Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive rule 100(4) and to have Committee Report 31-18(3) moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Committee Report 31-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 46: Public Land Act be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Committee Report 31-18(3) be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. If there were such a charter or devolution of responsibilities that were to come to the city, what would it begin to look like? Are there some kind of amendments that we would have to do to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act? Is there some special type of devolution agreement similar to the process that we had to go through when we dealt with the feds devolving responsibility to us? Just so people can get a little understanding of what this might look like, does the Minister have something he can share with us in terms of what the next steps would look like?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Earlier today I talked a little bit about the need for the City of Yellowknife to maybe consider developing a charter for the City of Yellowknife. This is where we start to recognize some of the unique and evolving needs of the City. I just want to ask the Minister if he or his staff in the department are starting to see and understand that the City of Yellowknife is starting to take on a lot more different responsibilities and pressures. Is there a need for maybe developing a charter for the City of Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take this opportunity to recognize friends and constituents of Yellowknife North. We have today Rhonda and Sean Ivens who are here with us. Of course, Karen Novak is here, and congratulations on your award. I see up there, as well, Jerry Sharpe. Welcome and thank you for being here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the idea of a city charter for Yellowknife. Currently, the powers and authority of the City of Yellowknife are described by the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, but the CTV act applies the same rules to all communities. That means the City of Yellowknife, with 20,000 residents, has the same authority as other communities with only a few hundred, let's say.

Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree Yellowknife has different circumstances that aren't shared by smaller communities. Its city government deals with unique issues, opportunities, and challenges that other communities may not. That's why a city charter is long overdue. City charters recognize the unique challenges and opportunities a larger centre faces every day. It provides authority to the city over areas that directly affect residents' lives. It recognizes that a larger centre deals with demands at a scale and level of complexity that other communities may not. It gives the city the tools to deliver quality infrastructure and services to its residents. It allows local solutions for local needs, and it allows the city to respond and adjust to changing times in a timely fashion.

City charters in Canada date as far back as 1785. Many major cities today, including both our neighbours Calgary and Edmonton, have city charters that define their powers and authority. A city charter for Yellowknife would make that possible. This would be achieved by legislation and regulations giving Yellowknife authority in areas like lands, homelessness and poverty, policing, and economic development. Local decision-making would be more sensitive to the specific, unique needs of the city and its residents. It will also lead to increased collaboration between the city and the territory, and, through a devolution agreement, we can better clarify roles and responsibilities so there will be greater efficiency of community government and improved services to residents.

I believe, just as the territorial government took some powers from the federal government through devolution, it makes sense that we begin to devolve some authorities and powers to the city government. This will make for better community administration and much better services to residents, businesses, and visitors alike because the city will have the tools it needs. Going forward, Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful this idea will get meaningful attention and direction from the 19^th Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do not have additional comments at this time, other than comments provided previously when I presented the report. I will leave it to other Members, if they care to share comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Lastly, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources coordinate to the highest possible degree the required report under the Environmental Rights Act with reporting requirements found in other environmental legislation for which it is responsible. Thank you, Mr. Chair.