Kieron Testart

I was going to say comments about fake news, but it appears the Minister has actually got some substantive replies, and I appreciate that.

One of the concerns that has been raised by, again, the internal correspondence that has been revealed through some of this reporting is that tourism officers don't feel that they have the resources to properly track the growth of these businesses and properly maintain enforcement.

The Minister talked about staffing positions that are currently in place, but based on what we are seeing, and based on these issues, is the Minister going to bring forward...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I talked about the issue of unlicensed tourism operators in the Northwest Territories. I'd like to ask the Minister of Industry Tourism and Investment if he can speak to these issues. Internal documents reveal a significant number of complaints concerning illegal tour operators in the NWT. When was the Minister first made aware of these illegal operations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that Committee Report 10-18(3) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Here we go again.

Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of Bill 20: Ombudsperson Act and commends it to the House.

Bill 20, sponsored by the Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency, provides for the appointment of an Ombudsperson as an officer of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. The bill establishes the mandate of the Ombudsperson to investigate complaints about the administrative fairness of Government of the Northwest Territories' practices, in order to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move, pursuant to Rule 6(2) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, that the Committee of the Whole continue to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment for the purpose of continuing consideration of Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Cities, Towns and Villages Act. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that Committee Report 9-18(3) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Agreed.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This amendment is separate from the previous suite of amendments that was designed to register and regulate territorial political parties. One of the concerns raised, and we've heard it in the debate was around creating an unfair advantage for independent candidates or incumbents to compete with a political organization with superior resources.

This amendment allows anyone who wishes to be a candidate in an election to use up to $30,000 a year to promote their candidacy. One of the realities of being an incumbent in this House is we are able to hold the public's attention...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill 24 be amended by adding the following after clause 36:

36.1 The following is added after section 83:

83.1. The Chief Electoral Officer shall maintain a register of political parties and shall register in it any political party that files with the Chief Electoral Officer an application in the approved form that contains

(a) the names of at least 60 electors indicated by the signature of each elector who collectively represents a minimum of three electoral districts, and who identify as Members of the political party;

(b) the constitution of the political...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know which way the wind is blowing on this amendment, so I won't belabour the point too much, but for the purposes of posterity, I wish to make sure these amendments make their way into the official record so that we can see clearly what was being proposed and clearly how these amendments were designed to create options for our residents.

There are a few more amendments I will move as well for the same purposes, but we don't have to belabour the point, and I won't be asking for recorded votes. Thank you.