Kevin O'Reilly

Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. So I guess Department of Finance has launched this online I think it's an inventory, really, rather than a data base of contaminated sites, and that's a step forward. At least they've identified where these sites are and there's a little bit of background information. But there's no cost figures; there's no real tracking of progress in terms of assessing the risk at those sites and whether any remediation needs to take place. And, you know, if you go to the federal contaminated sites inventory, it's maintained by the federal, the treasury board. There's a remarkable...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. And thanks for that. So do we have to go back in prior years and try to fix this? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I rise to speak to the principle of Bill 60, the Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act.

The Finance Minister introduced this bill yesterday, and there was very little public information available on what it actually means. Like the original legislation that was passed narrowly in the last Assembly, this bill is a result of federal pressure and leadership on the climate crisis. This reflects an urgent need to speed up reductions of greenhouse gas emissions to save this planet. I support those federal efforts and a carbon tax in general but strongly...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 74719(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20222023, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 74719(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for recognizing the work of lowly NGOs and getting them to do the work of government again. So one of the reasons the Minister keeps giving for a minimum wage keeping minimum wage so low is the impact of a higher wage on small businesses, and the Minister just said that few businesses pay the minimum wage. So can the Minister tell us whether this government is considering a further package of wage topups for low income workers to lift these people out of poverty? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thanks. Well, whether it's to the benefit of the region or not that's I think part of the question, is that the regional study needs to grapple with is, you know, whether you want a road or whether you want to have caribou. And especially at a time where the caribou numbers are so low with the Bathurst herd, and I just don't think that they can handle this kind of disturbance. But that's the kind of issues that the regional study needs to deal with and to figure out if this sort of thing would actually be a net benefit at the end of the day. But, again, I'm very happy to hear that the Minister...

Merci, Madame la Presidente. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. First, I'd like to get some clarity on the basic principles of the new minimum wage approach announced in August. Can the Minister tell us how poverty and a living wage were considered in the development of this new approach to a minimum wage? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yeah, so there's 15 about $15 million that's not going to be spent on socalled Slave Geological Province AllWeather Road Highway Environmental Assessment. So how does that affect the timeline for that project? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Madam la Presidente. In August, this government announced a new approach to adjustment of the territorial minimum wage, where it will be increased in relation to the consumer price index and the average hourly wage in the NWT. How is this going to ensure people get a decent standard of living?

The factors resulting in the setting of a minimum wage were reviewed for several years running by a minimum wage committee, which included business and public representatives with ECE representatives making a report to the Minister that was then kept secret. A few facts from their reviews stand out...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So are all of these projects, you know, cropping up again in the 20232024 Capital Estimates? Thanks, Mr. Chair.