Frieda Martselos

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this project is extremely important to the community of Fort Smith and all people of the NWT. Delays in this project could occur if there's no communication with this group. As the MLA for Thebacha, I would be very concerned if this happened. Does the Minister agree, yes or no? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Number 1,

It is important to confirm where the authority to establish the Affirmative Action Policy comes from. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms establishes that "every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination" (Section 15(1)).

Section 15(2) provides the legal grounds for establishing the Affirmative Action Policy by enabling "any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race...

Thank you.

Madam Chair, I would like very specific and precise answers and not waste my time for my questions. So I would appreciate that very much.

The other question I want to ask is, you know, we have NorthwesTel here as the main proponent in this settlement. And, you know, I've always been against monopolies because when you have a monopoly in business, you never try to give the best service. And that's usually what happens in business. And I think it's extremely important that we as a government start being more accountable and more transparent. And that's what we were trying to do.

You know, there's...

I have to start over again now. Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Bill 61, An Act to Amend the Ombud Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on November 2nd, 2022, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review.

The committee received eight written submissions and oral comments at a public review of this bill. Considering the valuable feedback received from stakeholders during the review period, the committee was pleased to see two proposed amendments concurred with by the sponsor of the bill at the committee's clausebyclause review.

As a...

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories, in consultation with the Board of Management, lead a wholistic review to examine and clarify the jurisdiction of each statutory officer of the Assembly to investigate

Other statutory officers of the Assembly;

Public bodies that exercise statutory authority on behalf of the executive; and

Public bodies that provide statutory advisory services to the executive.

And further, the review should identify areas of over and underlapping jurisdiction and make recommendations to address discrepancies based...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and have Bill 76, An Act to Amend the Electoral Boundaries Act, referred directly to Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, second by the Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 76, An Act to Amend the Electoral Boundaries Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, Bill 76 amends the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act to

Establish a Commission within two years of the 2023 general election;

Expand the size of the Commission;

Broaden the eligibility to serve as chairperson of the Commission;

Add geographic and place names to the relevant considerations of the Commission; and,

Modernize language, including by using genderneutral language.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, does the board of governors have the ability to veto or overturn a decision by the college president and senior management? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the appointment of the new board of governors for Aurora College, can the education Minister explain how this will change executive decisionmaking at Aurora College and with the transformation into a polytechnic university? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.