This is page numbers 2493 - 2524 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 care.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

I'll take the positives out of that, Madam Chair, and leave it there. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, am in support of this reduction. It's time that we start to recognize the importance of small businesses. I know that there was an attempt in the last Assembly to try and get the tax rate down to zero, and the government at the time did not even give it time to hit the floor for debate. I am very pleased to see that we have a group here that understands the importance of small businesses and is willing to give them support in whatever way they can. This is one small way to do it. Just as taxes are required for civilization, so is small business required to keep people working and to move ahead and move the economy ahead and grow. Again, I just want to say that I'm in full support of this bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister, did you have any comments?

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Any further questions or comments to general comments? No? Okay. Since there are no further general comments, we can proceed to the clause-by-clause review of the bill. Committee, we will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. Please turn to page 1 of the bill. Clause 1, does committee agree?

---Clauses 1 through 5 inclusive approved

Committee, to the bill as a whole. Does committee agree that Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act is now ready for third reading?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, committee. Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act is now ready for third reading. Does committee agree that this concludes our considerations of Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to our witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Committee, we have agreed to consider Committee Report 10-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act. I will go to the chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment for any opening comments. Member for Nunakput.

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Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, again. Bill 3 had second reading in the House and was referred to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment on June 23, 2020. On August 25, 2020, and on October 15, 2020, committee's review of the bill was extended. On August 19, 2020, the committee invited comments and proposed that amendments from the communities across the Northwest Territories, Indigenous governments, and businesses involved in the use of the construction of roads. The committee received a written submission from the City of Yellowknife. The committee held a public hearing on Bill 3 on October 14, 2020. It had concluded its review of the bill, with a public clause-by-clause review on February 10, 2021. The committee passed four motions to amend Bill 3, all of which received concurrence with the Minister. Thank you, Madam Chair. Individual Members may have additional comments or questions to it. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. I will now open the floor to general comments on Committee Report 10-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act. Do Members have any general comments? Member for Frame Lake.

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. I just would like to thank my colleagues that serve on the committee and the City of Yellowknife that made a written submission. This was an interesting issue that we had to deal with. GNWT was worried about incurring liability for winter roads that were being built off of our roads. We were told that this was an easy fix. We started to deal with this, actually, in the last Assembly. We didn't get to it, so it came back again into this Assembly. Although I thought it was supposed to be an easy fix, that's not the kind of bill we actually ended up with. We ended up with a bill that was going to absolve GNWT of any liability whatsoever for almost any highway, which was overkill, in my view.

It took a lot of effort on the part of the committee to work with the Minister to try to change the way that the bill read so that there was a more even balance of the rights of the government to try to protect themselves from liability but the rights of drivers to actually sue GNWT if highways are not maintained to certain standards. It took a long time to work with the Minister on this. That's why we had to get the extension, but I think we arrived at a good place. I also recognize that the Minister did commit to post a manual on the Infrastructure website that laid out and made more explicit and public standards for care and maintenance of our highways so that information is now public. All of this to say, Madam Chair, that committee had to work very hard on what I thought was an easy issue. We did fix a bill that needed a lot of work. I want to thank the Minister for working with us to get it right. Thanks, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Are there any other general comments? All right. Thank you, committee. Do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Committee Report 10-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Committee. We have concluded consideration of Committee Report 10-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act. I will ask the Minister of Infrastructure to introduce the bill.

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm here to present Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act. The Public Highways Act is administered by the Department of Infrastructure and governs, amongst other things, the construction, maintenance, access to and use of highways within the Northwest Territories. This bill will amend the Public Highways Act to address the Government of the Northwest Territories' liability for loss or damage resulting from a failure to maintain primary highways in the Northwest Territories.

This bill requires the Minister to maintain primary highways and provides that the GNWT is liable, with exceptions, for loss or damage resulting from a failure to do so. This bill will make it clear that the Minister has no duty to maintain roads that are not designated as primary highway under the Public Highways Act.

During Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment review, recommendations were put forward and accepted, which:

  • improved clarity that the GNWT is liable for a failure to maintain and
  • address minor drafting issues.

I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have. Quyanainni.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. I will now turn to the chair of Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, the committee that considered the bill, for opening comments. Member for Nunakput.

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Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Chair. No. Having introduced Committee Report 10-19(2) earlier today, I have no additional comments to the bill at this time. I would just like to thank committee for all the hard work that they have done and my committee staff in their efforts in reviewing this piece of legislation. Individual Members may have additional comments, as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Yes, Madam Chair.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, will you please introduce your witnesses?

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am joined by witnesses Steve Loutitt, deputy minister for the Department of Infrastructure, as well as Jacques Roberge, senior legislative advisor with the Department of Infrastructure. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 3. Are there any general comments? Seeing that there are no general comments, can we proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.