This is page numbers 3291 - 3324 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 work.

Topics

Some Hon. Members

Agreed

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, committee. We have concluded consideration of Committee Report 22-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, Report on Telecommunications.

Committee, we have agreed to consider Committee Report 20-19(2), Standing Committee on Social Development, Report on Bill 30: An Act to Amend the Aurora College Act. I will go to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development for any opening comments. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee's report was read into the record on November 30th, 2021 so I do not have any additional substantive comments to add at this time. Individual Members may have comment on the report, and I would like to thank the committee for their work on this report. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. I will now open the floor to general comments on the Committee Report 20-19(2), Standing Committee on Social Development, Report on Bill 30: An Act to Amend the Aurora College Act. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Sorry, Madam Chair, I just got really into my committee work this season. So I just wanted to say that I think the way that I see this moving and the work being done on Aurora College with the inclusion of the councils, and such, that I believe it's in the right faith of what we discussed as a group when we first met back two years ago around this time, I guess a little bit earlier, to discuss our priorities and mandate. And so I'm excited to see that this is a piece of legislation that will now incorporate Indigenous voices and NWT voices in the college as it moves forward. So thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Any further comments? Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I'm not a Member of the committee but I sat in on a lot of the meetings and deliberations, and I want to thank them for putting up with me. But, no, I think this is another example of a collaborative approach with our friends across the aisle where, you know, there were concerns identified by a number of presenters and compromises were reached. And the Minister accepted, I think there was seven different motions for changes to the bill to, I think, get a better balance in a number of areas in terms of Indigenous peoples, their representation in this moving forward, balance of power between the board and the Minister. So I want to complement our colleague, the Minister of Education, for that work.

But I also want people to understand that this is like a small piece of a bigger picture in our move towards establishing a polytechnic university. What this bill really does is reestablish public governance at Aurora College, something that was taken away about three, four years ago in the last Assembly by the Minister, then Minister and so, certainly, I support this. But it is starting to cast the die or the mould moving forward in terms of a polytechnic university. But there still has to be a lot more work done in terms of the legislation to move towards the polytechnic university. But this is, I think, some good first steps and so I want to compliment the committee and the Minister. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Any further questions or comments? Seeing no comments, Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories speak to questions on co-drafting legislation and co-management beyond resource-management-based legislation and discuss this concept with the NWT Council of Leaders. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. 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? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Aurora College take note of this request that engagement timelines are respectful and sufficient for stakeholders to support meaningful consultation and ensure that the timeframes for engagement and consultation concerning the polytechnic university are adequate. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

The motion is in order. To the motion? Oh sorry, Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to make a comment that we are hearing in several of the committees that people are feeling a bit of engagement and consultation burnout and fatigue. So I just wanted to say that this, I think, is very important because while it does say that, yes, we are reaching out to all these people, if they're not feeling like they have the adequate time to respond and such, then are we really meeting the goals of engagement. So I just wanted to say that I strongly support this motion. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. To the motion? Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think how much consultation and engagement and how long a process takes is really the debate of the entire GNWT on all matters, and it's not a delicate matter. The previous motion speaking to bringing things to the Council of Leaders, I ask that the government take that seriously and, clearly, this could be a legacy of this government as we find that balance.

On this situation of the polytechnic, I think committee, I fully support them, making sure everyone is properly engaged. I think in many ways we get one last shot at this to do this right, and in my ways some of the faults of Aurora College have been political interference in the past, an inability to be nimble. And I think there's a balance to be struck here, is that we have to make sure we have buy-in from Indigenous governments and buy-in from communities to the creation of this new polytechnic initially, because once the board is established I really hope that there will be no more political interference and they will be able to make decisions quickly. But let's get it right the first time, and we can all take pride in this. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. 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 Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. 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

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? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, committee. Do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Committee Report 20-19(2), Standing Committee on Social Development, Report on Bill 30: An Act to Amend the Aurora College Act?