Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. The need for improved consumer rights and consumer protection remedies is a topic that all NWT residents have a stake in. I will raise a few points on this.

First is the lack of vigour and effectiveness of our consumer protection processes under our territorial Consumer Protection Act. The act lists areas of jurisdiction, but the real teeth that we're looking for, enforcement, is non-existent to weak at best. There is a process for complaints, investigations, and government intervention as an arbiter, but there is no final bite in the ability to issue binding...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I will speak to the process that resulted in the bill, also provide some comments on the bill and concerns with what is there and what is missing. The bill is really just supposed to modernize our forestry practices and management. There have been some recent media tension and news releases related to the way in which it was developed, how inclusive that process was, and whether there is appropriate recognition and incorporation of Indigenous rights and agreements.

ENR's approach on the development of its environmental legislation appears to have been similar to...

That's four.

I want to thank the Minister for that. I appreciate that he is going to raise this at the next federal-provincial-territorial meeting on consumer affairs with his colleagues that he works with. I think that is a good step. In my statement today I spoke about cross-jurisdictional issues that can sometimes frustrate consumers, and those include things like air carriers, flight complaints, and those sort of things. Can the Minister explain how he works with his federal counterparts in terms of consumer rights and protection?

Merci, Monsieur le President. In responding to my Committee of the Whole questions, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs agreed that there is a significant line-up of new legislation needed within his department. I think that there is some sort of transition process in place to prioritize that work. Can the Minister give us more details on how a recommended roadmap for new MACA legislation is being developed for transition to the next Assembly and how committees, or even the public, can influence that shopping list? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I was sort of afraid this was going to happen. I will speak to the process that resulted in the bill. I will also provide some comments on it and concerns with what is there and what is missing.

This is a much-needed bill to bring together two separate land management regimes that were created by the GNWT for small pockets around communities and by the federal government for the vast areas outside communities. The latter system was mirrored in GNWT legislation at devolution and most of the federal lands staff from former Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following document, "Consumers Council of Canada Charter of Consumer Rights." Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. While I'm on a roll, here, and I do appreciate the commitment of the Minister, one of the areas that NWT residents to participate increasingly in is online purchasing. Has our Consumer Protection Branch seen an upswing in complaints in this area, and has the branch developed any advice or guidelines for online shopping to ensure that NWT consumers have the tools to avoid scams? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le president. Today is the final step in a very long and time-consuming process that began in September 2018, the three-week review of the departmental business plans. Committee of the Whole reviewed the 2019-2020 Main Estimates for 12 government entities from February 20th to March the 8th. We have received replies from Ministers for, I think, three of the departments reviewed so far, so prizes go to the Minister of Infrastructure, the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. I look forward to receiving the...

I want to thank the Minister for that, and I would encourage him to share that framework with the standing committee. Families have been advocating for midwifery for years, mostly mothers such as Leslie Paulette, Wendy Lahey, and Joanna Tiemessen. How will the role of these public partners be continued as we roll out these services and evaluate their delivery?