Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. I'm going to try to choose my words carefully because I did hear some conciliatory words from the Minister of Finance. But I worked really, really hard to try to not end up where we did. And I'm really, really disappointed. You know, and with all due respect, this is not the way consensus government is supposed to work, and this is not the way that most of the work in this Assembly's actually gotten done. So that is that in itself is actually quite tragic, that it's been this divisive. And I really want the Minister and her department to think really carefully about what...

Merci, le President. I want to recognize a couple of people, or a couple of groups in the gallery today. Rosella Stoesz served as my official agent way back in 2019 in the general election. And I also want to recognize the board and staff of the NWT Seniors Society. My wife served as the former executive director and passes on, I am sure, her best regards to you all. Thank you very much for being here. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Madame la Présidente. I move that appendix of Bill 60 be deleted and the following be substituted. Madam Chair, the motion has been well, it's being distributed. It shows an appendix with a schedule that is identical to that in the bill except that the carbon tax rate for all types of fuel that aren't otherwise exempt is set at zero. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I don't think I can tell you how many times in the last Assembly we tried to get into legislation some obligations for Ministers, Cabinets, department, whatever, to actually consult in the development of regulations. So this is a really significant concession that committee negotiated with the Minister, and I'm just not sure that people really realize how significant this is. You know, we do this with Indigenous governments now, and we're required to do it, but to get this for a sector, this is really good. And to get it actually in legislation, not just practice...

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 81319(2), Main Estimates 20232024, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 81319(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I just love this place. Here we are, at what time is this? It's 9:30 talking about salaries for MLAs. I just gotta love this place.

Okay, I think there is a problem with this, where MLAs are talking about their own salaries, period, any time. I just think it's a no winner.

So what this motion would actually do is, and I should have let me take a step back. I am okay with going with a fiveyear rolling average. I think that it probably will even out some of the bumps and so on, but I just don't think that we should you be doing it and applying it to ourselves. It should...

I'm losing my mind here. I'll retract that, Madam Chair.

Committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 81319(2), Committee Report 4219(2), Committee Report 4819(2), Bill 66, Bill 67, Bill 73, and Bill 76. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I want to start by saying that I have the greatest respect for my colleague from Hay River South, and I do believe that he brings forward this motion with, you know, integrity and the greatest, you know, intention of trying to show leadership and do the right thing. And I do commend him for doing that. And I appreciate all the work that he does for his constituents and so on. But I respectfully disagree. I think there are others that will use this as a reason to say I think it feeds into a narrative that, you know, politicians are paid too much, work too...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I am going to be voting against this supplementary appropriation. It contains a $27.75 million settlement on the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link.

The original cost of this project, as we learned yesterday, Mr. Speaker, was $81.3 million. It has now ballooned to $194 million. That's more than twice the original cost estimate. And I think part of the problem, Mr. Speaker, is that this was done as a P3, and P3s lead to these kind of unexpected, unanticipated, conclusions. And this isn't the first time we've had to have supplementary appropriations brought forward to this...

Okay. How come it did last time? Is it crafted differently this time? What's the difference here, and thanks, Madam la Presidente.