Debates of Aug. 21st, 2019
This is page numbers 6289 - 6352 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 assembly.
Topics
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Assent to Bills
- Minister's Statement 237-18(3): Minister Late
- Minister's Statement 238-18(3): Seniors Report
- Minister's Statement 239-18(3): Housing for Vulnerable Populations
- Minister's Statement 240-18(3): Post-Secondary Education Update
- Recognition of "Buffalo" Joe McBryan
- National Pharmacare
- Land Administration and Management
- Land Rights Agreements
- Eligibility for Home Improvement Funding
- Child and Family Services Quality Improvement Plan
- Recognition of Gabe Hardisty
- Waste Resource Management and Single-Use Plastics Ban
- Arctic Sovereignty
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Question 839-18(3): Access to Health Services in Fort Nelson, BC
- Question 840-18(3): Single-Use Plastics Ban
- Question 841-18(3): Child and Family Services Quality Improvement Plan
- Question 842-18(3): Eligibility for Home Improvement Funding
- Question 843-18(3): National Pharmacare and the NWT
- Question 844-18(3): Fort McPherson Housing Units
- Committee Report 35-18(3): "Lessons Learned" Report of the Special Committee on Transition Matters
- Tabled Document 509-18(3): Draft Code of Conduct and Guide for Members of the Legislative Assembly
- Tabled Document 510-18(3): Draft Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, August 2019
- Tabled Document 511-18(3): Capital Estimates 2020-2021 Tabled Document 512-18(3): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 19-18(3): Report on the Review of the 2017-2018 Public Accounts
- Tabled Document 513-18(3): 2018 Annual Report - Office of the Fire Marshal
- Tabled Document 514-18(3): Report on Seniors Access to Government of the Northwest Territories Programs and Services Tabled Document 515-18(3): What We Heard Report - Continuing Care Facilities Legislation for the Northwest Territories
- Tabled Document 516-18(3): Northwest Territories Post-Secondary Education Strategic Framework 2019-2029 Tabled Document 517-18(3): Operating Plans for Northwest Territories Education Bodies for the 2019-2020 School Year Ending June 30, 2020
- Motion 41-18(3): Adoption of Code of Conduct for Members of the Legislative Assembly
- Motion 42-18(3): Repeal and Replace Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
- Motion 43-18(3): Extended Adjournment of the House to October 24, 2019
- Motion 44-18(3): Dissolution of the 18th Legislative Assembly
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Committee Motion 237-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Private Interviews between Inmates and Indigenous Elders or Spiritual Advisors, Carried
- Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
- Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
- Committee Motion 240-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Security Assessment Tools, Carried
- Committee Motion 241-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Victim Services, Carried
- Committee Motion 242-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
- Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
- Committee Motion 244-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Perceptions Held by Northern Businesses Toward the Government of the Northwest Territories' Procurement Processes - Procurement Advisory Panel, carried
- Committee Motion 245-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Perceptions Held by Northern Businesses Toward the Government of the Northwest Territories' Procurement Processes - Comprehensive Public Review of Procurement Related Policies, carried
- Committee Motion 246-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Perceptions Held by Northern Businesses Toward the Government of the Northwest Territories' Procurement Processes - Government Response to Recommendations, carried
- Committee Motion 247-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Protocols for Engagement in Development of Legislation, Carried
- Committee Motion 248-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Process and Criteria for Technical Working Groups, Carried
- Committee Motion 249-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Technical Working Group Recommendations, Carried
- Committee Motion 250-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Complex Bills of Significant Public Interest, Carried
- Committee Motion 251-18(3) Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Plain Language Materials, Carried
- Committee Motion 252-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Comprehensive Briefing on Legislative Process for Technical Working Group, Carried
- Committee Motion 253-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Process for Development of Regulations, Carried
- Committee Motion 254-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Collaborative Lessons-Learned Exercise, Carried
- Committee Motion 255-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Public and Stakeholder Engagement, Carried
- Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
- Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
- Committee Motion 258-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Federal Concurrence, Carried
- Committee Motion 259-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Consistent Terms and Definitions, Carried
- Committee Motion 260-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Consistency in Public Information, Carried
- Committee Motion 261-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Preamble or Purpose Statement, Carried
- Committee Motion 262-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Bill 34: Mineral Resources Act
- Recorded Vote
- Orders Of The Day
Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6340

