This is page numbers 5365 - 5412 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 women. View the webstream of the day's session.

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I said, I will go back to the department and have a discussion and see what information I can bring forward and have a discussion with the Member.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

The Minister does not sound too enthusiastic here. The community of Tsiigehtchic, for example, a couple years back we had an exercise with the 1 CRPG here in Yellowknife. Actually, the military came to the community, and they had a whole bunch of outhouses around the community, and they actually gave them to the community. So, you know, we have the facilities that are needed. It's just a matter of setting them up on each side of the rivers and just a matter of going there every day or two, just at the same time they do the ferry camps anyway, so it would not be much of an added cost. So will the Minister make sure that the department looks at it and makes sure that this is up and running this summer?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I said, I will go back to the department, have a discussion with them, and, if there is an opportunity that we can figure out a way to facilitate the use of a public washroom at the ferry landings, we will certainly entertain it, but I want to get some more information before I make that type of a commitment.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are making a little progress with the Minister here. Will the Minister give direction to the department to ensure that they work with the communities? I am sure the Minister may be even travelling up there this summer and have to use those washrooms instead of running into the willows, like most of our residents have to do. Mr. Speaker, it's just common sense. I am sure when they had the ferry in Providence we had these facilities there, so will the Minister give direction to the department to budget probably a few thousand dollars to have these up this summer? We need five actually, five locations; north and south on the Peel and the three at Tsiigehtchic. Will the Minister make sure that they work on that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I think I just became the Minister of water and sewer for some reason here. As I said, I will go back to the department and have a conversation with my officials, and I will get back to the Member if there is an opportunity to do this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Member for Hay River North.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 29, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Bill 29 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 30, 2018, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. An extension was requested and granted on February 27, 2019.

I would like to advise the House of this committee's wish to seek a further extension for our review of the bill, with the intention of reporting back to the House on May 23, 2019. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Rule 75(1)(c) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that the review period for Bill 29 be extended to May 23, 2019. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried.

---Carried

Masi. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Aurora College Corporate Plan 2018-2019"; and "Aurora College Annual Report 2017-2018." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "Public Service Annual Report 2017/2018." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following document, "Consumers Council of Canada Charter of Consumer Rights." Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Thursday, March 14, 2019, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that Ms. Colette Langlois be appointed as ombud for a term of five years, in accordance with the Ombud Act, by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, as recommended by the Legislative Assembly; and further, that the appointment become effective April 8, 2019. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Notices of motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that, on Thursday, March 14, 2019, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, March 14, 2019, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, May 23, 2019; and further, that any time prior to May 23, 2019, 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, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Second Reading Of Bills

Page 5381

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 44, Forest Act, be read for the second time. This bill establishes a new framework for the management and protection of forests in the Northwest Territories. It sets out some general requirements with respect to the sustainable use of forests and forest resources. It enables the protection of forests through wildfire management and prevention and includes provisions to respond to forest insects, disease, and invasive plant species. The bill also authorizes the use of forest resources through forest harvesting agreements, permits, and licences. The right to appeal certain decisions is granted. Finally, an enforcement scheme is created in order to ensure respect for the new management and protection framework. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Second Reading Of Bills

Page 5381

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Second Reading Of Bills

Page 5381

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to speak on the Forest Act, to represent the Aboriginal Indigenous governments of my riding. I have been contacted by the Indigenous governments that are not in favour of this bill moving forward at this time. The Indigenous governments would like to see the bill go back to the government, and they would like to see them participate as a government. Right now, they feel like they are stakeholders. The bill has been drafted with all the Indigenous governments across the territories treated as stakeholders. In this act, being a stakeholder would mean that they may not even be the main stakeholder that the government deals with moving forward.

One opportunity that the Indigenous governments have to have a say in what happens with the Forest Act is not necessarily through a technical working group when, at the last minute, we are being asked to intervene and not pass this bill by the governments that we represent for that reason. They feel like they are stakeholders. There are large gaps between when they get to see the act. The Forest Act is an important act. It is a renewable resource act. It is a renewable resource act that is replacing acts from the federal government at this time, two acts.

It is similar to what happened with the Wildlife Act. In the Wildlife Act, the Indigenous governments got to co-draft the act. It took three or four governments. It took 10 years, mind you, but it essentially set the standard on how government should be drafting legislation. It was at the cutting edge of drafting legislation when you have a public government that is working with Indigenous governments to draft legislation. It took a long time for the Wildlife Act to go through, but we replaced an antiquated act back then. It was an act that the people see as an improvement. It is an act that the Indigenous governments can say that they held the pen.

This is not the case here. In the Forest Act, they have gone backwards, maybe, back to the idea that the GNWT will do all the drafting and they will do consultation with the Indigenous governments from time to time or work with the technical working group.

Today, or over the last few days, I have been contacted by the Indigenous governments. They feel like stakeholders through this process. This government meets with these Indigenous governments on a regular basis and treats them as a government when they sit across from each other in bilateral meetings. Not in this case here. In this case here, they are treated as stakeholders, stakeholders who may have less of a stake than industry.

Once this Forest Act is passed into the third reading, it would go to committee. They would have an opportunity to speak on the act, and they would have opportunities for consultation. That is not the full involvement that the Indigenous governments would like to have. The Indigenous governments want to co-draft legislation.

Like I said, this is an important piece of legislation. There are two very important renewable resources; wildlife and forest. They had an opportunity. Although the process took a long time, they had that opportunity in the Wildlife Act. Today they are not going to have that opportunity.

If we pass this second reading, it will go to consultation, and that is what it will be. It will be consulted. They will be consulted like any other stakeholder across the territory. If there are stakeholders registered to speak on this act, then they will be at equal level to the governments that this government sits across in bilateral meetings and indicates that "You guys are a government. We respect you. You guys sit across from us, but only on some things, not on all things. Legislation is not one of them." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Second Reading Of Bills

Page 5382

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. To the principle of the bill. Member for Frame Lake.