Debates of Oct. 29th, 2025

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 Committee Report 32-20(1), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Northwest Territories human Rights Commission, be received and adopted by the Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. The motion is in order. To the question.

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

---Carried

Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, 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.

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

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

---Carried

Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

The Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges (committee) is pleased to report on its review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly (the rules).

In June 2025, committee received a letter from Speaker Shane Thompson requesting a review of the rules. Specifically, the Speaker asked committee to consider if the rules related to written questions should require Members to provide the Speaker with 24 hours' notice of a written question before it is read in the House, as well as whether the orders of the day for Thursdays should be altered, moving notices of motion and recognition of visitors in the gallery earlier in the day. In September 2025, committee received a second referral letter from Speaker Thompson seeking a recommendation from the committee on a request from the Government House Leader to alter the annual sitting calendar.

The correspondence from Speaker Thompson is attached as Appendix A.

Committee has considered these matters and is prepared to provide a report to the House.

Written Questions

Speaker Thompson raised a concern about the Rule 7.3(3) requiring the Speaker to ensure that Written Questions conform to the rules and practices of the House but not providing the Speaker with time to adequately review a Written Question before it is read on the floor of the Assembly. This risks Members advancing Written Questions that the Speaker must rule out of order. Specifically, the Speaker indicated a desire to: a) ensure that Members are sufficiently supported in the development of Written Questions by the Office of the Clerk staff to ensure that questions are consistently presented in a manner in keeping with the rules and practices of the Assembly; and b) ensure that finalized Written Questions can be provided to interpreters in advance to ensure that complex, technical questions are appropriately interpreted into our Official Languages.

Committee appreciates the concerns raised by the Speaker and agrees that providing written questions to the Speaker with at least 24 hours' notice is reasonable. Therefore, committee makes the following recommendation.

Recommendation 1

The Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges recommends that the following be added to Rule 7.3:

(3.1) Written Questions must be provided in writing to the Speaker at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of the sitting day.

Further, while committee appreciates the desire to provide Members with support during the development of Written Questions, committee recognizes that different Members require different levels of support. For those Members who would prefer to do most, or all, of the work associated with developing their Written Questions, committee believes that they can and should be able to do so. To that end, committee makes the following recommendation:

Recommendation 2

The Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges recommends that the Office of the Clerk develop and distribute to all Members of the Legislative Assembly a document providing guidelines for Written Questions and including a template that can be used by Members.

Orders of the Day for Thursdays

In February 2025 the Rules were amended to alter the placement and timing for consideration of Motions on Thursdays, with Motions moved to item 4 on the orders. This change was intended to highlight the importance of Motions, which often relate to pressing public issues. Committee believes that this change has been beneficial in raising the profile of motions.

Committee has considered the need to further update the Orders of the Day for Thursday, as outlined by Speaker Thompson, and believes the recommended

Changes are reasonable. Committee recommends:

Recommendation 3

The Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges recommends that

4.1 (5) be amended to read:

The daily orders of business in the Assembly on Thursdays shall be:

1. Prayer or Reflection

2. Ministers' Statements

3. Members' Statements

4. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

5. Notices of Motion

6. Motions

7. Returns to Oral Questions

8. Acknowledgements

9. Oral Questions

10. Written Questions

11. Returns to Written Questions

12. Replies to Commissioner's Address

13. Petitions

14. Reports of committees on the review of bills

15. Reports of standing and special committees

16. Tabling of documents

17. Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

18. First Reading of Bills

19. Second Reading of Bills

20. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

21. Report of Committee of the Whole

22. Third Reading of Bills

23. Orders of the Day

Sitting Schedule

The Government House Leader raised a concern with the Speaker that federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) meetings are frequently scheduled for the week of Thanksgiving, which coincides with the starting date for the Autumn sitting of the Assembly. For Members of Executive Council, this creates a scheduling conflict in ensuring that Ministers are available for the business of the House while also ensuring that Ministers can participate in FPT meetings.

Committee appreciates the concerns raised by the Government House Leader and

Makes the following recommendation:

Recommendation 4

The Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges recommends that Rule 2.1(1)(c) be amended to read:

A. Sitting beginning on the second Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

This concludes the committee's report on its review of the Rules of the Legislative

Assembly of the Northwest Territories, No. 2. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Member from Great Slave.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Committee Report 33-20(1), Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, No. 2, be received by the Assembly and referred to Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member from Great Slave. Reports of Standing Special Committees. Tabling of documents. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Public Service Annual Report 2024/2025; and, Budget Dialogues 2025 - What We Heard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Tabling of documents. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table correspondence from the Mayor of Yellowknife to the Minister of Finance regarding the City's Budget Submission Supporting the Transfer of Commissioner's Land to the City of Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Tabling of documents. Notices of Motion. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, October 31st, 2025, I will move the following motion:
I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that notwithstanding Rule 2.1, when the House adjourns on Friday, October 31st, 2025, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, February 4th, 2026;
And further, that any time prior to February 4th, 2026, 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 or later 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 had been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Notices of motion. Motions. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 33 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading.

First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Tabled Document 385-20(1), Tabled Document 386-20(1), Tabled Document 387-20(1), and Tabled Document 388-20(1), with the Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh in the chair.