Bob Bromley

Thank you, Minister. I’d like to ask if committee agrees.

Clauses 101 to 110.

---Clauses 101 through 110 inclusive approved

Thank you, committee. We’ll go clause by clause, Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act. We’ll start on page 1, clause 1.

---Clauses 1 through 8 inclusive approved

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Next I would like to invite Chairman Beaulieu, Standing Committee on Social Programs, to make comments on the bill.

Clauses 81 to 90.

---Clauses 81 through 90 inclusive approved

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Committee, we’re on general comments. Before I go to Mr. Abernethy, any further general comments? Seeing none, I will go to Mr. Abernethy to respond.

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole together. Committee, we have before us Bills 20 and 21, I believe. Committee agree that we start with Bill 20? Agreed?

I appreciate that commitment again from our Minister. Of course, that was just an example, the east side of Prosperous. It’s within the entire watershed. MACA is moving the Recreational Leasing Policy Framework forward proficiently and says public consultations will begin shortly. Can the Minister inform us of the schedule for consultations and give his assurance that the opportunity for input will be widely publicized so that non-resident users of the area will know they can’t contribute? Obviously, we have cottage owners that live throughout the city.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning I received an excellent briefing from officials of Municipal and Community Affairs updating the work being done on the Recreational Leasing Policy Framework in the Yellowknife block land transfer area. Control of squatting and protection of the watershed of the Yellowknife drinking water supply are major issues for my constituents. Here again the biggest obstacle, though, is how to get comprehensive action in the negligent federal government on this issue.

The GNWT can hardly control squatting or protect our waters when the federal government does nothing on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every day this government loses revenue due to its failure to collect reasonable resource rents.

We have a bill before this Assembly for the creation of an NWT Heritage Fund to put aside funds from existing revenue for the future. The steps to devolution are started; actual implementation is years into the future.

The promise of additional resource revenues is a big part of that agreement’s allure to this government. But why wait to get a fair return from our natural capital? Various commentators have emphasized that the economic rent we are collecting now is much too...