Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The chair now recognizes the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Other Amendments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Eighteen additional motions to amend the bill were passed by the committee at the Minister's request in order to address concerns brought to the department's attention after Bill 25 was introduced. These amendments have the effect of:

1. Removing the provisions that would have allowed councils to appoint officers other than the senior administrative officer to report directly to the council.
2. Removing the requirement for the Minister to approve bylaws providing for the remuneration of council members. There was a consensus that it should be up to residents to hold councils responsible and to take action if they believe the remuneration is too high.
3. Providing that orders made by municipal supervisors apply to "employees or agents" rather than to "all persons interested in or affected by them." There was a concern that the original wording would be too broad and could include, for example, all the community residents.
4. Continuing the requirement that each municipal land transaction be made in accordance with both a general land administration bylaw and a bylaw specific to that transaction.
5. Requiring that the senior administrative officer attend and record at all council committee meetings. Bill 25 already provided for the senior administrative officer's attendance and recording at council meetings.
6. Changing council's bylaw making authority from "wild and domestic animals" to "domestic and feral animals". This was to clarify the intention that the authority was meant to include stray animals, and not wild animals such as bears and wolves.

Other Issues: Approval For Long-term Borrowing

The City of Yellowknife asked that consideration be given to removing the requirement for voter approval for long-term borrowing bylaws which are made in accordance with an approved debt management plan. The committee noted that although debt management plans require a public hearing process, they do not require voter approval. If the voter approval were no longer necessary for specific borrowing bylaws, there would be no mechanism for voters to veto a borrowing they do not want the municipal government to make. Members agree with the Minister and department that it is appropriate for voters to have an opportunity at some point in the process to approve or disapprove any borrowing and, therefore, did not support the city's request.

Appeals To Council

The City of Yellowknife also raised concerns with the provisions that allow residents to appeal orders made by municipal officers to the council. The committee agreed with the Minister's stated intention to provide an individual with the opportunity to have council review an order requiring that individual to take remedial action. The committee also noted that the Association of Communities suggested this issue could be addressed in the implementation phase of the legislation. Members, therefore, did not support the city's request to delete or amend this provision.

Remedial Orders

The Association of Communities and the City of Yellowknife both requested confirmation that the new provisions allowing municipal governments to issue orders requiring people to remedy dangerous situations would not affect the ability to issue other types of orders, such as cleanup orders under unsightly property bylaws or stop-work orders under zoning bylaws. The Minister confirmed the intention is that the ability of municipal governments to issue other types of orders, such as stop-work orders and cleanup orders, will not be affected by the new provisions.

Balanced Budgets

The Association of Communities requested that a requirement to prepare balanced budgets be included in the legislation. The department proposed amendments that would have required municipal governments to prepare balanced budgets, except where impracticable. Although the committee supports the objective of balanced budgets, it had difficulty with the wording proposed by the department, and also did not see the necessity of including a provision in the legislation that would be confusing and clearly unenforceable. Members would suggest that directions for balanced budgets could be included more appropriately in guidelines.

Conclusion

The committee is pleased that this long-awaited initiative could be brought forward in time for consideration by the 14th Assembly. Should Bill 25 be passed, Members would offer their congratulations to the department and the NWT Association of Communities, and wish them success in implementing their new legislation. Mr. Speaker, that concludes the report on the Governance and Economic Development.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Committee Report 19-14(6) be received by the assembly and be moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have Committee Report 19-14(6) ordered into Committee of the Whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have his report ordered into Committee of the Whole for today. Are there any nays? There are no nays. The report will be ordered into Committee of the Whole for today. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent. Just a minute, the chair asked for the report of standing committee. The honourable Member put up his hand and the chair recognized his hand. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. None. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. The chair now recognizes the honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a letter from the NWT Biathlon Association expressing opposition to the proposed recreation sport council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 9th, I will move the following motion:

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for North Slave, that the Assembly hereby censures the conduct of the Honourable J. Michael Miltenberger, Minister of Health and Social Services, for the lack of attention paid to the residents of small communities in the delivery of health care programs and services and in particular the inaction in failing to address the inequities in the delivery of services in many small communities.

Thank you. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Motion 16-14(6). The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has undertaken significant efforts over the past several years to ensure that the benefits of secondary industries related to diamond mining are enjoyed by Northwest Territories residents;

AND WHEREAS the benefits of secondary diamond industries include employment opportunities and other economic and social benefits;

AND WHEREAS despite the concerted efforts of communities such as Hay River, Fort Simpson, Inuvik and Rae-Edzo, all of the diamond cutting and polishing facilities are located in Yellowknife;

AND WHEREAS it is anticipated that De Beers diamond mine at Snap Lake will be in production by the year 2006;

AND WHEREAS the Premier has announced that he is confident that De Beers will honour a commitment for a Snap Lake of rough diamonds for processing in the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS there is a strong need to support and enhance the economic and social conditions of all communities and regions through diversification of economic opportunity such as diamond processing;

AND WHEREAS whenever possible, our government should strive to ensure that the positive impact and benefits of resource development should be realized by a broad range of Northerners as articulated in our commitment to community economic development in "Towards a Better Tomorrow" and numerous other fora;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories was actively involved in the establishment of the existing cutting and polishing facilities through training and financial inducements for companies willing to locate in the North;

AND WHEREAS other communities also deserve the same amount of support in their efforts to identify and attract potential operators in the field of diamond processing;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the Government of the Northwest Territories, immediately undertake the development of a strategy to secure a stable supply of NWT mined rough diamonds of an economic size and shape for cutting and polishing;

AND FURTHER that the strategies must encompass communities outside of Yellowknife to ensure the distribution of direct and residual benefits as widely as possible;

AND FURTHERMORE that the Government of the Northwest Territories ensure that this strategy is adequately resourced to provide assistance and support for communities wishing to participate in the secondary diamond industry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. We have a motion on the floor. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause

Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Bill 32, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2003-2004, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We have a motion. The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The chair counted two in favour and two opposed. In the opinion of the chair the vote is tied. Order, please. The chair would just like to caution Members that when a vote is taken, it's a serious matter. The chair recognized a tie, therefore, the chair has to break the tie. The chair will vote in favour of the motion. Therefore, in the chair's opinion, the motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 32 has had first reading. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. The chair recognizes the honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.