Thank you very much. There is outstanding support from the Yellowknife Members and I want the support from Cabinet as well.

As the MLA for Nahendeh I’m the MLA with the most small communities. Actually, four of my communities don’t have the nursing and policing services that this motion speaks about. Most particular, I’ve been up here time and time again trying to get those same services for the community of Wrigley.

In order to get full Cabinet support I’m going to move an amendment here, Mr. Speaker, that we remove the reference to add to the budget in the 2014-15 year because Cabinet perception is of us adding to the budget we just passed. I think they’re almost compelled to vote against something that adds to the budget. So I want Cabinet support and I hope they vote in favour. I know that they’re going to be silent on the issue, but I think that by removing this reference to the budget that they won’t vote against it.

Also, I encourage Cabinet, as well, because there’s room in this year’s planning process, which begins around July, August. So for planning for the business plans, I believe by softening the motion, as it were, we can encourage our Cabinet friends to include the policing and nursing for small communities in the business planning.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I’ve got a motion to amend.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. To the amendment to the motion. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. To the amendment to the motion.

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

To the motion. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the mover and the seconder of this motion for bringing it forward. I spoke to this issue in the House last week. Basically I think it is unacceptable that in the year 2014, with a budget of this government of over $1.6 billion, with office towers full of bureaucrats here in the headquarters that we cannot find the money or the creativity to find a way to put health care professionals and policing services into these small communities. It’s not acceptable anymore. We have to find a solution. We must prioritize our agenda and our initiatives. This must be a priority.

So, I support this motion. This is not like southwestern Ontario where you come to a town every three kilometres. This is the Northwest Territories where there are great expanses of distances between communities and in those communities are people who need protection and who need quick and responsive health care. So, I will be in support of the motion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. To the motion. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to support this motion. I thank the mover and the seconder as well. It’s great to see support from the larger centres.

Our communities that have no RCMP and nursing face enough challenges as it is. Many times we have cases where we wait on the RCMP for up to five hours, sometimes 12, 24 hours. We also have cases in our communities where our own residents are acting like ambulances. We have people going out of their way, which is great to see the community pull together in emergencies, but we

have people in emergencies driving our residents to Inuvik for medevac situations, and that has to stop. We need nurses in our communities and we need RCMP to make our people feel safe.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a great honour to stand up in support of this motion. I’d like to thank the initiators of this motion, the mover and the seconder. I think in this day and age it’s vital and integral that we have a sense of confidence in terms of residents of our communities especially the vulnerable sectors of our population, the elders and the youth, that need to feel safe and that they’re okay to live at home independently, and at the same time, for kids to play out in the streets and ensure that there is a measure of safety that they can rely upon. At the same time, if there is anything that happens within the community in terms of injuries, that there is a nurse on call and an RCMP is there that students and kids can look up to in terms of role models while ensuring just overall public safety in our small communities. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. To the motion that is amended.

Question has been called. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request a recorded vote.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Order! Order! The Member is seeking a recorded vote. All those in favour, please rise.

Thank you. All those opposed, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise.

The motion is eight yes, zero no, seven abstentions. The motion is carried. Eight in favour, seven against. The motion is carried as amended.

---Carried

Item 18, first reading of bills. Mr. Blake.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Bill 18 has had first reading.

---Carried

Item 19, second reading of bills. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Kam Lake, that Bill 15, Oil and Gas Operations Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill substantially mirrors the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act in accordance with the requirements of the Northwest Territories Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.