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

Question has been called. All those in favour, please raise your hand. All those opposed, please raise your hand. All those abstaining, please raise your hand. Motion has carried.

---Carried

Mr. Morse.

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 this report, 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. To the motion. Question -- Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It just seems weird that the government would responding to something that we're just creating a delay. So it just seems odd that we'd be asking the government to respond to a report in this manner. So anyway, I just want to point that out. If they want to respond, it's up to them. We've seen the responses. They're usually pretty canned anyway which is -- it is what it is. So I just find it unusual that this motion would be in order in this particular case. Thank you.

It is a procedural thing; the recommendation is in order. To the recommendation.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Colleagues. In recognition of the time, I will call a brief break to give the translators a break. Thank you.

(SHORT RECESS)

Thank you, colleagues. Tabling of Documents. Minister of ECC.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: 2025 Northwest Territories Environmental Audit Final Report; Conference of Management Authorities Species at Risk Annual Report 2024-2025; and Northwest Territories Species at Risk committee Annual Report 2024-2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Tabling of Documents. Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Northwest Territories and Nunavut Annual Report 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. Tabling of Documents. Notices of motion. Motions. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, No. 2, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee wishes to consider the following: Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act; Bill 22, Legislation Act; Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2; Tabled Document 385-20(1), 2026-2027 Capital Estimates; Tabled Document 386-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2024-2025; Tabled Document 387-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2025-2026; and, Tabled Document 388-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2025-2026. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. We will go to the first item. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act. I will ask the Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission to introduce the bill.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act.

The purpose of the bill is to modernize the pension-related provisions in the Workers' Compensation Act, aiming to create a fairer and more equitable compensation system that will bring the Northwest Territories in line with the approach used by the rest of Canada.

The proposed legislative amendments replace lifetime pensions, based solely on medical impairment, with a wage-loss benefit system that better considers a worker's job and the impact the injury has had on their ability to continue working in that job. The Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission undertook research that led to the release of the discussion paper in 2020, which served as the basis for two rounds of public engagement. The feedback and findings from this process informed the development of Bill 21.

As Members are aware, the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission is shared between the governments of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. A parallel initiative, Bill 57, received Commissioner's assent in Nunavut on September 18, 2025. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister, would you like to bring witnesses into the chamber? Does the committee agree?