Debates of October 20, 2025 (day 65)

October
20
2025
Session
20th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
65
Speaker
Shane Thompson
Word PDF
Members Present
Hon. Caitlin Cleveland, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Jay MacDonald, Hon. Vince McKay, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Mr. Nerysoo, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. Lesa Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, Mrs. Yakeleya
Assembly Members
Topics
Bill 26: An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, Carried
Bill 32: An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, No. 2., Deemed Read
Committee Motion 79-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 386-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2024-2025 – Deferral of Estimates
Committee Motion 80-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 387-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025 – Deferral of Estimates
Member’s Statement 722-20(1): Support for Wildfire Evacuees
Member’s Statement 723-20(1): Expansion of the Yellowknife International Airport
Member’s Statement 724-20(1): Arctic Security Economic Corridor
Member’s Statement 725-20(1): Access to Primary Healthcare
Member’s Statement 726-20(1): 2025 Wildfire Evacuation of Fort Providence
Member’s Statement 727-20(1): Northwest Territories Healthcare Excellence Canada’s Cultural Safety Design Collaborative Team Report: “Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples – Actions for Change in the Northwest Territories Health Care Sys...
Member’s Statement 728-20(1): Income Support Programs
Member’s Statement 729-20(1): Early Dyslexia Screening
Member’s Statement 730-20(1): Celebration of Life of Reginald Bellefontaine
Member’s Statement 731-20(1): Arctic Winter Games Funding
Minister’s Statement 148-20(1): 2025 Wildfire Season
Minister’s Statement 149-20(1): Update on Emergency Management Activities
Minister’s Statement 150-20(1): Model of Care in Small community Health Centres
Question 793-20(1): Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic Lab Testing Capacity
Question 794-20(1): Strategic Infrastructure Investment at Yellowknife Airport
Question 795-20(1): Improving Access to Primary Care
Question 796-20(1): Northwest Territories Healthcare Excellence Canada’s Cultural Safety Design Collaborative Team Report: “Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples – Actions for Change in the Northwest Territories Health Care System”
Question 797-20(1): Impacts of Wildfire on Tlicho Communities
Question 798-20(1): Wildfire Response Assessments
Question 799-20(1): Sport Funding in the Northwest Territories
Question 800-20(1): Early Literacy Screening
Question 801-20(1): Healthcare Sample Analysis Local Capacity
Question 802-20(1): Regulation of Paramedics
Question 803-20(1): Wildlife Management Strategy
Question 804-20(1): Supports for Community Health Nurse
Question 805-20(1): Wildfire Preparedness and Emergency Management
Question 806-20(1): Wildfire Management Strategy
Question 807-20(1): Arctic Economic Security Corridor
Tabled Document 394-20(1): Northwest Territories Species at Risk Committee Annual Report 2024-2025
Tabled Document 395-20(1): Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission Northwest Territories and Nunavut Annual Report 2024
Statements
Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Please turn to page 67 of the bill. Clauses 111 to 120, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Please turn to page 72 of the bill. Clauses 121 to 130, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Please turn to page 78 of the bill. Clauses 131 to 140, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Please turn to page 82 of the bill. Clauses 141 to 150, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Please turn to page 86 of the bill. Clauses 151 and 152, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Returning to the bill's number and title, Bill 22, Legislation Act, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

To the bill as a whole, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Does the committee agree that Bill 22, Legislation Act, is now ready for third reading?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. Does the committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 22, Legislation Act?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your witness. Sargeant-at-Arms, please escort the witness from the chamber.

Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2. I will ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to introduce the bill.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2. This bill seeks to amend the Student Financial Assistance Act to increase the student loan fund, also called the revolving loan limit in the schedule of the Act from $45 million to $55 million.

Enhancements to the student financial assistance program made in 2023-2024, along with more recent changes made to the act by Bill 8, increase the maximum amount that may be loaned to an individual student. Bill 28 will increase the student loan fund by $10 million to ensure students who are eligible for assistance are not denied benefits due to a legislated cap on the maximum cumulative amount that can be loaned to all students. I am pleased to bring forward this bill that will ensure eligible students can continue to access assistance to achieve their educational goals.

That concludes my opening remarks, and I am prepared to answer any questions that Members may have. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Would you like to bring witnesses into the chamber?

Yes.

Does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the chamber.

Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, to my left I have Jamie Fulford, deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. And to my right, I have Nicole Beauchamp, assistant deputy minister, labour and income security.

Thank you. I will now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development, the committee that reviewed the bill, for any opening comments on Bill 28.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on May 29th, 2025, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review on September 8th, 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 in their efforts in reviewing this legislation. Individual Members may have additional comments. Thank you.

I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 28.

Does the committee agree that there are no further general comments?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

We can proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill. 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?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Clause 2, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2, does that committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

To the bill as a whole, does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Does the committee agree that Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2, is now ready for third reading?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. Does the committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Thank you, Minister, and thanks to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the chamber.

Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 386-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2024-2025. Thank you. Does the Minister of Finance wish to bring witnesses forward?

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Thank you. Would the Sergeant-at-Arms please escort the witness into the chamber.

Thank you. Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, on my left, deputy minister of finance Bill MacKay. And on my right Julie Mujcin, the comptroller general.

Thank you. Committee has agreed to forego opening comments and general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the details contained in the tabled document?