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Roles

In the Legislative Assembly

Elsewhere

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was know.
Historical Information Rylund Johnson is no longer a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Last in the Legislative Assembly October 2023, as MLA for Yellowknife North

Won his last election, in 2019, with 36% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Question 171-19(2): Daylight Savings Time March 10th, 2020

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to commend all the people of the Yukon who woke up and will never have to change their clocks ever again. It seems what happens here, there's a bit of a gridlock here where Alberta is looking to doing this once again. BC is, California is, and no one seems to want to move. My question for the Minister of Justice is: can we take the lead and get rid of time change?

Daylight Savings Time March 10th, 2020

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Are you feeling a little tired today, perhaps like you did not get enough sleep? Well, that is because, Mr. Speaker, on the weekend, the government stole an hour from us due to the time change. The hardest part about this is I don't really know why. Often, people say it's about the farmers, but that is actually not true. Saskatchewan has not had a time change for years, and the farming is doing just fine there.

The true origins of this lie with Germany and World War I, as a cost measure to save fuel, something that is not even the case anymore as it has been shown that places with daylight savings time actually spend more money on electricity consumption.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to address that often people say that daylight savings time adds daylight, which is not possible. The sun and the earth's position is something we cannot change. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, there is no reason for daylight savings time to exist in the Northwest Territories. Just ask my friends from the Beaudel. There is plenty of daylight in the summertime.

Mr. Speaker, our neighbours in the Yukon have recently gotten rid of the time change. I believe it is time for the Northwest Territories to do this, as well. The last Assembly began this work. There was a petition with over 500 signatures requesting this. The Alberta government recently conducted a survey of its residents and found that 93 percent want to get rid of the time change. There are jurisdictions across the world finally looking at getting rid of this anomaly that we believe we can control time, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice, or should I say the Minister of Time, about whether we can finally get rid of this archaic practice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess my reason for requesting it is because securities administration in the GNWT, as we have seen with Cameron Hills, as we've seen with other departments, it seems to be all over the place in this kind of patchwork process. Will the Minister of Lands pursue a consolidated system to responsibly manage all of our securities, identify securities by project, and guarantee timely postings -- this is multiple questions. Madam Chair, will the Department of Lands conduct a review of all the securities in the GNWT and look to set out one coherent policy for the GNWT?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. Will the Minister of Lands commit to reviewing the Project Assessment Policy and to clarify the department's role in project assessments in relation to the work that ENR does as well?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. Perhaps if I could get the Minister to provide me a breakdown of what is held versus Lands and ENR? I will have questions on this when we get to speak to the Minister of ENR about the overlapping role of securities administration in those departments.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just clarify that $649,000,000, those are the securities held by the Department of Lands, and that doesn't also include those under water licences, ENR?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to speak now to securities and project assessment. Can the Minister of Lands tell me how much the Department of Lands holds in total securities?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. I recognize the Department of Lands has a lot of work to do and there is a lot of complication in land administration. My question is: I would really like to see a land-use plans for all Indigenous governments during the life of this Assembly. Does the department have the sufficient resources to do that right now?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. Completion of land-use plans in collaboration with all Aboriginal governments was a mandate of the last Assembly, which, once again, was not fulfilled by this department. What level of confidence does the Minister have that we will have complete land-use plans in the life of this Assembly?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 5th, 2020

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I am going to rephrase that. What happened is we started the work on the Yellowknife management plan, and then the Department of Lands failed to do adequate consultation, got some resistance from Indigenous governments, and now the plan is not complete. I struggle with why the Department of Lands, which is responsible for the land in the Northwest Territories, cannot do proper consultation. My question is: when will we see the Yellowknife periphery area recreation management plan complete?