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

---Carried

Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Great Slave, that pursuant to Rule 9.4(5)(a), the Government of the Northwest Territories table a comprehensive response to Committee Report 19-20(1), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Statutory Review of the Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act, including all recommendations, within 120 days or at the earliest opportunity subsequent to the passage of 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. The motion's in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried. Committee Report 19-20(1) has been received and adopted by the Assembly.

---Carried

Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on Committee's Initiation of the 10-Year Review of the Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Great Slave, that Committee Report 20-20(1), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Committee's Initiation of the 10-year Review of the Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act, be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. The motion's in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion is passed.

---Carried

*Report Link

Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Great Slave, that Committee Report 20-20(1), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Committee's Initiation of the 10-year Review of the Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act, be received and adopted by the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. The motion's in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried. The Committee Report 20-20(1) has been received and adopted by the Assembly.

---Carried

Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Returns to oral questions. Acknowledgements.

Before we go into oral questions, folks, I've had a number of people bring forth their concerns about lengthy conversations between Members during statements and oral questions, and it's becoming a distraction. So even when people put their hearing -- or their earpieces in, they keep on hearing -- there's been distractions. So if you have the -- required to talk to your colleagues, please do it outside the chambers so we can move forward so we can -- everybody can do their business. Thank you.

Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Member of -- sorry, off to a great start here, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ECC.

Mr. Speaker, I spoke in previous sessions about targeted amendments to the waters regs, and I'm just looking for -- the department presented to standing committee recently, and I am looking for an update from the Minister on their progress towards making targeted amendments to the waters regs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. The proposed approach for the waters regulation, the department has been looking at the recommendations from the chamber of mines, the land and water boards of the Mackenzie Valley, as well as some requests from Indigenous governments in how we can work together through your process with the Intergovernmental Council and through the legislative development protocol to advance the amendments to the regulations as well as some targeted amendments that have been identified by the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister able to give us any kind of a timeline? I think the idea with the recommendation from all these different entities for targeted amendments is that we get them done quickly, that this could be a quick win for the department and a quick win for regulatory fairness and certainty in the territory. So can the Minister give us a timeline for when they expect the targeted amendments to be concluded? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the process to address the targeted amendments will require the participation of the Intergovernmental Council as well as the Intergovernmental Council legislative development protocol. And so the Department of Environment and Climate Change is not able to set that timeline, but we certainly do recognize the urgency of attempting to move this as quickly as possible, and we will continue to work with all parties to advance that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It might have been ambitious to ask for a conclusion timeline. Maybe I could get a timeline on when this process is going to be established. So it sounds like the department's been looking at it but hasn't actually established a process. Mr. Speaker, I've been asking about this since our first sitting. So has the department actually initiated these conversations knowing that it might take some time? It's time to get the discussions going. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the department is in the very early stages of discussions with the ICGS, and we are hoping to advance that in a timely fashion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Final supplementary.

Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance given my statement today on the redundancy of the fibre optic line travelling up the Mackenzie Valley. I'm wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister could give me an update on where they are with the true redundancy plan for this line. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is a part owner on a P3 which is the Mackenzie Valley fibre line that goes up the Mackenzie Valley. And recently, we are now connected in to a project that goes through the Yukon which is creating a loop that goes down into British Columbia. So we are well underway to having a loop that connects all throughout the two territories. And of course then beyond that, there are services that go down into Alberta through our line or through British Columbia through the other line. So once that is all in place, Mr. Speaker, we would have, again, a loop that connects all -- or both of the two territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.