Kieron Testart

Thank you to the Minister. That is encouraging. Can the Minister give direction to his department to provide at least an active offer or something public-facing on a website to let other people know, if they are interested or have a proposal, that they can go to the Department of Finance for assistance with Ottawa?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a recent proposal brought to Yellowknife City Council for establishing a cannabis production facility here in Yellowknife. Part of that proposal is 10 to 12 full-time jobs, 15 to 25 part-time jobs, and the confidence that this would be a viable way to solve some of our supply issues in the Northwest Territories for legal cannabis and also to be competitive in pricing.

There is some concern that was raised at those meetings by councillors that this initiative might require support from the GNWT, support that might not be forthcoming. I was wondering if the...

Merci, Monsieur le President. [Translation] The goals of the BDIC are noble ones, to help small businesspeople to address heavy bureaucratic requirements [translation ends]....territory, and this government's claim that diversification of our economy is a top priority, it would be reasonable to believe that this organization is pulling its weight and providing effective assistance to private enterprise. Yet I have been hearing from an ever-increasing number of small businesses that they have lost support from BDIC once the money has been lent. It seems that this organization has forgone its...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, as Members know, have a young family at home, and oftentimes I like to share those childcare responsibilities equally with my partner. She has a job of her own. It's a very demanding job. Oftentimes, childcare, it can be quite difficult to just on rely on another partner to do so. I think, for a long time, that has kind of been the status quo. I recall in other occupations that, when the childcare issue would come up as a single parent, I would often be told, "Well, you know, you have a girlfriend. Why can't she help out?" That is not really the point. The point is, if...

Mr. Speaker, our children's safety is always a concern for parents, especially when it comes to their interactions on social media. The next generation is growing up in a rapidly-changing technological environment, and although this has the possibility of reward and greater individual potential, not everyone or everything online will have your best interests in mind.

News of the "Momo Challenge" has been making the rounds, reportedly an online phenomenon where people, mainly children, are sent disturbing images on social media and are told to act out until a point of self-harm. Thankfully, this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not going to attempt to repeat what some other Members have said, only to say that, behind the scenes, when the standing committee is working on developing some of these pieces of legislation, oftentimes it is a back-and-forth process, where bills are sent in draft form only to be returned and worked on again. I can think of some successful examples of that; the Mineral Resources Act, the Petroleum Resources Act, bills before this House. Those went through that kind of collaborative effort. This bill did not.

The quality of the legislation is a very important...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, the committee, in our deliberations around how we felt the issues that were raised by the report that really needed to be addressed, felt that the role of foster parents in the system and the government's working relationship with them really needed to be improved. Committee noted that the resources for providing training to foster parents was really insufficient, with many foster parents not having any formal training at all.

Committee is very concerned by this and wants to ensure that anyone who is caring for children in the system has the adequate resources and...

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today on the occasion of Commonwealth Day, the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, observed by roughly 2.4 billion people in 53 countries around the world, spread over every continent and ocean.

The day will be celebrated with a broad range of activities, including faith and civic gatherings, debates, school assemblies, flag raising ceremonies, street parties, cultural events, and a multicultural, multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey, where the head of the Commonwealth, the sovereign Her Majesty the Queen, will deliver an...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is one of several motions involving the front-line workers and actors who are engaged in the system who might not necessarily be government employees. The committee recognizes the enormous role that foster families and extended families play in support for children in care and that their experience is crucial to making the system work. We made a number of recommendations. This one is the first that calls for strengthening the working relationship with these community stakeholders.

Many of our committee members come from or have experience with traditional backgrounds...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think that my colleague, the honourable Member for Tu NedheWiilideh, spoke about the complex nature of some of the root causes that cause the intervention of Child and Family Services. There is really not a single solution; I agree. It is not in the Auditor General's report, what is going to fix the problem. It is not expending millions of dollars without a plan. It is, really, working with communities and figuring out where the strengths of those communities are and applying those strengths holistically so that we can ensure that communities feel supported.

With an...