Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item.

---BRIEF RECESS

I now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 528-19(2), 2021 Review of Member's Compensation and Benefits - Northwest Territories. I'll go to the deputy chair of Caucus for any opening comments. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to provide opening comments on this matter as deputy chair of Caucus.

On October 20th, 2020, an independent Commission was established by the Speaker to review Members' compensation and benefits. This review is a requirement of section 35.1 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act and routinely takes place within the first two years of an Assembly.

The 19th Assembly's Commission was comprised of three Members, Mr. Joseph Handley, who was Commission chair, supported by Ms. Janet Toner and Mr. Glen Tait. In August 2021, the Commission submitted its report to the Speaker who then tabled it on December 7th, 2021. The Commission made 29 recommendations.

The Commissioner recommended no increase to MLA compensation basic salary amounts except for the allowable automatic adjustments based on Canadian consumer price index as per the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. Our debate this afternoon will publicly review and consider each of the Commission's recommendations. The recommendations adopted by the House today will be considered by the Board of Management who will use them to draft and introduce legislation and amend existing regulations and policies.

Any changes to legislation will be brought back to the Assembly for consideration, hopefully later this sitting. Changes to regulations or policy resulting from the recommendations will be tabled by the Speaker consistent with legislation. All changes to MLA compensation and benefits resulting from this process will take effect at the commencement of the next Legislative Assembly.

This concludes my opening remarks, Madam Chair. Once other Members have offered general observations, I am prepared to introduce motions to consider the Commission's recommendations. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Are there any further opening comments from Members? Thank you, Members. We will now proceed to the consideration of the report's recommendation. The Member for Hay River South.

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

Question has been called. All those in favour? Member for Hay River South.

Madam Chair, this Assembly will be establishing a special committee on transition matters that I believe is best positioned to consider this recommendation; therefore, I recommend that this motion be accepted.

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, first off, I'd like to thank the members of the Commission for their thoughtful consideration of the issues that were brought before them. I know I spoke to them personally a couple of times as well during their deliberations or during their fact-finding part of their mission.

Yes, I served on the transition matters committee on the last Assembly. I'd be happy to do so again. That's an opportunity to look at how the orientation for incoming MLAs might be changed or improved. And we did that last time around, and I suspect we'll have some additional advice, suggestions, about how to improve it next time. So I support this, and I am happy that the transition matters committee look at how we might improve that process. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Seeing that there's no one else.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that a review of the orientation content be completed to ensure information is comprehensive and adequate for the Members to fulfill their jobs as an MLA.

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Hay River South.

Madam Chair, like the last recommendation, this Assembly will be establishing a special committee on transition matters that I believe is best positioned to consider this recommendation; therefore, I recommend that this motion be accepted.

Thank you. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Anyone abstaining? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Members handbook be updated prior to the next Assembly and be kept up to date so that everyone is working from the most current version.

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

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

---Carried

Member for Hay River South.