Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize for my earlier error. This would be on page 70. Again, there are three affordable housing projects in Fort Simpson, Hay River, and Norman Wells. Can the department provide its definition of affordable housing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to table the following two documents. One is an article from the Wednesday, October 26th edition of the Yellowknifer “St. Joseph School Feels the Pinch," and the second is from the Northern News Service Online from Wednesday, September 7th, entitled "Auditor General Examining Municipal Services."

I appreciate the Minister clarifying that for the benefit of the public. If that is the case then who is writing in the report that they agree with the audit and laying out action plans that include items that require cost? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in reviewing the "Auditor General's Report on Municipal and Community Affairs," it appears that to correct many of these recommendations and the responses from the department, itself, will require further resources. It talks about adding additional resources for training, additional staff. Quite a significant amount of work needs to be done to implement this. Has the Minister begun the process of costing this out, and can she inform this House of what this increased funding will require of our government? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Auditor General's audit of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs found that the department failed to adequately support community governments in their delivery of essential services, and, although the department monitored community governments' provision of some of these services, it failed to ensure that these met their basic requirements, namely the health and safety of Northerners. To put it simply Mr. Speaker, the department did not do their job.

MACA has accepted all of the recommendations and committed to updating their policies and accommodate the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Thank you to the Minister for that very thorough response. I wonder, though, with all of our legislative priorities and privacy this government in a very large mandate document, do we have the capacity to accommodate a significant shift like this? The Minister just spoke of involving three departments, and if not more, in making all these changes, so is this working group analysing the kind of capacity it's going to take for our government to get up to speed? I would hate for Northerners to be in a legislative lurch while this change takes place and our government to be playing catch-up.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health. Does the Minister support a marijuana regulation regime for the Northwest Territories that both allows us to capture more taxation revenues and keep our kids safe from a substance that is very much out of control under the current prohibition regime? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has committed to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017 to effectively legalize marijuana. During the meantime, they are looking at regulations with respect to production, distribution, and retail sale and consumption of marijuana. The market is adapting to pending changes, drawing in national and international investment that is already roughly created a medical marijuana industry valued at $200 million, and one that may grow 20-fold in the next five years.

To give you a clear example, Mr. Speaker, on October 6th a publicly traded marijuana company...