Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. To the motion. Member for Frame Lake.
Debates of March 3rd, 2021
This is page numbers 2299 - 2340 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 indigenous.
Topics
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to acknowledge and thank the mover and seconder of the motion for bringing the matter forward in the House. I didn't use my Member's statement to speak to the issue today, but I'm not sure I really have a lot to add that is profound or different from what my colleagues have already said. I acknowledge that racism continues to exist here in the Northwest Territories and that we do need to work to stop it and put in place measures that will help people reach their full potential. I acknowledge that my colleagues on the Cabinet side have started some of that work, and I look forward to working with them on this issue for the remainder of this term. I do support the motion. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. To the motion. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I want to acknowledge the mover and seconder of this motion. These motions, you can see a lot of motions that come through. Some of them, they take guts to come forward and do it, and courage. I think this is one of those motions. I commend my colleagues for bringing forth this motion. Going back, like I said, a lot of us covered this in our Member's statements. Yes, we have all these nice words, we have all these nice well-worded documents, but at the heart of it all is actions. I am hoping that all of us, all my colleagues, work really hard and back up our words with actions. Aside from all that, Mr. Speaker, I support this motion. Thank you.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the motion. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you. I support this motion, as well. I know that our Cabinet colleagues have been doing a lot of work in this area, and I know that there are many people within our public service who are doing this work as we sit here, not just only for Indigenous people, but Black, Indigenous, people of colour. We all have to make the Northwest Territories safe for everybody and our policies reflect that so that we all make sure that we all have access to education, the justice system, our child welfare. All these programs are all intertwined in what I spoke to, about the statement that we made today in this House on systemic racism. We just need to make sure that we have this motion here to move things forward, to continue that momentum, so we can move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. To the motion. Member for Great Slave.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have anything prepared, and I am the last person who is going to stand up here and tell everyone else in this room what racism means to them. I do commit to being an ally and to educating myself and to always trying to check my own privilege when I can. I look to all my colleagues to help me do so and commit to continuing to do so. Thank you.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. To the motion. Member for Hay River South.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Rocky Simpson Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the mover and the seconder for the motion, as well. I did a Member's statement on it today. I said what I had to say. At the same time, I think that it's incumbent upon all of us to stand up against racism. It's incumbent upon us to support each other, support people, and just treat people with respect and help people. If we go through life like that, I am hoping that we can make a real difference here, at least in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. To the motion. Government House Leader.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Mr. Speaker, this Cabinet and the Government of the Northwest Territories recognize and are committed to addressing systemic racism. As the Premier stated earlier today, we have a moral and ethical obligation to root out racism in our institutions. While there is much work already being done on this, we acknowledge that we have much more to do, both within government and society more broadly, and we are committed to doing that work. In our system of government, it is convention that Cabinet abstains from voting on recommendations to government, so we will be abstaining. However, Cabinet fully supports the principles behind this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Government House Leader. I will allow the mover to make closing remarks if she wishes. Member for Thebacha.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Frieda Martselos Thebacha
Mr. Speaker, I think this motion is vital to improving how we deal with people of colour, Black people, and Indigenous people. Coming from the heart, I think that it's a very important motion, that we all have to recognize that things are not the way they should be all the time. Having a personal experience that happened to me on February 1st, I have never had that happen to me, and I never felt that way in all of the years that I have lived in the Northwest Territories. I have been very fortunate. A lot of the people that I represent, especially the Indigenous people of Salt River and all of the Indigenous organizations in the Northwest Territories, that's where you see the difference. With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak. Thank you.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. The motion is in order. To the motion. The Member has requested a recorded vote.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Some Hon. Members
Question.
Motion 29-19(2): Systemic Racism, carried
Motions
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Recorded Vote
Motions
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Deputy Clerk Of The House Mr. Glen Rutland
The Member for Thebacha, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Great Slave, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Recorded Vote
Motions
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Recorded Vote
Motions
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Deputy Clerk Of The House Mr. Glen Rutland
The Member for Yellowknife South, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Hay River North.
Recorded Vote
Motions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
The results of the recorded vote: 10 in favour, 0 opposed, 7 abstentions. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Motions. Item 17, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act; Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Act; Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act; Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Securities Act; Committee Report 8-19(2), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on Motion 5-19(2): Referral of Point of Privilege Raised by Member for Monfwi on March 10, 2020; Committee Report 9-19(2), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on the Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2019 Territorial General Election; Committee Report 10-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Bill 3: An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act; Minister's Statement 77-19(2), National Housing Co-Investment Fund; Tabled Document 165-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 1-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 166-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 167-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 3-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT; and Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022, with the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes in the chair.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Norn.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022, Department of Justice. Marsi cho.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2309
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.