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that, should a bill be excluded from a technical working group process, the Minister responsible for the bill advise the appropriate standing committee at the earliest possible opportunity, along with the rationale for the exclusion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6340

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. The motion is on the floor and has been distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.
Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6340

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I know that the reason that this recommendation is here is because, in my opening remarks, I talked about how different departments had different approaches to the co-development of legislation. I am not trying to pick on anybody, but it is on the public record that the Department of Lands did not use a co-drafting process for a variety of reasons, which seemed to point to the lack of capacity of the Indigenous governments to deal with that bill, in addition to all of the other bills that were brought forward by Cabinet.
It would have been helpful for committee to know that before the bill arrived in the House. Committee didn't know that. We had to go and dig it out. I think that this is just in keeping with what should be a principle of consensus government, no surprises, that committee is advised when a bill skips through the co-development process. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341
Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Vanthuyne.
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
August 21st, 2019
Page 6341

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that, when legislation is being developed using a technical working group, the appropriate standing committee work with the appropriate Minister to establish an agreed-upon way of keeping the committee informed of progress, key issues, and a way to have input into significant policy discussions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. The motion is on the floor and has been distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Largely what this is about is having some more committee involvement in the earlier processes so that, when the job of doing the actual review of committee, when we take these kinds of bills out on the road, we have a better understanding of how we got that far in the process.
What we discovered often, when we were out there on the road, was that we were hearing from folks where they were expecting, maybe, some degree of clarification from us, where we had little or no information in many instances to be able to inform them.
We feel that there are many circumstances where earlier collaboration and better communication between ourselves and the Minister, and potentially the technical working group, would have been a much more streamlined line of communication between ourselves. We could have avoided a lot of concerns, and we could have been better prepared to answer a number of people's questions as we went through the process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have been thinking a lot about this, and clearly, there needs to be a division between the legislative branch and the executive branches of government. That is how democracies are supposed to work. Someone is supposed to hold the pen, and somebody else is supposed to take it and conduct a review of it.
These are very significant matters with a lot of public interest. A lot of time and effort went into the development of these bills. Through our process here in consensus government, standing committees get legislative proposes that outline general subject matter so that we can try to work together, or at least understand what is coming through. Some of these were very large, complex pieces of legislation, and I think that it was very difficult for committee to understand the policy discussion and policy decisions that had gone into the drafting and the bill as it arrived on our desk for review.
Much earlier in the process, when committee had raised some concerns and issue about some of the bills that came through, the kinds of responses that we got weren't very helpful. Things like, "Well, we'll take it to the technical working group," or "We'll take it to the Indigenous governments to see what they think." That's great, but I want to know what the Cabinet position is. What is Cabinet going to take to the table in discussing and negotiating this, and should Regular MLAs or the standing committees actually have any kind of role in that or, at least, an understanding of what some of those issues are, how they played out, and how decisions were arrived at? I am still grappling with how we can do that.
The best thought that committee could come up with is that Ministers and standing committee need to sit down and talk about this before things get completely off the rails. I think that what happened last night is an example of when things do go off the rails.
This is an effort to try to ensure that committees are kept at least informed of what is going on and are in a better position to help review the bill and provide constructive feedback and so on. That probably needs to be worked out, maybe, on a case-by-case basis. I think that it worked better with some of the bills than others, and I think that this is an effort to suggest that, if there's an understanding at the beginning of the process, that is going to be better for everybody. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6341
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6342
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6342

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Vanthuyne.
Committee Motion 258-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Federal Concurrence, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6342

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that, should any portion of a bill require federal concurrence, a statement to this effect be included in the legislative proposal; and further, that the relevant clauses be identified at the time of introduction to the appropriate standing committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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