This is page numbers 6023 - 6088 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

Recorded Vote
Third Reading Of Bills

March 29th

Page 6054

Clerk Of The House Mr. Glen Rutland

The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Nahendeh. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Deh Cho. The Member for Hay River South.

Recorded Vote
Third Reading Of Bills

March 29th

Page 6054

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

All those opposed, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise.

The results of the recorded vote: 17 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried. Bill 76 has had third reading.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 89, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2023-2024, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I would like to request a recorded vote.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. The Minister has requested a recorded -- Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry, I know we call want to go home but I would like to just make some comments about the final budget as we are passing it and the commitments that the Minister made in this House previously.

Initially, I said my support on this budget was contingent on two things. That was some more money for our community governments and some more money for our non-profits. Unfortunately, I had to vote in favour of the carbon tax to get the money for the community governments as I just did but I'm happy to see that additional approximately $1.8 million combined with $600,000 in this budget. It really puts us -- we did close the community funding gap by $5 million, including inflation, which was what I thought we always were supposed to do but we had to do a little bit of a political negotiating to get there, Mr. Speaker. Additionally the Minister, in her statement yesterday, committed $2 million for a homelessness fund. I believe that is very good money she committed, that will largely go to applications by Indigenous governments and not for profits. I am very happy to see that. I also want to highlight the $1 million for the sustainable livelihoods fund. We hear repeatedly in this House that our hunters and traps need support for food sustainability and for cultural reasons.

This is our final budget. This is our final budget negotiation. And I just want to thank the Minister and thank all of my colleagues for the pressure we've put on to get those concessions.

I'm a little disappointed in the pace of government renewal. I believe I share that with the Minister of Finance. I do believe there is a way to do government budgets differently. I do believe they really have to take a look at this way we kind of do these incremental budgets year over year. And the first Assembly, the first thing they got to do, Mr. Speaker, is they've got to make some tough decisions about what they're going to cut and where so that they have money to fund their own priorities. This idea that we're operating with about $5 million a year to negotiate with really doesn't mean more control. What's in control is the incremental $2 billion that was decided Assembly after Assembly and year over year, Mr. Speaker.

And lastly, I just want to reiterate something odd about our budgeting process is we don't really tend to attach large policy announcements to it. I do think that is something we should do. That is the standard in almost every other jurisdiction. You announce the money and then you announce a few policy changes, a few kind of ticket items to signal where you're going. I have repeatedly asked for five paid sick days. That is what we need to give our workers. We know that all of our public service workers have great benefits and those in the private sector do not. And they deserve five paid sick days. We heard that during COVID repeatedly. I do believe that should have been with the budget. And those types of announcements should be standard with every single GNWT budget.

But, ultimately, I am in favour for this budget, and for all of our programs and services to get replenished and for the good work they do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. The Minister has requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please rise.

Recorded Vote
Third Reading Of Bills

March 29th

Page 6055

Clerk Of The House Mr. Glen Rutland

The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Deh Cho. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Nahendeh.

Recorded Vote
Third Reading Of Bills

March 29th

Page 6055

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

All those opposed, please rise.

Recorded Vote
Third Reading Of Bills

March 29th

Page 6055

Clerk Of The House Mr. Glen Rutland

The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Recorded Vote
Third Reading Of Bills

March 29th

Page 6055

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

All those abstaining, please rise. The results of the recorded vote: 16 in favour, one opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried. Bill 89 has had third reading.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Orders Of The Day
Orders Of The Day

March 29th

Page 6055

Clerk Of The House Mr. Glen Rutland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Orders of the day for Thursday, March 30th, 2023, 1:30 p.m.

  1. Prayer
  2. Ministers' Statements
  3. Members' Statements
  4. Returns to Oral Questions
  • Oral Question 1343-19(2), Impacts of COVID-19 on Education
  1. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
  2. Acknowledgements
  3. Oral Questions
  4. Written Questions
  5. Returns to Written Questions
  6. Replies to the Commissioner's Address
  7. Petitions
  8. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
  9. Reports of Standing and Special Committees
  10. Tabling of Documents
  11. Notices of Motion
  12. Motions
  • Motion 78, Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Act
  • Motion 79, An Act to Amend the Judicature Act
  1. Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
  2. First Reading of Bills
  3. Second Reading of Bills
  • Bill 80, Dental Hygienists Profession Statute Amendment Act
  • Bill 81, An Act to Amend the Education Act, No. 2
  • Bill 82, Legal Profession Act
  • Bill 83, Liquor Act
  • Bill 84, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act
  • Bill 85, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Implementation Act
  1. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
  • Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act
  • Bill 29, Resource Royalty Information Disclosure Statute Amendment Act
  • Committee Report 49-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act
  • Committee Report 51-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Indigenous Representation in the Northwest Territories Public Service
  • Minster's Statement 264-19(2), Response to the NWT Chief Coroner's Report on Suicide
  • Tabled Document 681-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-19(2): Report on the Child and Family Services Act - Lifting Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together
  1. Report of Committee of the Whole
  2. Third Reading of Bills
  • Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child Day Care Act
  1. Orders of the Day

Orders Of The Day
Orders Of The Day

March 29th

Page 6055

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 8:40 p.m.