Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. I think you called on me. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 96719(2) Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 96719(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Mahsi, Madam la Presidente.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I would certainly strongly encourage Cabinet to do that. I don't think it's in anyone's interest to see a special warrant issued in that just in the interest of accountability and transparency, there is obviously financial need for these areas and I think that the appropriate way to deal with it is through supplementary appropriation and not a special warrant, so and I think I saw the Minister shaking her head yes.

The last question, perhaps, Madam Chair, is or maybe one more comment after that very quickly what is Cabinet doing to try to secure any federal...

Yeah, okay. Thanks, yeah, now I'm really worried. So does Cabinet anticipate anything to bring forward a special warrant or that sort of instrument during the sort of caretaker period between the end of this Assembly and the election of the next Cabinet to help cover firefighting and/or other costs? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the mover of the motion for bringing it forward. I guess, yeah, I too, like my colleague from Yellowknife North, I had no notice whatsoever of this. It only really came up, I think, in your opening remarks for me. So I didn't even have a copy of the motion itself until it was provided to us in the chat function that we're using the platform for us to meet. I don't really have any yeah, I've heard a lot of these kind of concerns. I hear the same from my constituents. I've seen the media reports as well. You know, I don't know what to say. I'm not...

Thanks, Madam Chair. So in my quick review of the disaster finance assistance arrangements that the federal government has to help provincial/territorial governments, it doesn't look like any firefighting costs are eligible for reimbursement, at least under the policy, and that seems to be across the country. Can the Minister confirm that and what we're doing about it as a government? Thanks, Madam Chair.

In favour.

Thanks, Madam Chair. My questions are going to be detailed as well. So thank you.

Yeah, thanks, Mr. Speaker. I had a few comments, some of which I may have made in Committee of the Whole, but, yeah, I want the public to know that I'm in Edmonton with my family. I recognize the hardship that the current situation has caused 70 percent of the Northwest Territories residents, but I believe that we need to continue to focus on firefighting and saving the communities, and I want to thank the firefighters, the contractors, the volunteers for the work that they're doing. Of course, I also want to thank the Albertans that have shown us tremendous support here in Alberta and thank...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the mover and the seconder for bringing forward the bill, but the public should know that we received by email exactly one hour before this special sitting. So I really haven't had a lot of time to consider the bill, and I think it's kind of very unusual to get a bill in this manner. Of course, these are very unusual times.

I do share, I think the intent of wanting to improve emergency management, and I think that's a shared value amongst us all and if it isn't, we are not doing our jobs. But I guess I do question about whether this is the right...

Yes, thanks, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to talk to this. I think this is, you know, unprecedented times that we're in. We've talked about this earlier today even. It's not going to be possible for us to hold fair elections on September the 2nd as originally planned given that 70 percent of the population of the NWT has been evacuated. This would affect the majority of the actual ridings in the NWT as well. You know, so I think we've taken the advice of the chief electoral officer seriously. I think the only, I guess, piece of new information here is the date of November the 14th...