This is page numbers 4923 – 4960 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was communities.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Pursuant to Section 99 of the Legislative Assembly

and Executive Council Act, I hereby table the 2013 Annual Report of the Legislative Assembly for the Period of December 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014, of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, October 27, 2014, I will move that Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act, No. 2, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Item 17, motions. Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

WHEREAS the Elections and Plebiscites Act provides for the appointment of a Chief Electoral Officer who has the responsibility to exercise general direction and supervision over the administrative conduct of an election and enforce, on the part of all election officers, fairness, impartiality and compliance with the Elections and Plebiscites Act;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that this Legislative Assembly, by virtue of Section 5 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, recommends to the Commissioner the appointment of Ms. Nicole Latour of Yellowknife as Chief Electoral Officer for the Northwest Territories for a term of four years commencing November 1, 2014.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. David Brock for all his time and effort. It was a pleasure working with him and I wish him well in his future endeavours.

I would also like to thank Ms. Nicole Latour and I look forward to working with her in the future. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. To the motion. Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to take a second to thank David Brock for his service to the House and to the residents of the Northwest Territories. He is a consummate professional. I wish him well in his future endeavours, and I am very happy to see a local woman become the new Chief Electoral Officer here in the Northwest Territories, a proud moment for our territory and a proud moment for Ms. Latour.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. To the motion. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize and thank Mr. David Brock for his hard work, his expertise and commitment to equality and fairness in this House as well as his professionalism and also giving sound direction to the way we run business here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours, and I would like to welcome Nicole Latour and I look forward to working with you in the years to come. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to join in the chorus of thanking Mr. Brock for his service. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. I found him to be the consummate professional, and he eventually made life easier during the last election when we had the issues that we had to deal with. So, thank you, Mr. Brock, for your service and best wishes on whatever your next endeavours are, and I would like to welcome Ms. Latour to the position. It’s great to have another female in a leadership position. We need lots more. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too wish to use the occasion to wish Mr. Brock well and certainly on his journey that he will be taking. His next steps are unknown to most of us. So let me just say that wherever you go, I am sure you will do a fine job as well.

Mr. Speaker, this also gives me the occasion to welcome Ms. Nicole Latour. Many of us have known her for many years. We have known what great work she did here at the Legislature but we also know her reputation as being a very tough and hard, straight shooter, as she is well known as. If you have ever dealt with Ms. Latour, you will know she’s tough. So, many of us look forward to dealing with her in the future.

It also gives me great pride that, as MLA Bisaro just pointed out, we now have yet another female in a leadership role. What a fantastic milestone we have crossed. I think it is a great thing that it continues; it is something that needs to be certainly recognized. But something that hasn’t been said here today, to my knowledge, is Ms. Latour is now, I believe, the

first Aboriginal woman to take this type of leadership role in Canada. I think that is a special distinction that we should honour. So, Mr. Speaker, let it not be the last of many types of appointments like this. I certainly hope it is sort of the kicking of the doors of the new way of doing business. Thank you very much.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS Section 16.(2) of the Human Rights Act provides that the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission is composed of such members, between three and five in number, as may be appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS there will be two vacancies on the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission as of October 30, 2014;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following individuals be appointed by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories to the Human Rights Commission of the Northwest Territories effective November 3, 2014:

Mr. Yacub Adam of Yellowknife, for a term of four years; and

Ms. Gerri Sharpe of Yellowknife, for a term of four years.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. Motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

WHEREAS Section 48(1) of the Human Rights Act provides for the establishment of an adjudication panel composed of at least three

persons, appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS Section 48(5) of the Human Rights Act provides that the members of the panel hold office, during good behaviour, for a term of four years, with the exception of the first members appointed;

AND WHEREAS there are currently two vacancies of the adjudication panel;

AND WHEREAS the Board of Management has considered a number of qualified individuals for appointment as adjudication panel members;

AND WHEREAS the Board of Management is tasked with recommending individuals to the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Assembly is prepared to make a recommendation to the Commissioner;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories for appointment as members of the Human Rights Adjudication Panel, effective November 3, 2014, for a term of four years:

Ms. Kerry Penney of Yellowknife, and

Mr. Colin Baile of Yellowknife.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. Motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Yakeleya.