Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I'll make use of the time allotted for opening comments to continue with some lines of questions for the Minister. So the increase to the revolving fund is $5.5 million. Can the Minister confirm if that is what's anticipated, the cost of the cannabis supply for the Liquor Commission is around that number or falls within that number? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I think this is an important piece of the puzzle that we need to resolve. I would like to ask for a recorded vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommend that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop a fully costed implementation plan for Bill 6, Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act, including multi-demographic public education, enforcement planning, and expected cannabis revenues;

And further, that this plan be returned to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and the Standing Committee on Social Development for review prior to legalization day;

And furthermore, that the final plan be made available to the public. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to getting an update on those results. On to the reporting of the action plan. There has been little to no reporting of this action plan that ended in 2016-2017. Will the Minister commit to providing Members of this House, and also the public, with an update that clearly articulates what education renewal has achieved and what the department is going to do moving forward? There are no updates on the website, which is where the public are going to get their information. Can the Minister commit to fixing that, and getting information out to the public...

You know, I appreciate the Minister is relatively new to this portfolio, and it's good to hear that she believes it's unacceptable. So what is she going to do? What kind of tangible, quantifiable changes can the Minister point to that have taken place, specifically in the way we approach student achievement, that the department has undertaken to date?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate your intervention. Further, as to what I was saying, the three areas that we identify here as a committee; public education, public awareness, and public health research related to cannabis use, were felt to be the most appropriate uses for any potential cannabisrelated revenues, and these are areas that largely are underdeveloped.

Obviously, we have only begun public education; public awareness is also in its early stages; and public health research is very limited. It's hard to study an illicit substance, and the limited information we have is not a complete...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a Page from my riding of Kam Lake, Rhuwina Javier. Thank you very much for your hard work this sitting. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommend that the Government of the Northwest Territories consider specific spending targets for the disbursement of cannabisrelated revenues aimed at public education, public awareness, and public health research related to cannabis use;

And further, that the Liquor Commission report on cannabis sales in its annual report. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One of the issues that was raised quite frequently in the communities was the issue of young people getting charged with cannabis possession charges, and having it serve as a barrier for future employment, for travel, and that the prohibition system has largely set many of our young people out to fail. With the changes made to the record suspension system by the previous federal government, record suspensions are much more time consuming and expensive. It is difficult for everyday citizens who are suffering from relatively minor offences such as cannabis possession to...

I'd like to close debate, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I appreciate, I certainly appreciate my honourable friends sharing the thoughts of the communities that they represent; however, I would like to point out that this motion does not call for the act to be changed to allow for licensed establishments for cannabis consumption, nor does it call for including highpotency cannabis in the act, nor does it call for edibles. All this motion is calling for is an interdepartmental working group to prepare for future regulations. Of course, this working group could produce advice that says, "Do not allow for...