Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS Section 2(1) of the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act prescribes that an Electoral Boundaries Commission be established within two years after the day fixed for the return of the writs of the 2015 general election; and,

WHEREAS section 2(2) of the act requires that the Commission shall be composed of a chairperson and two other members appointed by the Commissioner on recommendation of the Legislative Assembly; and,

WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly is prepared to make such a recommendations;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission, 2021, is hereby established;

AND FURTHER, that the Legislative Assembly recommends to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories that the Honourable Ted Richard of Sydney, British Columbia, be appointed chairperson, and Mr. Glen Abernethy of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and Mr. Jack Rowe of Hay River, Northwest Territories, be appointed members of the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission 2021.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly has established and appointed members to the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission 2021; and,

WHEREAS Section 9(K) of the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act enables the Legislative Assembly to establish guidelines or criteria that shall be taken into consideration by the Commission;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the following guidelines are set down for the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission 2021:

1. The Commission shall review the existing electoral districts using the most recent and accurate census and other population data available.

2. In keeping with Canadian constitutional conventions, relative parity between electoral districts shall be sought, to the extent possible, except where special circumstances warrant exceptional deviation.

3. For greater certainty, "relative parity" means that the percentage variation between the number of persons in a riding and the average mean should be within plus or minus 25 percent.

4. In addition to whatever recommendations the commission may propose, the Commission shall recommend how the electoral boundaries should be drawn if the Legislative Assembly were to be comprised of a minimum of 19 Members.

5. The commission shall prepare an interim report with proposed electoral district boundaries for review by the public and discussion at public hearings.

6. The commission shall establish a website or other publicly accessible mechanisms, in addition to public hearings, to receive submissions on the existing and/or proposed boundaries.

7. All submissions to the commission shall be considered public documents.

8. Simultaneous translation of official languages shall be available at public hearings where the use of an official language in a particular community or region is sizable enough to warrant the employ of translation services.

9. If the commission is not in a position to accomplish its mandate within the existing budget allocated, it may return to the Legislative Assembly for additional funds; and,

10. The final report of the commission, complete with recommendations, shall be submitted in English and French to the Speaker and Clerk of the Legislative Assembly no later than twelve months after the commission is struck. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 34, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2021-2022, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 34, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2021-2022, be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.