Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 100(4) and move Committee Report 9-18(3) into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I appreciate where the Member is coming from. I know many Northerners are constantly concerned about the ever-increasing cost of living, especially those in small communities.

However, what these amendments were designed to do is to empower cities, towns, and villages to implement taxes to support tourism opportunities in their communities. When the standing committee consulted with all of the six cities, towns, and villages that would be subject to these new bylaw provisions, the vast majority of them spoke in favour of the City of Yellowknife being allowed to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

During the course of this review, the Honourable Alfred Moses, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, twice advised the committee that he would not consider amendments that committee was proposing to the bill because the department had not consulted with their partner organizations on the committee's proposals.

While acknowledging that it is the Minister's prerogative to concur with committee's amendments or not, committee reminds the Minister that standing committees have the authority to carry out their own consultation on a given bill and to propose amendments...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill 24 be amended by renumbering clause 60 as subclause 60(1) and adding the following after that renumbered subclause:

(2) The following is added after subsection 238(1):

(1.1) A person who may be a candidate for an electoral district may, during the period of time prior to the pre-election period and campaign period for an election, use an amount of his or her own funds not exceeding $30,000 to promote his or her candidacy or election.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Sorry, Mr. Chair. I did not request a recorded vote.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that Bill 24 be amended in clause 34 by adding the following after paragraph (a):

(a.1) adding the following after paragraph (o):

(o.1) if the person being nominated wishes to be identified on the ballot as a member of a registered political party

(i) contain the consent of the party's authorized representative, as indicated by the authorized representative's signature, and

(ii) contain the person's written declaration that he or she is a member of a registered political party and wishes to be identified as a member of that party on the ballot.

Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this motion simply lays out the definitions that clarify later amendments that will be proposed. Quite plainly, it speaks to what a political party is, what a registered political party is, and what an authorized representative is in terms of the regulations that will be proposed under the act.

Again, this provides absolute certainty to Northerners and, in particular, those who are subject to either the GNWT's code of conduct or other statutes that make explicit reference to Territorial political parties without defining them. This clarifies that issue and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased today to speak to Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act. The bill provides for a series of changes that will offer much-needed flexibility and modernization of our system of elections in the NWT. I would like to acknowledge the work of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures in bringing forward these comprehensive changes to our elections legislation, along with recognizing the contributions of the Chief Electoral Officer, members of the public, and former candidates in their submissions to the review of the...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that this Assembly formally revokes the pleasure of the Assembly from the appointment of the honourable Member for Hay River South as a Member of the Executive Council, and further that this Assembly recommends that a Member be chosen to be a Member of the Executive Council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This amendment is separate from the previous suite of amendments that was designed to register and regulate territorial political parties. One of the concerns raised, and we've heard it in the debate was around creating an unfair advantage for independent candidates or incumbents to compete with a political organization with superior resources.

This amendment allows anyone who wishes to be a candidate in an election to use up to $30,000 a year to promote their candidacy. One of the realities of being an incumbent in this House is we are able to hold the public's attention...