The Committee released three reports during the autumn sitting. The first report “Report on the Review of the 2020-2021 Annual Report of the Ombud” (October 18, 2022) follows up on the Ombud’s previous recommendations to improve the Ombud Act, and recommends that the GNWT review and amend the Ombud Act by Fall 2025 and that the Rules of the Assembly are amended to allow annual reports of statutory officers like the Ombud to be made available to the public sooner.

“Report on the Review of the 2020-2021 Public Accounts” (October 28, 2022) detailed eight recommendations to the GNWT with three driving goals: addressing the NTHSSA’s growing deficit; enhancing disclosure on environmental liabilities, resource revenues and capital assets; and making fiscal reporting more timely, frequent, comparable and digital.

The third report “Report on the Review of the 2022 Audit of Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services” (November 1, 2022) presented 13 recommendations that reinforce accountability and request additional actions to improve programs and services that help Northerners avoid and heal from addictions.

During this sitting the Committee reported back to the House after studying Bill 53: An Act to Amend the Liquor Act. This Bill received assent on November 3, 2022.

Several pieces of legislation were referred to the Committee for review:

In the coming weeks, the Committee will start the process of holding public hearings for all of these bills, as well as review the Public Accounts 2021-2022.

Finally, the Committee has been continuing work on its statutory review of the Official Languages Act as well as its priority of increasing Indigenous representation in the public service. The Committee intends to table reports on its work on both initiatives in the House in the February/March 2023 sitting, and thanks all of those who participated in these reviews.

Public Business July – October 2022 Included:

Meeting, Indigenous Representation in the Public Service and the Official Languages Act, Hay River (August 15, 2022)

Meeting, Indigenous Representation in the Public Service and the Official Languages Act, Kátł’odeeche First Nation (August 16, 2022)

Briefing, GNWT’s Flood Response, GNWT Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (August 18, 2022)

Review, Office of the Auditor General’s Report on Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services in the Northwest Territories, Office of the Auditor General (October 6, 2022)

Virtual Meeting, Indigenous Representation in the Public Service and the Official Languages Act, Délı̨nę (October 7, 2022)

Clause-by-Clause Review, Bill 53: An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, Minister of Finance (October 7, 2022)