This is page numbers 4285 - 4326 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 public.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. Committee Report 3-17(5) is received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole.

---Carried

Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and move Committee Report 3-17(5) into Committee of the Whole for consideration today.

---Unanimous consent granted

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Colleagues, I will take a 15-minute break.

---SHORT RECESS

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, colleagues. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to table two documents. I'd like to table a screenshot from the Executive website on the NGO funding which was taken on Friday, March 7th, regarding 2013-2014 grants.

I'd also like to table a screen shot from the same website today. There is something missing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Lafferty.

Bill 24: An Act To Amend The Student Financial Assistance Act
Notices Of Motion Forfirst Reading Of Bills

Page 4294

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, I will move that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 24: An Act To Amend The Student Financial Assistance Act
Notices Of Motion Forfirst Reading Of Bills

Page 4294

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Lafferty.

Bill 25: An Act To Amend The Education Act
Notices Of Motion Forfirst Reading Of Bills

Page 4294

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, I will move that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 25: An Act To Amend The Education Act
Notices Of Motion Forfirst Reading Of Bills

Page 4294

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Colleagues, before we continue on, I'd like to welcome former Member Leon Lafferty, who is in the gallery today.

---Applause

Item 17, motions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

WHEREAS Parliament is currently considering Bill C-15, the Northwest Territories Devolution Act, which includes a new Northwest Territories Act that would extend the maximum term of office of future NWT Legislative Assemblies from four to five years;

AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assemblies of Nunavut and Yukon already have five-year maximum terms of office as a result of past changes to federal legislation;

AND WHEREAS the next NWT general election is currently scheduled for October 5, 2015, in the same month as the next federal general election and municipal elections in several NWT communities;

AND WHEREAS overlapping elections create significant communications and administrative concerns as well as the possibility of lower voter participation rates;

AND WHEREAS some provinces with elections scheduled for the fall of 2015 have extended their terms in order to avoid overlap in election periods, or are considering doing so in the near future;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that this Legislative Assembly requests that the Government of Canada propose to Parliament an amendment to the Northwest Territories Act that would authorize this current 17th Legislative Assembly to extend its term to a period not exceeding five years;

AND FURTHER, that the Premier communicate this request to the Prime Minister;

AND FURTHERMORE, that should federal legislation be enacted as requested, the Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly propose a bill at the earliest opportunity to defer the next NWT election to October 2016.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I gave notice of this motion last week and since then most Members have had a chance to return to their constituencies and have had an opportunity to also receive input and communication from constituents on this matter. There have been many suggestions and ideas proposed.

In reviewing the motion this morning, we realized that one of the issues that this motion speaks very definitively to is the last furthermore where it talks about a bill that defers the next NWT election to October 2015. That is a very definitive date and it would take it to the maximum of one year and we did hear from constituents who wondered why to avoid the overlap why it couldn't be three months or one month or six months or different ideas. So in hearing that and in response to that, I would like to move a motion to the amendment that we could discuss and debate prior to the motion being decided on. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. To the amendment to the motion. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Motion 16-17(5) be amended by deleting the words “AND FURTHER, that should federal legislation be enacted as requested, the Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly propose a bill at the earliest opportunity to defer the next NWT election to October 2016,” and by replacing the second paragraph of the resolution portion of the motion with the following “AND FURTHER, that the Premier communicate this request to the Prime Minister and report back to this Assembly.” That is my motion of amendment. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I'll allow the seconder to the motion to speak. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This amendment clarifies the motion and puts the focus where it should be. This is a process that has some steps to it, which I'll speak to in the main motion, but now it focuses the attention on what needs to be done, which is to get the authority to approach the Prime Minister to give us the tools to deal with our own affairs. So it's a good motion, a clarifying motion and puts the attention where it belongs on that particular step. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. To the amendment to the motion. Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This amendment simply reduces clarity in what this motion is asking by saying we're going to change it however we like. It might be six months, it might still be a year, it might be eight months, it might be one month, but we're not going to let you know. At least the way it is now is clear. So I may vote for, I may abstain, I may agree or disagree with the motion, but the point is this buries the clarity that I think has already been revealed by the motion itself and certainly the public will be alerted.

I think we do need some flexibility, but the crux of the issue here is that we are asking the federal government to change legislation and this House to change legislation to allow us to extend our own mandate without hearing from the people. To that I disagree and I'll be speaking further to that during the motion. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

To the amendment to the motion. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a lot of things that could happen that could affect whether or not we would exercise that flexibility to change our dates. For one thing, let me give you an example, the federal government that's in power right now has a majority. They might decide to change their election date, in which case a lot of the discussion around this motion becomes a moot point because we then would not have the overlap with the federal election campaign period.

So there are things that could change this, but right now, like some people have said, well, wouldn't it be a good idea if we held all the elections on October 19th, which is the date now scheduled for the municipal and the federal election? Wouldn't it be great to go into a voting station and go here to vote for your MP, go here to vote for your MLA, go here to vote for your mayor and council, go here to vote for your school board? Some people think that would be a great idea. We wouldn't even have the flexibility to even explore something like that because our four-year mandate ends, as it is now under the current legislation, on October the 12th. These other elections are scheduled for October the 19th. So we can't vary the territorial election under this by one, we can't move it forward, we can't move it back one day. Like, we can't change it all, there's no flexibility. So I think the operative word here is flexibility, and if anybody wants to speculate on where that flexibility ends up, well, I guess they can do that, but this is a very preliminary step. That is to the amendment. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. To the amendment to the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.