Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And in the interest of fairness and equity, as this exemption has been enjoyed by Canadians outside of the Northwest Territories since November of last year, will the Minister backdate the exemption to November of last year and pass those savings along to our constituents who are paying a lot during the coldest months of the year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on November 8th of last year, the federal government exempted home heating fuel as part of their carbon pricing regime for three years. The NWT has not made those changes yet but has made public statements committing to that. Can the Minister of Finance tell us will home heating fuel be exempt. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this House on behalf of my constituents to offer our deepest sympathies to the families and communities affected by the recent tragedy that took place in Fort Smith. This accident came as such a shock for what felt like just another ordinary day to a flight of such dedicated northern workers who have passed away so suddenly who were simply on the job or heading back to work. They were pilots, mechanics, truck drivers, talented young diverse workers whose strength powers our territory towards shared opportunity and prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, we are poorer as a...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice to earlier today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start our first sitting, at least from my point of view, with some good vibes. I think we all had a long day yesterday but it's great to see we have a new Executive Council in place and Regular Members who are finding their roles to provide accountability and oversight for the next years of governance. And I want to congratulate Premier-elect and the Cabinet-elect.

I too would also like to thank my constituents. It's a joy to be back in the Legislative Assembly speaking for my friends, my family, and my neighbours, my neighbourhood, and being...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that the Member for Hay River North, the Honourable R.J. Simpson, is hereby chosen to be Premier of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Tuesday, December 12th, 2023, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that the Member for Hay River North, the Honourable R.J. Simpson, is hereby chosen to be Premier of the Northwest Territories.

And, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to request a recorded vote.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I reflect on the work of the 18th Assembly, I think back to the early days, when we set our priorities and the ambitious mandate that was put forward by all Members of this House. It is the spirit of compromise and cooperation that was the through-line for this Assembly. This is contrary to sensationalist claims of a dysfunctional institution. One need only look to our record to see that the vast majority of decisions, laws, and government spending have nearly always received the unanimous support of this House. To focus on our differences is to do a discredit to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak to this appropriation bill. I acknowledge that there is a bit of levity in the air today, but the business of the House still must get done, and in this case, it is passing a very large capital budget.

I do not stand in support of this budget on principle, because one of the most important issues to my constituency and to my constituents is the issue of municipal funding and the funding gap that has remained stubbornly unclosed since the start of this Assembly, despite repeated calls for it to be addressed. This budget was last opportunity to add some...