Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Does committee agree?

Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Mr. Blake, if you would be kind enough to introduce your witnesses to the Chamber this evening.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my right, I have Ms. Kelly McLaughlin, director of the legislation division; and Ms. Colette Langlois, Acting Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Ms. Langlois and Ms. McLaughlin, welcome to the Chamber this evening. With this, we are on Bill 26 and we are going to open it up to general

comments. General comments, Bill 26. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just for clarification, Mr. Blake and the Board of Management, I just want to ask for the definition of home. There are some people who have homes in their communities. Some are leasing it; some are renting it. Some don’t have homes. Some, of course, have their own homes. Is there just a definition for myself?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the definition, I’d like to ask Ms. Kelly McLaughlin to answer that.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Ms. McLaughlin.

Thank you, Ms. McLaughlin. Mr. Yakeleya.

That’s fine. That’s good. No more questions.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. General comments, Bill 26. Is committee prepared to do clause by clause?

Thank you, committee. Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. Clause 1.

---Clause 1 through 16 inclusive approved.

The bill as a whole?

Does committee agree that Bill 26 is ready for third reading?

---Bill 26 as a whole approved for third reading

Bill 26 is now ready for third reading. I’d like to thank Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Langlois for joining us this evening, and thank you Mr. Blake. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses out of the Chamber.

Is committee prepared to do Bill 27?

Thank you, committee. With that, we’ll go with the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Ramsay.

I am pleased to present Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act.

The reason for this amendment is to increase the Fur Marketing Service Revolving Fund from $900,000 to $1.5 million.

The Government of the Northwest Territories supports the fur industry in the Northwest Territories through this fund and the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Price Program.

It often takes a month to six weeks for the fur to be sold at auction after trappers deliver furs to the GNWT under the program. The advance payments made to the trappers from the fund allow them to continue trapping in the interim period.

Due to the increased popularity and steady growth in the NWT fur industry, it is anticipated that the current authorized limit of $900,000 will be reached by February 2014 and that the full increase in the authorized limit will be needed in the near future. Fur sales for the 2012-2013 fur-trapping season were the highest amount recorded in the last 30 years.

Failure to increase the limit will result in the GNWT not being able to make the advance payments for fur to trappers.

This amendment is designed to address the issue and support the traditional economy of the NWT. This increase in the fund will ensure uninterrupted program support to hunters and trappers so that they gain maximum benefits from strong market conditions.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Minister Ramsay, do you have witnesses you’d like to bring into the House?