Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, two years ago, this government tabled a procurement review report published by an independent review panel. The report highlighted the concerns of northern business about communication and procedural fairness of how bids are administered, advertised, or requested, and how the government is evaluating value for dollar. Businesses identified concerns about being shut out of opportunities to apply on bids and do not believe their BIP status is giving them the intended advantage.

Mr. Speaker, we have yet to see a response from the GNWT to the procurement review...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, to my left is Glen Rutland, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am pleased to speak to Bill 90, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 5, in my capacity as a Member of the Board of Management.

Members accepted the recommendation of the independent commission on Members' pay and benefits to reduce the base salary for Regular Members by $4,000. A Regular Member can earn back this $4,000 through participation on two standing committees. This bill allows for this $4,000 to be increased at the same rate as the base salary for Members to ensure that the base rate between Regular Members and...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I would like to say thank you to the other side. I think that there's great opportunity that can come from this, especially for youth who are aging out of care. I'm wondering if the Minister will commit to tabling a status report on this in the following sitting? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive the rules and put Bill 90 directly into Committee of the Whole and not standing committee. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Minister's comments about not turning themselves inside out in order to meet the reporting requirements of this. But it seems like almost in some way, shape, or form by doing this funding agreement that the federal government is actually dictating how and where the GNWT will be spending its health care dollars in exchange for such a small portion of money for that. And so I really appreciate that the health minister is, in fact, continuing to draw more money out of the federal government. One of the things that's interesting about this and...

Yeah, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I really feel for the Department of Health and Social Services and also for the people of the Northwest Territories for, you know, to have to take the time to do an action plan for less than probably what is forced growth for the entire Department of Health and Social Services. Seems kind of crazy that the federal government is screaming from the rooftops that they're doing all these favours for health care across the country. So I appreciate the Minister's acknowledgement that the department is doing an action plan for the federal...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 72, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act.

Bill 72 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on March 2nd, 2023, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review. The standing committee held a public hearing on May 19th, 2023, and completed its clausebyclause review of the bill with the Minister of Justice on May 29th, 2023.

Mr. Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 72, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, is ready for consideration...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 90, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 5, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to adjust the allowance in part 5 of Schedule C annually using the average change in the consumer price index over the past five years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I got them open now here of what the expectation was from the federal government. And the Minister's right, there's home care, there's improving access to mental health, there's supporting health workers and reducing backlogs, and I just don't understand the position that health is being put in by the federal government to accomplish this with a $12 million increase. And so I'm wondering when the Minister speaks to that, this is really based on outcomes, health outcomes, and that this needs to be measured and reported to the federal government, how does the...