Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to discuss one of the topics near and dear to my heart. In Hay River we are very proud of the commercial fishery on the Great Slave Lake. As many people know, in the summertime most of the production is being done in that season. I’m glad that we’ve completed that season just recently.

Along the Great Slave Lake we have a two million pound quota that we have the capacity to produce. The sad part is that in past years we’ve only collected about 300,000 of those pounds. So I’d like to discuss with the Minister and question the Minister today about some of the...

We’re doing a clause-by-clause review. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to thank the Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya, for all his hard work in bringing this bill to our committee and to the Assembly here, and I definitely appreciate the situation that’s in the Sahtu right now and, obviously, befitting that we had a whole question period on drug and alcohol problems throughout the North. I understand the issue before us.

I’d also like to thank the members of the Gov Ops who have taken this to the public in the area of the Sahtu and got the general information from those people and their concerns.

I guess I do have some issues with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my final question would be, if the Department of Health doesn’t have a current use for it, would they be willing to turn it over immediately if an opportunity were to present itself from one of the other departments.

Mr. Speaker, I’m just looking for clarity. Is the Department of Health going to maintain the cost of this facility or is it being switched over to the Department of Public Works and Services in their control so it becomes a territorial facility open to any opportunities within the territorial government or is it remaining in the control of the Department of Health?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I applaud all the Members here talking about drugs and alcohol, addictions and facilities. This summer we definitely were frustrated with the process that was in place from the closure of the only drug and alcohol facility in the Northwest Territories. This affected three MLAs, the Member for Deh Cho and the two main Members from Hay River.

There were six positions at K’atlodeeche and eight from Hay River. Those people were in the community. Those were people that were given very short notice that their jobs were done. There are 14 families that have been affected by...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 107-17(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2014-2015; Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act; and Committee Report 7-17(4), Report on Review of Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, and would like to report progress with two motions being adopted and that Committee Report 7-17(4), Report on the Review of Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, is concluded and that Bill 24 is ready for third reading and that consideration of Tabled Document 107-17(4) is concluded and that the House concur in those estimates and that an...

Does committee agree that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, is ready for third reading?

---Bill 24 as a whole approved for third reading

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya, and thank you to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Committee, do you agree that this concludes consideration of Committee Report 7-17(4), Report on the Review of Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act?

Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, Clause 1.

---Clause 1 through 4 inclusive approved

Does committee agree that there are no further general comments?