Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps it's not that the mandate is too big, it's that the Minister doesn't have the time to dedicate to all of the commitments under his responsibility. Maybe he should get some help. I am willing to help him. Other Members on this side are willing to help him. We can put forward this legislation. If this commitment isn't needed, the Minister said before that we provide plenty of support, what new support is coming to small businesses in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Why is there no plan? The mandate clearly says, "This government will reduce taxes on small businesses." Why?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize some of my friends from the Canadian Parents for French organization. We have Maggie Hawkes, board member, Jessica Payeur, the executive director, and Wendy Karstand, who has been president of the organization for the last six years and is retiring this year. The success of the organization couldn't have been done without her, and I want to recognize her time with the organization and thank them for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates, 2019-2020, with the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs as the item under consideration for Committee of the Whole today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 26, Statistics Act, and that Bill 26 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister knows, as do all Members of this House, that the mandate is a shared responsibility on both sides of the House. The Minister has an obligation to listen to this side of the House. Will he reconsider the political position that he has taken and make this a priority?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am overjoyed to have a renewed call from this side of the House to lower small business taxes. This is an issue that I have raised, holding the government accountable to its mandate commitment to do exactly that, each and every sitting. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance today: I didn't notice a decrease to small business taxes in the budget; when does he intend to fulfill that mandate commitment? Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I rise today to speak on the importance of learning new languages and how language learning connects us to our culture and heritage and is kept alive by the hard work of dedicated community members who promote and preserve language-learning in our communities. Although there are many different organizations devoted to language promotion in the Northwest Territories, I want to take the time today to recognize the NWT branch for Canadian Parents for French and the many volunteers who support the organization.

I first learned about Canadian Parents for French, or CPF...

Nothing further, noting the clock. Thank you.

I agree. We need to support all of our communities and work together to do that, but this funding gap is no one's responsibility but the Minister's, so I am going to ask: what is he actually doing to address the other shortfalls? We have a plan for water and sewer or environmental that is 50 percent complete. It shouldn't be too hard to fill the other 50 percent, but the vast majority of the funding, there is no plan. What is the Minister doing to address this?