Kieron Testart

Perhaps I will clarify my sources. They come from the Indigenous governments themselves who responded to the Premier's claims in the red alert; so it is not largely words from Ottawa. It is words from the people of the Northwest Territories. The Dene Nation, for example, passed a resolution calling on direct funding for programs and services to Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories. Does the Premier support that resolution?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the final months of 2017, the Premier took to the national stage to declare serious allegations towards all of southern Canada concerning the economic future of the NWT. The Premier has said that "the dreams of Northerners are dying." Mr. Speaker, the dreams of Northerners are not dying. They are renewed by the next generation who want a prosperous future for their communities with a sustainable economy that provides benefits to all of our residents. This is why I take issue with the Premier's rhetoric, and most recently his position that the NWT cannot have a strong...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs' plan to close the funding gap that we've learned about through the municipal funding review? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I think the last speaker with the Member opposite kind of summarized, when a lot of these kind of issues come forward, they come forward and they are written off as something that is not important to people, but they are important to people.

In the Province of Alberta, where they had a similar Private Member's bill, it generated more public engagement than any other piece of legislation in the province's history. So daylight savings, the debate around daylight savings, because it affects people's lives in a very personal way, it is disappointing to have things like...

The Premier has laid that out clear. I know for a fact that subsection 14 of the Public Utilities Act gives this government the authority to issue direction to the Public Utilities Board. It is not just a funding issue. There is direct policy that can be made, and I sit on the Standing Committee of Economic Development and Environment, and we do not know what is going into these policy decisions. In fact, the last one was dropped on us with little notice.

If policy direction and development is not being shared with Regular Members, and we have to deal with five separate Ministers on various...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Department of Finance, after consultation with the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Northwest Territories, reconsider amending the nonconsolidated schedule of bad debt write-offs, forgiveness, and student loan remissions to protect the privacy of individuals by removing the names of those who have received student loan remissions and reporting only the amounts of those remissions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in our mandate, Commitment 1.4.6 says that this government will support net metering through clear policy direction to the Public Utilities Board to provide certainty to allow customers to recover their investments in renewable energy. This is a responsibility of the Premier, and I would like to ask the Premier today if he can advise if, in fact, clear policy direction has been provided to the Public Utilities Board and what the nature of this policy direction has been. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommends that the Minister of Finance work with the Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency to develop plain-language materials that summarize the public accounts for a given year in a manner that is understandable for an interested nonprofessional reader focusing on the key financial highlights and significant audit issues arising for that year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move this Assembly recommends that the Office of the Comptroller General and the Department of Finance work with all Government of the Northwest Territories public agencies to assist them to complete their audited financial statements to meet statutory reporting deadlines and to seek necessary extensions where those deadlines cannot be met. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On October 17, 2017, the Standing Committee on Government Operations presented its Report on the Review of the 2015-2016 Public Accounts, which included eight recommendations. Members of the committee may have additional comments. That concludes my opening comments, Mr. Chair. Thank you.