Julian Morse

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act.

Bill 26 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on May 26th, 2025, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review.

The committee received briefings from the sponsor and stakeholders between June and September 2025. The committee also held a public meeting on September 23rd, 2025. The committee has also received 28 submissions from members of the public to date.

The committee has not yet conducted a clause-by...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I noted in my statement that our last literacy strategy framework ended in 2018. Mr. Speaker, when is a renewed literacy strategy going to be introduced? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this summer a constituent reached out to my office, and their story left a lasting impression on me. Their child, like one in five Canadians, has dyslexia, which creates challenges in learning to read. The child was not diagnosed until grade 5 however, when their family took the initiative to get them assessed in the private sector. This family was lucky enough to have insurance through their employer which covered the assessment, but this is not the case for all NWT kids. The assessment report was forwarded to the school who developed the learning plan...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Bill 22, Legislation Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on March 12th, 2025, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. The committee received one written submission and held one briefing in the course of its review. The standing committee completed its clause-by-clause review of the bill with the Minister of Justice on September 12th, 2025. The committee proposed two amendments which were concurred with by the Minister.

I thank the committee for their efforts in reviewing the legislation. Individual...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Great Slave, that pursuant to Rule 9.4(5)(a), the Government of the Northwest Territories table a comprehensive response to this report, including all recommendations, within 120 days or at the earliest opportunity subsequent to the passage of 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its report on the review to date of Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, and commends it to the House. And if you give me a second here, I'll prepare myself to read the report.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations reports on the review to date of Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act.

Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act received second reading on May 26th, 2025 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. Bill...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I noted in my statement that most other jurisdictions in Canada are implementing programs to ensure early literacy screening is happening in schools. Can the Minister commit to following suit in the NWT and get early screening for literacy done in NWT schools? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ECE. Mr. Speaker, what is ECE doing to ensure early literacy screening is available at the public school level in the NWT? Thank you.

Just very quickly, Mr. Speaker, the Member for Yellowknife Centre suggested that the committee can hold the bill hostage. I would just note that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for granting me a bit of time to prepare a response, Mr. Speaker. I would like to inform you and the House that the committee is ready to present a report as early as next week summarizing its review of Bill 26 to date and explaining the reasons the bill has not been reported back as of yet.

Mr. Speaker, the committee is scheduled to meet on Monday, October 20th.

Mr. Speaker, Rule 8.3(2) states that a committee may request an extension of its review, not that it must. The rules do not state that a committee must report a bill back as ready or not or seek an...