Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories establish a process to obtain independent reviews, including legal or analytical reviews conducted through an Indigenous lens when co-management partners encounter an impasse. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Debates of Feb. 27th, 2026
This is page numbers of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st 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
Committee Motion 152-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Process for Independent Reviews, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 152-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Process for Independent Reviews, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 152-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Process for Independent Reviews, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I wanted to draw attention to this one. The committee -- I don't think struggle is the right word, but really carefully considered how we wanted to address one of the audit findings which is that the government could have provided more leadership at the spaces they're creating. Commissioner DeMarco was very kind of clear in that assessment, that the GNWT was excellent at establishing bodies where Indigenous governments could come forward to collaborate but the decision-making at those bodies was often -- challenged, I suppose is a good word. Not compromised certainly, but challenged by a lack of clear leadership from the government's side of the table on certain issues. So in one case, there were two Indigenous parties that were asking the government to solve an impasse or a disagreement they had, and the government was unable to do so for whatever reason. And through our inquiry, in particular with the secretary to Cabinet, who is also the deputy minister responsible for executive and Indigenous affairs, it became clear that there are very clear policies guiding the relationship with Indigenous governments that are emphasizing -- and we do hear this from Cabinet Ministers as well when queried on -- in this House, that the -- you know, nothing without -- nothing for us without us is very much alive and well as a policy direction, and the government is not going to push harder than it needs to to find unanimous consent wherever possible. But there does come a time when an impasse is an impasse, and if you can't obtain consensus, then that may delay a decision from being made, which might jeopardize a conservation plan, an area, whatever it happens to be.
So what we felt would be an appropriate way to address this is this recommendation, which is to obtain an independent review which would allow kind of a third party to say here's how you can solve this issue and move forward. And hopefully that would be an important tool in allowing progress to be made on these decisions where they need to be made without damaging any relationships, which we know, through 150 years of colonialism, has created very challenging relationships in many cases with Indigenous governments and trust in public governments. So the committee wanted to respect those relationships and ensure they're maintained but also find a way to address these areas of impasse. And I think this motion is novel in that approach, even though it -- you know, going to arbitration or something, it's not that robust but it certainly does speak to similar things that do work when there's labour disputes, for example. So we hope that this recommendation will be adopted and we will find better ways to deal with disagreements wherever consensus can't be reached, and we'll ultimately get better results for people who are relying on these policy objectives to be met, in this case conservation areas, so we can see all of these plans come to fruition and even more of the government's goals towards environmental conservation achieved within the coming years. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 152-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Process for Independent Reviews, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 152-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Process for Independent Reviews, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 152-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Process for Independent Reviews, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
The Chair Richard Edjericon
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
---Carried
I am going to go back to the Member from Range Lake.
Committee Motion 153-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Audit Performance Plan for Deputy Ministers, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories establish an audit performance plan for deputy ministers;
And further, the plan should link performance pay to timely implementation of Office of the Auditor General of Canada audit recommendations that have been accepted by the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 153-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Audit Performance Plan for Deputy Ministers, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 153-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Audit Performance Plan for Deputy Ministers, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you. I think committee is always going to make this recommendation for every performance audit we go through, and I stand by them very strongly. This is something that kind of came out of our deliberations as a way to tie the performance of a government to audit plans and make sure that there's some incentive to see that they're done. Far too many audits have kind of action plans that often due to, you know, resource restrictions or timelines or other competing priorities don't get implemented to the fullness extent that they can, and that is always something the public accounts committee is mindful of. We want to see when action plans are delivered that they're actually implemented. So by tying performance, like a pay of deputy heads to the outcomes of audit implementation plans, we think will create more incentive to get that done. And I would note too that this recommendation only applies to recommendations that had been accepted by the Government of the Northwest Territories because it would be inappropriate for the auditor, or certainly the committee, to kind of weigh in on those kind of performance issues or performance benefits when the government has not accepted it. So to be crystal clear, when the government says we're going to do something, the committee wants to make sure that they're going to do it and we want some performance pay for deputy heads to make sure that there's an incentive to get it done. So we're not calling them in front of the committee in a year and saying what have you done, and nothing's happened, right. There's some real attention to resolve the issues that are before the committee. Thank you.
Committee Motion 153-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Audit Performance Plan for Deputy Ministers, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 153-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Audit Performance Plan for Deputy Ministers, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 153-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Audit Performance Plan for Deputy Ministers, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
The Chair Richard Edjericon
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
---Carried
I am going to go back to the Member from Range Lake.
Committee Motion 154-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Historic Harms Raised by Indigenous Governments and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories examine specific historic harms that have been raised by Indigenous governments and communities, identify those that warrant a formal apology and compensation, take timely actions to deliver those apologies along with appropriate reparations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 154-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Historic Harms Raised by Indigenous Governments and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 154-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Historic Harms Raised by Indigenous Governments and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 154-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Historic Harms Raised by Indigenous Governments and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
The Chair Richard Edjericon
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried. Thank you. I am going to go to the Member from Range Lake.
Committee Motion 155-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Status Update on Action Plan under Section 10 of UNDRIPIA, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 27th, 2026
Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide an update on the status of the action plan required by Section 10 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Implementation Act. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 155-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Status Update on Action Plan under Section 10 of UNDRIPIA, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 155-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Status Update on Action Plan under Section 10 of UNDRIPIA, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 155-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Status Update on Action Plan under Section 10 of UNDRIPIA, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
The Chair Richard Edjericon
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
---Carried
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Range Lake.
Committee Motion 156-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Funding for Sustained Participation in UNDRIPIA Implementation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide sufficient funding in the 2026-2027 Main Estimates and establish ongoing multi-year implementation funding, including capacity funding for Indigenous governments and organizations, to support and sustain participation in the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Implementation Act until implementation is fully achieved. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 156-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Funding for Sustained Participation in UNDRIPIA Implementation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Committee Motion 156-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Funding for Sustained Participation in UNDRIPIA Implementation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 156-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Funding for Sustained Participation in UNDRIPIA Implementation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
The Chair Richard Edjericon
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
---Carried
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Range Lake.
Committee Motion 157-20(1): Committee Report 35-20(1) Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories - Government Response, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this report within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Chair.