Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I really am appreciative of the committee staff and the committee members who worked on this report, but staff really deserves an important shout-out. We, the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, had an unprecedented legislative agenda that it was seized with, and common issues arose from each of those around the unique nature of co-drafting bills in a special relationship with Indigenous people as guaranteed by the intergovernmental agreement, and that was broadened in some cases to include Indigenous nations that had not signed on to devolution...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The subject matter of this report is near and dear to the hearts of the business community in my riding of Kam Lake. I am regularly copied on e-mails from many businesses who are involved with government procurement, expressing their frustration around procurement practices. I have raised many of those issues on the floor of this House, asked questions in question period. Unfortunately, the answers received often ended in "We don't have problems with procurement. We don't have problems with BIP. We will explore options, but we think everything is fine." That didn't sit...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Committee Report 34-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act; Bill 45: Corrections Act; Committee Report 29-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Perceptions Held by Northern Businesses toward the Government of the Northwest Territories' Procurement Processes; and Committee Report 32-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development Committee Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I reflected on the Minister's recent statement on the new strategy, the waste strategy that is coming out, and I think there are a lot of good details in that. How is the department adapting to the lack of recycling facilities? My honourable friend from Nahendeh raised this, as well. Could the department's regional offices, through ENR regional offices, be used as collection points for recycling? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So a key component of this motion is how it relates to the parent clause, and, to quote from that, there is an exception section that says nothing in this act requires a document to be included in the registry under subsection 3 that is or may be prohibited from disclosure by any other act of the Northwest Territories or Canada or contains information that is provided implicitly, explicitly, in confidence to a person or body exercising powers, performing duties or functions in this act.

So that means, if a third party, including a business interest, came forward and said,...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think this is a much-needed improvement, as well. I support it. It is important that we clarify this section because there was a great deal of confusion and not just amongst industry looking at the clause and trying to figure it out and providing submissions to the committee's public consultation but also when the committee consulted with Indigenous governments who were involved in co-drafting. There was some confusion as to what benefit agreements are.

I think this is a much-needed improvement to the bill. I think it shows that the Northwest Territories is a place where...

Okay, that's clear. That grandfathered clause that's going to be carried over, will it be subject to the 15-year period as outlined in clause 11? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The idea here is if there is a change in material, a material change, and that shifts the -- let's use the example of an agreement signed, an agreement that's authorized, that's signed pursuant to a land rights agreement that has been accepted by the Minister. There's a change in material circumstances. I see where you are going, Mr. Chair. Does this just mean that an agreement can be amended if it's brought forward as changed, or does this mean the regulations will be drafted in a way that the government can force changes, if the government notes a change in material...

So, if industry filed an objection, let's say there was a notice to be made public, what would be the process there? Would the Minister work with industry to prevent the disclosure of that information, or would the Minister just insist that disclosure take place? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would request a division in clause 51 and that the vote be recorded.