This is page numbers 4335 - 4360 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 business.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, I think the Member better take his rose-coloured glasses off, the way he's making comments, there. I have had a few people; like I have said, probably five people. I'm going to stay to five people who have come to me about procurement. The chair of SCEDE is doing a report. I will sit down and have that conversation with SCEDE, but I am not going to sit here and get into a debate if it's one, 10, or 15 people. If the Member has 15 people coming to him, maybe he should come to my office. He doesn't stop by my office and talk about procurement issues. He can do that any time he wants.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Maybe the Minister should begin reading his emails, Mr. Speaker.

Earlier, the Member from Yellowknife North brought up the standing offer agreements. The department has standing offer agreements with firms from the south. The Minister stated that northern firms don't have the expertise, and that's why they have to go to the south. What other options has the department looked at? Have they looked at perhaps requiring some northern content when these firms get these agreements, or going to local companies and helping them build that expertise?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Why does it always have to be on the back of the Government of the Northwest Territories? Can Members tell me, why does it always have to be on the back of the government? I am a private businessperson. If I have an issue with a particular type of tender and I don't have the expertise for it, I will reach out to counterparts in southern Canada to help me. You guys seem to think it's on the back of the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Government of the Northwest Territories is here to help facilitate and grow the economy and look after the residents of the Northwest Territories. We are not here to get into individual businesses and do the day-to-day transactions that they need to do and grow their businesses. That's on the back of the entrepreneur.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

That's what ITI does. That's their mandate. That's what the officers do every single day. Well, I'll move to SEED now, since I'm talking about all these policies here. Earlier, the Member from Nunakput was asking about remedies for business owners who were adversely affected by the disruption of barge resupply, and the Minister recommended that they contact ITI about SEED. SEED funding is being used to compensate for this failed barge delivery. Where is the SEED money coming from, Mr. Speaker? Is it coming from that region's pot of money, or is it coming from the entire territory?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

The Member is talking about hypotheticals, because I said that's where they could go if they had an issue with it. We don't know if there is an issue with it. Each region has their own allocation for SEED money. If there is some sort of over-pouring amount of money that we have to have a look at, I will certainly have a look at the situation.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I haven't seen the situation first-hand, but I take my fellow colleagues at their word. If the Member for Nunakput says there is an issue, then I believe there is an issue.

My final question is that, you know, we have had a lot of questions around the table here. It always comes down to how much money we have. The Minister says, "I only have this much money in my budget." Well, I think I've sat running through supplementary estimate deliberations where the government says we need more money, then we sit down and we give them more money. Will the Minister bring forward a supplementary estimate to improve supports for entrepreneurs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

No, I will not.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to pursue the issue of the liability caps a little bit further with Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. To be really clear here, the review that is being carried out by OROGO is about proof of financial responsibility. It's not about the liability caps. OROGO doesn't even set the liability caps. Those are in the regulation. Is the Minister clear that the OROGO review has nothing whatsoever to do with the liability caps? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that's right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for that. We are starting to get on the same page here. I would like to ask the Minister: why have the caps not been reviewed in the four-and-a-half years since devolution?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I have said, we are moving forward with the mirrored legislation on devolution. We are looking at the Gas and Oil Operations Act. That's what we are working on. We are going to look at the rest of it in the 19th Assembly, should this bill pass here.

The Member is not going to like this comment, but you know, we have 200-and-some mandate commitments within this Government of the Northwest Territories. To zero down on a regulation here where there's exactly no activity going on in our territory wouldn't be a good use of my time and the department's time. I'm not shunning that responsibility. We are continuing to work on the act going forward, and regulations will be looked at in the 19th Assembly.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for that. Interestingly, a couple of days ago, we had the Premier saying that we are going to go and negotiate an entire offshore co-management regime when there is nothing happening with offshore oil and gas. I think there is a more likely prospect of onshore, and we have to make sure that we protect our citizens and our taxpayers and our government from liability. When will these regulations be reviewed? The Minister could do it next week if he wishes, but when is the Minister going to review these regulations?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I said, should this bill to amend the act pass in this Legislative Assembly, in the 19th Assembly we will review and modernize the regulations under this act.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I'm not very happy with the response from the Minister. These regulations are less than four pages long. In fact, I believe they are actually one page long, and the limits are just set here. I don't understand what the difficulty is in reviewing these caps.

What sort of process does the Minister envision going through to review a one-page regulation? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As we sit here and deliberate this conversation around the Oil and Gas Act and the regulations, the Member has raised a lot of concerns, and I agree with a number of his concerns. This is not something that we are just going to go out and do at a snap of our fingers. We have a lot of different players in this territory. We have committed to deal with all the Aboriginal and Indigenous governments in this territory, and the public. I am not just going to change the regulation before we change legislation on the Act, and I suspect it will be the way we do our full consultation within the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, report of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Pursuant to section 21 of the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act, I wish to table the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowance Fund Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 2018.

Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills. Item 17, motions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on October 18, 2018, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 23, 2018;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to October 23, 2018, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

Masi. Motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Bill 7, Chartered Professional Accountants Act; Bill 8, Emergency Management Act; Minister's Statement 19-18(3), Aurora College Foundational Review Process; and Tabled Document 215-18(3), Capital Estimates, 2019-2020, with the Member for Hay River North in the chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

I will call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.