Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And before I forget, I will be requesting a recorded vote.
Thanks to my colleagues for all of the thoughtful comments provided today. And I just wanted to respond to a few or clear up some misconceptions.
First, I would never claim that this is a comprehensive solution to either all of our healthcare staffing issues or workplace safety issues. And I've been very clear from the beginning that this is not a comprehensive solution to the problems with the Public Service Act. What is quite remarkable here is that either of those things are even being suggested as necessary before a bill could be deemed ready to pass second reading.
This process so far has been remarkable for a lot of different reasons, but one that sticks out is the kind of bar that is being applied to this bill that I haven't seen applied to any other bills, whether it's a government bill or a Private Member's bill. Somehow for this bill to be worthy of even discussing, that it must help all potential stakeholders, that it must be proved beyond all reasonable doubt that all nurses are participating and have completely declared their support before we even begin public engagement and deliberations, that somehow we have to show that a comprehensive public engagement process has already been conducted before we begin the public engagement. And the idea that in order to send it forward, we would first need to ensure there's a mechanism that ensures all nurses will be participating in committee deliberations.
I mean, first, I compare that to the status quo of what exists now. Are we currently doing anything to verify that all nurses are currently fully participating in UNW deliberations or processes? Are we ensuring that all nurses are fully participating in any of the surveys or staff engagement being done by the government or the health authority or that they're fully participating in all workplace decisions? And, certainly, we've never hesitated to move forward with other committee engagement or processes based on the worry that every single person within a given group or profession wouldn't have the chance to, you know, be witnesses or present to committee or have their sort of will be expressed in the deliberations. And I just wanted to clarify too that, I mean, I'm not even remotely taking on the role of a union leader myself or of a labour relations board.
I am not the judge, and that's why I didn't write myself into this bill as the arbitrator of what nurses are allowed to do. The point of the bill is to provide a mechanism where nurses can have a vote amongst themselves to choose who they want their bargaining agent to be through an independent mechanism, not me, or any legislator. It would be the NWT Supreme Court that would be verifying that the vote was free and fair and reflected the will of the employees, of the nurses. And I proposed this because no other option currently exists. The status quo is to not have that option.
And I also certainly -- I wanted to point out that, I mean, no one claimed that this survey by the college and association of nurses was a mandate for changing the act. It was a survey, and I think it shows significant support and interest that gives, at the bare minimum, a reason to give the bill a chance to move forward. I'm not trying to present it as a mandate to, you know, pass third reading and make this all happen tomorrow.
Just in closing, Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind everyone that a bill doesn't have to solve all the problems and solve all the problems for everyone in order to be worthy and certainly not in order to be worthy of passing second reading, to just enter into that process of further consideration and public engagement. But I do thank all my colleagues for your time today, and I am hopeful and look forward to the further public debate and discussion that this will hopefully spark in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake.
All those opposed, please stand.
The Member for Great Slave.
All those abstaining, please stand.
The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput.
Colleagues, all those in favour, 7. Opposed, 1. Abstentions 6. Motion has carried.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for the Sahtu, that Bill 17, Municipal and Community Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Member has asked a recorded vote. The motion is in order. Sorry, let's try this again.
The motion's in order. To the motion.
The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North.
Thank you. All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
Colleagues, the results are 15 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried. Bill 17 has had third reading.
---Carried
Third reading of bills. Minister of Justice.
Bill 18:
An Act to Amend the Partnership and Business Name Act,
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member of Yellowknife South, that Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Partnership and Business Name Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstentions, please stand.
Colleagues, the results are 15 in favour, zero opposed, and zero abstentions. The motion is carried. Bill 18 has had its third reading.
---Carried
