All right, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and it's regarding the trade and occupation wage subsidy program.
Mr. Speaker, employers who -- tradespeople, that is, can hire trades apprentice up to 3200 hours, and they can help through a subsidy program for a max of $9 per hour, I believe for a male apprentice, and up to $16 an hour for a female apprentice. All excellent. My question starts with when was the last time this program subsidy has been reviewed, if the Minister is aware of that. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, at my fingertips right here, I couldn't share with the Member the history on when that was increased. But I do believe that there was work done on this in the 19th Assembly. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we often talk about not getting enough tradespeople into the program of -- into the system. Often I hear from employers who are tradespeople saying they can't afford to hire a tradesperson. It's not the subsidy program that's the problem. It's actually the bridge to the solution. In other words, they can't make enough money on the first and second year of the trades -- the apprentice and hence, you know, they don't want to take someone on because they're struggling in the management.
Mr. Speaker, is there a way to revisit this particular initiative to take some analysis as to our return on investment. In other words, if we bump the subsidy up, do we think we get more trades apprentices into the program and meet the needs of Northerners? Does the Minister -- could the Minister see an opportunity of doing some type of evaluation like that? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly see the value of trades across the Northwest Territories and want to ensure that we're always looking at more ways to attract people within this field. That's why we also have the SNAP program where we also support wage subsidies for high school students to get involved. And so I have not been contacted by employers who are feeling that this is particularly the area where they're struggling. There are certainly other ideas that have been afforded to me, and I invite all opportunities to chat with anybody about our trades opportunities. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess to my question again, would the Minister be willing to take on some type of evaluation to see if we can get more tradespeople -- sorry, more apprentices into the trades by adjusting or meeting further needs of the employers who end up spending a lot of money and time and energy that they can't get as a return by constantly mentoring. And that's the key to the program, obviously, but it's a financial loss for them for the first two years to get ahead. So I'm asking can she -- would she commit to reviewing this and doing some analysis to see if we can get a better return and more people in the trades and in the communities and the North at large? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently in the Northwest Territories -- and I believe I shared this statistic last night -- there's over 330 apprentices in the Northwest Territories; a number I think that we should all be very proud of and continuously working to see that grow. 47 percent of those apprentices are Indigenous NWT residents. And currently right now we're in the middle of a two-year extension to our apprenticeship trade and occupational certification strategy. And so surely at the end of that strategy, we'll be looking for a reset and this is a great time to incorporate some of the work that the Member is talking about. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act.
Bill 11 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on November 1st, 2024 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment for review.
The standing committee held a clause-by-clause review of the bill on February 13th, 2025, with the Minister of Infrastructure. The committee moved to amend three clauses in Bill 11 during the clause-by-clause review. The Minister of Infrastructure concurred with all three amendments.
Mr. Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Bill 11 stands referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 16-20(1), Report on the Statutory Review of the Mental Health Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 19-20(1), Report on the Statutory Review of the Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee wishes to consider Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act; and, Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates, Education, Culture and Employment and Housing Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act. I will ask the Minister of Justice to introduce the bill.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm here today to present Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act. The purpose of Bill 12 is to fix an error that was made in 2017 when amendments to the Interpretation Act resulted in some government offices technically being required to be open on Sundays. This was not the intent of the changes in 2017.
Bill 12 will amend four pieces of legislation to deal with this problem and to ensure Sundays are not interpreted as business days, including
Subsection 150(5) of the Business Corporations Act;
Section 59 of the Consumer Protection Act;
Section 62 of the Judicature Act; and,
Section 24(2) of the Mechanics Lien Act.
This concludes my opening remarks. I'd be pleased to answer any questions. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Would the Minister like to bring witnesses into the chamber?
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the chamber.
Minister, please introduce your witnesses.
With me today I have Victoria Carmichael, legislative counsel with the Department of Justice. Thank you.
I will now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, the committee that reviewed the bill, for any opening comments on Bill 12.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The comments are certainly brief.
Madam Chair, Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 30th, 2024, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. On February 10th, 2025, the standing committee held a public hearing with the Minister of Justice and completed its clause-by-clause review of the bill. I thank the committee for their efforts in reviewing this legislation. Individual Members may have additional comments. Thank you, Madam Chair.
I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 12. We can proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill, committee?
Agreed.
Okay. Committee, we will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. Please turn to page 1 of the bill.
Clause 1, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 2, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 3, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 4, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
To the bill as a whole, does committee agree?
Agreed.
Does committee agree that Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act, is now ready for third reading?
Agreed.
