Assembly session starts today
Week-long legislative assembly session to serve as housekeeping, preparation for fall session
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Politicians will be busy this afternoon as the fifth session of the 17th legislative assembly reconvenes.
This mini-session is only seven days long, but Premier Bob McLeod told Yellowknifer there is a good deal of work to do.
"May session is when government introduces legislation that will get first and second reading so that committees will have 120 days over the summer to do consultation, with the expectation that the bills will be passed in the fall," he said.
Along with getting first and second readings out of the way, it's a chance to bring up local issues for the politicians to consider while doing their constituency work over the summer.
"I know the MLAs have a lot of issues they want to talk about, like education, health decentralization, housing, cost of living, fracking, and issues specific to Yellowknife too such as the situation at Long Lake Beach and the day shelter," the premier said.
"It reminds us that the clock is ticking and we've only got so many days left in our mandate now - 490 days, a little over a year left."
Today, one bill is up for approval - Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. This act will amalgamate the Tu Nedhe riding - which encompasses Lutsel K'e and Fort Resolution - with Ndilo and Dettah.
Members of the assembly were in meetings all day Monday and Tuesday, preparing for the upcoming session.
In a quick interview between meetings, Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny said he doesn't think there's going to be anything too exciting coming to pass during the session.
"It's a short session ... I'm not expecting a lot that's going to be dripping off the page or Earth shattering," said Dolynny.
"We've got a couple bills we're going to be working on and there will probably be some follow up to the child and family services review."
Dolynny siad he will also be looking to follow up on 911 services, the organ donor registry and on a question he posed to the Department of Health and Social Services regarding hospital cleanliness.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins, Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley and Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro were in meetings all day Tuesday and were unavailable for comment before press time.
