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

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Masi. Motions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

WHEREAS, under section 11(1) of the Northwest Territories Act (Canada), the Commissioner may dissolve the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS, under section 11(2) of the Northwest Territories Act (Canada), writs for the election of Members of the Legislative Assembly are to be issued on the Commissioner's instructions;

AND WHEREAS, under section 39(5) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, subject to the power of the Commissioner to dissolve the Legislative Assembly under subsection 11(1) of the Northwest Territories Act (Canada), polling day for a general election must be the first Tuesday in October in the fourth calendar year following the polling day for the last general election;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that this Legislative Assembly request the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories to dissolve the 18^th Assembly of the Northwest Territories on August 31, 2019, to permit polling day for a general election to be held on October 1, 2019;

AND FURTHER, that the Speaker transmit this resolution to the Commissioner. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

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

Masi. The Member has requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.

Masi. All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the recorded vote: 18 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Motions. Member for Deh Cho.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a constituent, Jim Thom of Fort Providence. Jim is the former chief of the Deh Gah Got'ine First Nations and also the former Dehcho negotiator for the Dehcho tribal council. Also, he is a former original member of the Fort Providence canoe team that raced down the Mackenzie during the centenary race. He is also the partner of the Commissioner. Last, but not least, we all call him "Uncle J.T." Mahsi.

The legendary J.T., welcome to our Assembly. Mahsi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of special people. I think that I have a couple of grandchildren in the gallery, Scarlett and Tucker are both young babies, and also Alyssa. Alyssa, actually, is doing amazing things. She is working with organizations like the Edmonton Eskimos. There is so much debate about whether we are Inuit or Eskimo and what that means to us. Alyssa is actually helping with that in what she does to educate people and educate people properly. There are so many misconceptions of the word, and even through this government. There is so much good work that the government does, and sometimes it's brought down negatively. Alyssa is one of the people who actually stabilized that, and I appreciate the work that she does, so I'd like to recognize Alyssa. Also, my daughter Maddy who is there. It's good to see kids around here.

Sometimes, we spend so much time being serious. We can't even sit down and have a conversation and laugh. I think we need to incorporate that into the work that we do here, especially with the advice that we get from all the professionals. I believe my mother, Helen, is in the gallery. My wife, Yvonne.

Mr. Speaker, family is so important for me. It's been the foundation of everything I do, whether it's here at home or working on projects around this world. My life before coming here was working on projects around this world educating the general public, and also advocating for Inuit in our drive to self-determination, and without family, I could do nothing of that, Mr. Speaker.

I'm grateful for my parents, who actually grew me up properly. I really give credit to my mom and dad for helping me out at a young age. They sent me away from Paulatuk when I was 15. They're like, don't come back until you have a good education or something. I still don't know what that means today, but I appreciate it. I'd like to welcome my family. Mr. Speaker, without them, I don't know where I would be today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Maybe someday, either one of them will be sitting in your chair. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 18, first reading of bills. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 61, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2020-2021, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 61 has had its first reading. First reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 61, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2020-2021, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the Government of the Northwest Territories to make appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill?

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried.

Bill 61 has had a second reading. Second reading of bills. Item 20, Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters. Minister's Statement 151-18(3), New Federal Infrastructure Agreement; Minister's Statement 158-18(3), Addressing the Caribou Crisis; Minister's Statement 211-18(3), Addressing the Caribou Crisis; and Tabled Document 442-18(3), 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework 2019-2023 Action Plan, with the Member for Hay River North in the chair.

I will now call for the last time Committee of the Whole to order. "What is the wish of committee" is how I would usually begin, but today is the day for speeches. I will keep it brief, committee. No worries. This is the last time the 18 of us will sit together as Committee of the Whole, so I just want to say a few words.

Prior to becoming an elected Member of this House, I really had no political experience. I hadn't really attended any formal meetings, let alone chaired any. It was a little intimidating to come here and chair Committee of the Whole right off the bat, but I have to thank all of the Members of this House for making my job very easy, especially when you compare this Committee of the Whole to Committees of the Whole around the country. The level of civility displayed in this committee is far and above that, that we see in virtually all other legislatures, not just in Canada but around the world. It's really not even comparable.

There are disagreements, and while some Members can get close to the line, and I know some Members have gotten really good over the years at getting close to the line, the Members' ability to discuss and debate has never been hindered by that. I have been fortunate enough to go to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conferences, and I talk a lot with other deputy speakers and other presiding officers, and it amazes me, some of the things that go on in those legislatures. Members will stand up to speak and will be heckled so that they can't get their words out. I hear a lot of stuff like that, and it amazes me. It makes me grateful that I have been able to chair this committee.

I also want to thank the unsung heroes of the Committee of the Whole, those people who ensure that, as legislators, we can focus on the issues at hand and we don't have to worry about having the right papers on our desk, or anything else. First and foremost -- I won't say "foremost"; everyone is important. First, I'd like to thank the clerks who have been by my side in this sitting. We have Mr. Glen Rutland, Cynthia James, and with me right now, we have Mr. Michael Ball and Jennifer Franki-Smith. In the past, we've had Doug Schaurerte, Ms. Gail Bennett, Sarah Kay, and our law clerks, Sheila MacPherson and Alyssa Holland. Some of these clerks have had decades of experience, and some have had less than me up here on this desk. I've learned a lot from those with the experience, and those who I basically learned with. I want to thank them.

I also want to thank -- I was going to name everybody, but that's how you leave people out. I'm not going to name anyone other than the clerks at the table, but I want to thank the back office staff. They're the ones who prepare the motions, who prepare the scripts, who prepare the House documents. If you've seen the volume of bills and motions and reports that we've been dealing with, you know that that that's an amazing feat.

I want to thank the sound and broadcasting techs, the ones on staff and from Pito Productions who make sure that we can be seen and heard and that the people of the NWT can keep their eye on us. There have been a lot of advances in how we can be seen and heard over this Assembly. We're now broadcast over various forms of social media. The satellite and TV broadcast has gotten better, and so I want to thank them for all the work they've done.

I need to thank the Hansard staff, the ones here and the ones who work outside of here. Their jobs as keepers of the official record is vital to democracy, and I want to thank them for what they do.

The Sergeant-at-Arms. I want to thank the Sergeant-at-Arms' staff for helping me maintain order. Although I've never had to ask them to escort a Member out, I know they would, and I've confirmed that they would.

The security team. I want to thank the security team. When we're here late, they're here later. The same with the guys in the back office. The same with everyone else I'm talking about.

Finally, I want to thank the people over at Cliff's Café, who I think put in more hours than anyone else in this Assembly to make sure that we get breakfast in the morning, and, when we go late, we get fed at night.

Once again, thank you all to the Members, and thank you all to the staff who make this happen.

---Applause

What is the wish of community? Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee wishes to thank you for your work, and the committee wishes that you rise and report progress. Thank you.

Thank you. There is a motion to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. Minister Moses.