Recommendations 4 and 5 relate to the establishment of a professional development fund for sitting MLAs. I move that this Assembly recommends the establishment of a fund of $30,000 annually, $120,000 for the Assembly, that MLAs can apply to for ongoing professional development.
Debates of Oct. 18th, 2022
This is page numbers 4635 - 4688 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 know.
Topics
Committee Motion 265-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Fund for Professional Development, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Committee Motion 265-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Fund for Professional Development, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Committee Motion 265-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Fund for Professional Development, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 265-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Fund for Professional Development, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion is carried.
---Carried
Member for Hay River South.
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Rocky Simpson Hay River South
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Board of Management, if the Members agree, may use some of this fund to provide training for all Members in a specific area of interest. Thank you.
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Hay River South.
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Rocky Simpson Hay River South
Thank you, Madam Chair. This recommendation is related to the last, and I support it.
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Just for the benefit of the public, if this fund is established I guess it will be up to the Board of Management to develop some rules around how it's allocated and, you know, ideas around whether it's first come first served, or there's some set aside for each MLA on application. I have confidence that the Board of Management will develop some rules around those, and those will come back to the MLAs to have a look at. I do want to make sure that access to this is done in a fair manner and that, you know, those that may not be -- that there might be some assistance in terms of filling out applications and so on, if it's to be that kind of a process, but I do have confidence that the Board of Management will develop a fair and transparent way of allowing Members to reasonably access these training funds. And that some of it could be for, like, group training as well. I know in the last Assembly, we did some training around legislative drafting and interpretation, which I found quite useful, and I suspect that there will be further opportunities along those lines that new MLAs will benefit from. And of course, this is only going to -- yes , I'll leave it at that. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 266-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Training for All Members, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4663
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? Motion is carried.
---Carried
Member for Hay River South.
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Rocky Simpson Hay River South
Thank you, Madam Chair. Recommendations 6 to 10 are about participation on standing and special committee by Regular Members.
Committee motion number 6, I move that this Assembly recommends that all MLAs, excluding the Speaker, Premier, or Ministers, are expected to participate on a minimum of two standing committees, not including the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, and at least one special committee, if there are special committees. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. So the purpose of this motion is to ensure that there's some equitable sharing of the duties and responsibilities within the Assembly amongst the Regular MLAs. We have a number of committees. There's no requirement currently in the rules for Members to actually sit on committees. So this will create not just an expectation but, I believe, a requirement that, you know, Members will serve on committees in the future. And that just ensures that we have a better distribution of the work amongst us all and that the work gets done as well. So that's the purpose of this, is to put in place some rules to make sure that those kind of expectations and requirements are clearly laid out at the beginning so everybody's on the same page. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Rocky Simpson Hay River South
Thank you, Madam Chair. I support this motion. It makes it clear that all Regular Members are expected to share the workloads of standing and special committees equally. I should note that membership on the Board of Management will be considered as membership on a committee for the purposes of this recommendation.
The next motion I will introduce will add financial penalties for Members who choose not to sit on at least two committees other than the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight. Thank you.
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 267-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Standing and Special Committees Participation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Member for Hay River South.
Committee Motion 268-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Basic Indemnity Reduction, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Rocky Simpson Hay River South
I move that this Assembly recommends that the basic indemnity payable to every Member, with the exception of the Speaker, Premier, and Ministers, be reduced by $4,000.
And further, that Members, with the exception of the Speaker, Premier, and Ministers, receive a stipend of $2,000 for each standing committee they are a member of, to a maximum of $4,000. If a Member sits on more than two committees, there will be no additional stipend paid. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 268-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Basic Indemnity Reduction, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Hay River South.
Committee Motion 268-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Basic Indemnity Reduction, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Rocky Simpson Hay River South
Madam Chair, I support this motion. This does not increase any Member's pay above current levels but it will reduce a Member's pay if they refuse to sit on two standing committees or the Board of Management. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 268-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Basic Indemnity Reduction, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Committee Motion 268-19(2): Tabled Document 582-19(2): Report on the 2021 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories - Basic Indemnity Reduction, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4664
Some Hon. Members
Question.