Rylund Johnson

And Mr. Reddy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe now more than ever, we have to ensure that our plan to create a polytechnic university is on track, and ideally, I'd like to see it sooner rather than later. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Is the current timeline as set out on the mandate to establish a polytechnic university on track? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to introduce Tim Mercer, clerk of the Legislative Assembly, and Mike Reddy, director of legislation, seated to my left at the witness table.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Although this is a short piece of legislation, it is very much a historic legislation. I am pleased to provide opening comments on Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. Madam Chair, this bill will provide the Legislative Assembly authority to conduct all or a portion of our sittings by way of virtual means. The test for that will be in the hands of the Speaker, and we will sit virtually in exceptional circumstances.

Madam Chair, this bill was drafted in response to efforts to avoid face-to-face meetings of this House in a global...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I recognize perhaps the level of detail. I'm looking forward to breaking down this $80 million figure and looking at what is in capital is a bit too much to ask right now. If I could have the department provide it to me? Ultimately, I'm looking to try and get a sense, I know we've done some of this capital planning, but how much we currently spend on road maintenance, whether that is in per mile and what the future looks like for our road maintenance. I know a number of our highways are in really significant need of repair. I don't believe this $80 million comes...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking at the item "highway operations" specifically, $80 million, and I would like to get a sense of what this line item entails and where exactly road maintenance falls within the operations budget versus the capital budget. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I respect that, and I know that land issues in the Northwest Territories are extremely complicated and that they can often get held up because they get tied into other, much larger, reconciliation issues. My final question is: can the Minister of Lands update me to any conversations that are ongoing with the North Slave Metis Alliance in regard to this transfer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very excited to move this bill into second reading. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to permit this Assembly to conduct all or a portion of a session by way of teleconference or video conference, and it permits Members to participate in a session by way of teleconference or video conference at the discretion of the Speaker. Thank you...

That will be my feedback, that the mandate letters need a clear direction to get departments to make this a priority because when it sits on the side of different units' desks, it simply doesn't get done. My next question is: if the federal government has a pilot project open by default, this would take our records and make them open to the public, essentially our DIM system. I think it would also incentivize departments to prioritize record keeping. Is the Premier willing to keep a similar pilot project in the GNWT?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the previous Assembly, we had a Minister responsible for public engagement and transparency, and I think we can all acknowledge that those are severely lacking in the GNWT and much work needs to be done. Mr. Speaker, some good work was started. There was an open government policy. However, I think the implementation and the continued work under that policy has not been carried on in this Assembly. My question for the Premier: is she willing to create a Minister responsible for transparency and open government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.