Kieron Testart

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...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act. Bill 30 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 31, 2018, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review.

To permit time for the legislative drafters to complete the proposed amendments, I would like to advise the House of the committee's wish to extend their review of the bill with the intention of reporting back to the House on or before March 11, 2019.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with...

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. Chair. I think of this kind of proposal somewhat as a New Deal "part 2," where we devolve further responsibility to our municipalities and allow them to make more decisions around what decisions they actually want to make, that they think are going to grow their communities. My question was more: does the Minister believe there is any impediment to our communities taking on that responsibility? Granted, not everyone is on the same level, but at least in the larger centres or the centres that are dealing with chronic land-management issues that have been brought to the floor of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Minister's Statement 158-18(3) be moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Would it be fair to say that the department's role is more to provide compliance with legislation than to actually make decisions over the contents of a community plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that, pursuant to Rule 6(2) of the Rules of Legislative Assembly, that Committee of the Whole continue to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment for the purpose of concluding the item under consideration, Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates, 2019-2020, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

If a community came forward with a request just to access large parcels of land for the sake of their own, internal development, what would be the advice of the department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations, which has oversight over this department, has also spoken with many municipal leaders in the course of our consultations on various pieces of legislation. One consistent message that comes back to the committee every time that we consult on a new feature or new authority that the municipalities are getting is this municipal funding gap and the need to fill it. You can have as many conversations as you want, but it is not going away. I think that, unless the strategy is a costed strategy that indicates incremental funding...