Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Member from Range Lake is asking unanimous consent to go back to item number 5. Any nays? Seeing no nays, Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize a constituent Mr. Rami Kassem. And he is my friend, but there are two other -- my friend's up there as well, Mr. Fadil Memedi and Mr. Nasi Mowa. Thank you very much for being here today.

Member from Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member bringing us back to this section because I wasn't able to do this earlier. It's hard to see when people are sitting above us. But I wanted to recognize Heather Nakehk'o who is a constituent who was here with us earlier. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Kam Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too wish to recognize both Rami and Fadil of Javaroma. They are great community partners. Their heart and soul is into the city of Yellowknife as well as its people, and I've seen them on so many occasions be so generous both with their time and money. They're wonderful people, and we're a richer community because we have the two of them. Thank you.

Member from Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Written questions. Return to written questions. Replies to Commissioner's address. Petitions. Reports of the committees on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Tabling of documents. Minister of Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following five documents: Housing Northwest Territories 2022-2023 Annual Report; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 17-20(1): Elders Housing and Oral Question 20-20(1): Arrears Collection for Elders; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 25-20(1): Housing Northwest Territories Board Policy; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 34-20(1): Construction and Retrofitting of Housing Northwest Territories Units, and, Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 49-20(1): Yellowknife Aspen Apartments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Housing NWT. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Northwest Territories Carbon Tax Report 2022-2023; and, Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 45-20(1): Expansion of Snare Hydro System to Tlicho Communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Finance. Tabling of documents. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Waste Reduction and Recovery Program 2022-2023 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Colleagues, pursuant to section 5 of the Indemnities, Allowances and Expenses Regulations of Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I wish to table the following summary of Members' Absence for the period December 8th, 2023, to February 5th, 2024.

As well, pursuant to section 14.3 of the Indemnities, Allowances, and Expenditures Regulations of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I wish to table the Statutory Declarations of Principal Residence of the Members of the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

Tabling of documents. Notices of motion.

Colleagues, we will take a brief break before we move on to motions. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Motions. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that notwithstanding Rule 2.1, when the House adjourns on Thursday, February 29th, 2024, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, May 23rd, 2024;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to May 23, 2024, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. To the motion.

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

---Carried

Motions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Northwest Territories is made up of many residents with family members and other ties to Palestine, Israel, and the broader Middle East, and attacks on civilians, human rights violations, anti-semitic violence, and violent dehumanization towards all Israelis and Palestinians have lasting consequences that reverberate around the world, including in Northwest Territories communities;

AND WHEREAS the Northwest Territories has committed itself to upholding international human rights as declared by the United Nations;

AND WHEREAS the International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel's actions in Gaza 'could plausibly amount to genocide' and for Israel to 'take all measures in its power' to prevent all acts that could be against the Genocide Convention;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Yellowknife North, that this Legislative Assembly condemn all acts of anti-semitism and anti-Palestinian racism in our territory;

AND FURTHER, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Premier to write a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations Bob Rae, that will call upon the Canadian Government to:

• • call for an immediate and effective ceasefire and halt to violence by both Israel and Hamas;
  • advocate for the immediate release of all hostages;
  • advocate for and provide funds for unhindered access for humanitarian aid for all those in need in Gaza; and,
  • take all actions necessary to fully uphold its obligations under the Genocide Convention;

AND FURTHERMORE, that Northwest Territories Member of Parliament, Michael McLeod, receive a copy of this letter;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the Member for Mackenzie Delta to amend Motion 23-20 --

Made a mistake. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're all a little bit tired now. It's been a long session. Gets longer next year.

Mr. Speaker, this motion provides further action to Petition 1-20(1) that I brought forward this past Tuesday on behalf of the Yellowknife Citizens for Ceasefire. As I've mentioned previously, the petition includes 645 signatures from residents of the Northwest Territories. Residents who signed are from the following communities:

• Yellowknife
• Whati
• Wekweeti
• Lutselk'e
• Inuvik
• Hay River
• Ulukhaktok
• Behchoko
• Tulita
• Tsiigehtchic
• Fort Smith
• Fort Simpson, and
• Fort McPherson.

This is a territorial issue, and territorial residents are asking for us to all take action, and some of them are here today. I will reserve further comments for later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.