Whole. Any nays? Seeing no nays.

Member from Yellowknife Centre -- sorry.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Minister's Statement 4-20(1), Minister's Statement 5-20(1), Minister's Statement 17-20(1), Tabled Document 28-20(1), Tabled Document 29-20(1), Bill No. 1, with the Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh in the chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and to have Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council, moved to the Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion passed.

---Carried

Member from Yellowknife Centre.

In order. To the principle of bill. The principle of the bill.

Déjà vu. Or as a former Speaker used to say, déjà vu all over again. Mr. Whitford. So starting from the top, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues, for your indulgence.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for a second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to adjust the maximum amounts allowed for Members' expenses as adjusted by using the average change in the consumer price index over the past five years. This aligns the Act with changes already made in the previous Assembly.

Thank you, Member. Can you read the second time and then ask after that, then ask for unanimous consent to go into Committee of the Whole.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member from Kam Lake, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for a second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to adjust the maximum amounts allowed for Members' expenses as adjusted by using the average change in the consumer price index over the last past five years. This aligns the Act with changes already made in the previous Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and to have Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council, moved to Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 1 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading.

First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters, Minister's Statement 4-20(1), Minister's Statement 5-20(1), Tabled Document 20-20(1), Tabled Document 29-20(1), with Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh in the chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.