Question has been called. Member from Range Lake has asked for a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand. Sorry, Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Quick to want to get this done but, Mr. Speaker, I just want to -- one thing I want to do is recognize the honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and his 30 years of firefighter service, and I want to reassure the public and folks in the gallery, folks on the floor as well, that he has been supportive 100 percent of the way. He has responded positively, you know, in question period to emails. He's even sent me text messages saying, keep going. So he is fighting for firefighters, for first responders, and there should be no doubt in that. This is his passion, and his commitment really shines through. So I thank him for that, and I thank him for his supportive words today.

On the question of process, the bill is intentionally designed to come in one year after the Nunavut election which gives them time to review the changes and work with the commission to bring about similar legislative changes over there. Even though we do have a shared jurisdiction which started, of course, prior to division in 1999 and has continued because it's a bigger pool of coverage for northern workers, we can still have our own regime that's separate from Nunavut. Not that that's intended. Again, we want everything to eventually come together seamlessly, but we also want to move quickly, and we've heard the frustrations, again, that this has been a time consuming and long-awaited process. Again, I don't want to focus on the past; I want to move forward. But moving forward is passing this bill and getting that coverage in hopefully the fall of this year if the committee is able to endorse the bill going forward. And, honestly, this is a perfect example of our consensus government working well to complement both the government's resources and the resources of Regular Members. We can often move more nimbly, more quickly, to solve challenges than some of our processes. And that's not to disparage against them. I think there's been a huge body of research here. But we know these changes have been coming and that they're -- it's very important we make them. So I think this is -- this should be seen -- and we're seeing more of this, quite frankly, in this Assembly, that Private Members' bills are being -- are being used to solve these kinds of challenges.

So yes, to the principle, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm just going to conclude by saying structural fires are going down but firefighter deaths are going up. You know, that shows we do need to do something. We do need to expand coverage. And firefighters shouldn't be fighting for coverage when they get sick. They should be fighting cancer and heart disease instead, and first responders shouldn't be fighting for coverage when and if they're suffering from PTSD. This bill changes that. And I thank all my colleagues for that support. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre.

All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput.

All those in favour, 9. Opposed, zero. Abstentions, 7. The motion is carried. Bill 29 has been read a second time and is referred to a standing committee of the Assembly for further consideration.

---Carried

Second reading of bills. Minister of Finance.

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Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that Bill 31, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026, be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? The motion is carried. The motion is carried. Bill 31 has been read a second time.

---Carried

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput that Bill 31, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote.

Thank you, Minister. To the principle of the bill. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the principle of the bill.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House here today to speak about the bill, and I don't know where to start but the best way for me to talk about this is that I want to say small communities do matter. We got 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, and we all have our own needs and wants and ask, and I got to work with our own Indigenous governments that are bringing their issues to me all the time. And I get calls every day, evenings, weekends, and I continue to advocate for them.

Mr. Speaker, in the 19th Assembly I came in through a by-election, and at that time I brought my wish list forward to this government. And I was told that the wish list for my Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding was that we're going to try to put your wish list on the train, but the train left two years earlier on a four-year mandate. And it would appear that the -- my wish list for my riding was put on a suitcase and they tried to throw it on a moving train, but it bounced off. And the issue there is that the issues of my riding at that time never was addressed in the 19th Assembly --

Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, you're not talking -- you're not speaking to the bill. We're not talking about past experience. Please speak to the bill, please and thank you. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill, at this time, there's no -- there's nothing there for my small communities from the 19th and 20th Assembly. I got a letter that was brought in with all my issues. Two years in this mandate, I don't see anything there. And March of this year, I brought it up. But anyway, Mr. Speaker, at this point in time, I don't support this bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Thebacha.

Thank you. All those opposed, please stand.

The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Range Lake.

All those abstaining, please stand.

All those in favour, 13. Opposed, 3. Abstentions, zero. The motion is carried. Bill 31 has had its third reading. Thank you.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Clerk, can you please determine whether the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Gerald Kisoun, is prepared to enter the chamber and assent to the bills.

Please be seated. Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker, Premier Simpson, Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly, and staff, and visitors in the public gallery. [Translation not provided]. Welcome.

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which we gather are treaty lands and the home to many Indigenous peoples, including the Akaitcho Dene, Tlicho, and Metis. We are grateful to be on this land. As we enjoy these warmer months, I would like to wish each of you a safe, healthy, and happy summer as you take your break and enjoy quality time with your families. Please travel safely on the land, on our waters, in the air, and on our highways. But you continue working for the betterment of all Northerners. Encourage and remind your families, friends, and people in your communities to be safe out on the land and to wear personal flotation devices, PFDs, when travelling by boat on our waterways.

As this sitting comes to a close, I wish the Members of this House good health and happiness as you enjoy the summer and continue work in your constituencies.

Now, as Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I am pleased to assent to the following bills:

Bill 17: Municipal and Community Affairs Statutes Amendment Act;

Bill 18: An Act to Amend the Partnership and Business Names Act;

Bill 30: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization) No. 1, 2025-2026;

Bill 31: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2025-2026.

Mahsi cho. Thank you. Quyananni. Hiyah. Merci beaucoup. Quana.

Colleagues, I'd like to thank the Commissioner, the Honourable Gerald Kisoun for joining us here today to assent to our legislation. It is always a pleasure to have him join us in this chamber. Thank you, Commissioner.

Members, please join me to thank everybody that makes it possible to do our jobs here. We have and rely on a wonderful team of public servants and supporters. I want to let them know that we appreciate all they do for us. Our staff do everything from keeping the building open and operating safely to ensure that we are seen and heard on television, computers, and radios across the territories, to provide research and procedural advice.

As always, a special thank you to your interpreters and our pages. They remind us of where we came from and where we are going. I want to thank our interpreters for their participation in our elders' tours. Their presence help ground us, then when passion or politics take things too far.

Colleagues, this House is not scheduled to sit again until October. I know you will be hard at work during these months ahead. Use this time to reconnect with people in your communities, returning this fall with respectful, engaged debate, and some hard work. Our territory faces great challenges. It is our job to rise to these challenges. Thank you, colleagues. Now, let's go home to our friends and families. Don't forget to let them know how much we support and encouragement matters to you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Orders of the day for Thursday, October 16th, 2025, 1:30 p.m.

Prayer or Reflection

Ministers’ Statements

Members’ Statements

Motions

Returns to Oral Questions

Oral Question 666-20(1), Legal Aid Commission of the Northwest Territories

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Acknowledgements

Oral Questions

Written Questions

Returns to Written Questions

Replies to the Commissioner’s Address

Petitions

Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

Reports of Standing and Special Committees

Tabling of Documents

Notices of Motion

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

First Reading of Bills

Second Reading of Bills

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Report of Committee of the Whole

Third Reading of Bills

Orders of the Day

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Thursday, October 16th, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 4:47 p.m.