This is page numbers 1153 - 1196 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 seniors.

Topics

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

---Carried

Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to the recommendations contained in this report within 120 days. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

---Carried

Does committee agree that this concludes consideration of Committee Report 3-19(2)?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, committee. That concludes consideration of Committee Report 3-19(2), and I would like to thank the chair of the committee. Mr. Norn, what is the wish of committee?

Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to consider Committee Report 2-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery: Recommendations to the GNWT. Marsi cho.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, committee. We have agreed to consider Committee Report 2-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery: Recommendations to the GNWT. Does the chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations have any opening remarks? Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Chair. As noted by the Members for Nunakput and Kam Lake, the Government of the Northwest Territories' response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the long-term recovery of our economy and territory have been the focus of all committees' discussions. The Standing Committee on Government Operations focused its work on the response of the Departments of the Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Finance, Municipal and Community Affairs, and the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.

As chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, I am pleased to be introducing this report and thank the committee members for their contribution to this report. I would especially like to thank my deputy chair, the Member for Yellowknife Centre. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Committee, we have agreed to forego general comments on the report and proceed directly to the recommendations. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories undertake a review of the legislative framework supporting the Government of the Northwest Territories' emergency response, with a view to determining what amendments are necessary to ensure that the Premier has overall administrative control whenever a public health emergency and a territorial state of emergency are declared under their respective acts at the same time; and further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories bring forward a legislative proposal to make the necessary amendments to the Government of the Northwest Territories' emergency response legislative framework during the life of the 19th Assembly. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to recap the rationale for this recommendation. From the report itself, it says: "The authority of the GNWT to declare a public health emergency pursuant to the Public Health Act and a territorial state of emergency under the Emergency Management Act underlined a potential legislative void in that it did not expressly provide the Premier with authority to coordinate and manage the overall response."

As the public is no doubt aware, the Public Health Act previously has been used for things like whooping cough and sexually transmitted disease, and the Emergency Management Act is more typically used for forest fires and floods. As we are all going through our very first pandemic, our legislative framework did not contemplate a territory-wide emergency of the kind that we are in at this time, and so what we would like to see, then, is a remedy to this legislative void by reviewing these two relevant acts and seeing whether a third is necessary, or there are changes to the other two, which support the Premier in having clear authority to manage the government's response to a public health emergency such as this COVID-19 emergency that we are now in.

The rationale here is to solidify the legal grounds for the response to the pandemic. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. To the motion. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. I sat in on some of the deliberations of this committee, as well. I support this. The first day of this sitting, I was raising issues around lessons learned. Even though we're still in the pandemic, we need to start to think about what we've learned and how we're going to get ready for a second wave, potentially, or future pandemics, and so on, so this is certainly consistent with that.

I wouldn't wait, though. If I was on the government operations committee, I wouldn't wait for Cabinet to bring forward a legislative proposal. We can always work collaboratively with our friends in Cabinet, but the committee itself has the authority to conduct its own review and come up with its own ideas working collaboratively with Cabinet, but I wouldn't just sit back and wait for a legislative proposal from Cabinet; but I am happy to support the spirit and intent of this moving forward. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

---Carried

Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop an emergency response communications protocol that ensures regularly scheduled updates to the public by the Premier and the appropriate emergency authorities whenever an emergency is declared under either or both the Public Health Act and the Emergency Management Act; and further, this protocol should ensure that the Government of the Northwest Territories' public response via electronic means is supplemented by a non-electronic communications mechanism. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Kam Lake.