Thank you. I will now open the floor to general comments on Committee Report 20-19(2), Report on Telecommunications. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I just wanted to relay very quickly my thanks as a Member of the committee for the work that was done on the report. We did hear from a number of different internet service providers and from the Department of Finance that tends to have responsibility for information technology within our government and manages some of the projects related to access and affordability of telecommunication services in the NWT. So I know committee spent a fair bit of time listening to different people and interests on this issue. There was a submission made to the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Committee in Ottawa as well, in their proceeding, and now what you see here are a series of recommendations from the committee to try to increase access and affordability for all of our residents in the Northwest Territories. And I think this can and should be a much higher priority for our government moving forward and should be a priority in terms of securing investment from the federal government to support the work that's needed to ensure that we have the same sort of internet telecommunications services, or at least access to them, as most other Canadians enjoy. So I'm happy to support the recommendations from the committee that are going to be moved as motions. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I too do support this bill. It was one of the first -- or sorry, this report and recommendations is one of the first ones that I worked on with this committee, and one thing I've noticed with the pandemic it is really highlighting the division in our territory of the have and have-nots and the need for infrastructure. I'm often pushing for the road infrastructure, which I think is just as critical, but the internet infrastructure and the telecommunications is key as well. If we don't address this issue now, we're only going to have our have-nots fall further behind. They won't be able to access the same level of schooling, the telehealth. It spans all of our departments, and if there's one area besides roads I think we should be investing in, it's definitely our telecommunications. So thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Seeing no further comments, Mr. Jacobson.

Madam Chair, I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories ensure fibre optic in the home is made available for Tuktoyaktuk residents at the completion of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk fibre line installation. Thank you, Madam Chair.

We're going to go back to Member for Nunakput.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories continue to invest publicly-owned backbone internet infrastructure in the Northwest Territories;

And further, specifically, the Government of the Northwest Territories should prioritize the opportunity to create the fibre redundancy in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion?

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

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories ensure fibre optic is made available in Tuktoyaktuk for the residents at completion of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk fibre line installation. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion?

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

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories ensure all backboned internet infrastructure in communities that accommodates open wholesale access to the NWT businesses to collocate internet services and a fair price to NWT businesses. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion?

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

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories advocate for Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission to set aside funding under the broadband fund for smaller service providers and Indigenous-owned businesses to help promote competition. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion?

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

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories ensure all publicly-funded internet backboned infrastructure in the community in the NWT provide wholesale high-speed third party internet access. Thank you, Madam Chair.