The Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
All those opposed, please rise.
The Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Great Slave, the Member for Yellowknife South, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Nahendeh.
All those abstaining, please rise. Three in favour, 13 opposed. The motion is defeated.
Clause 11. Does the committee agree?
Agreed, thank you. Clauses 12 to 18. Does the committee agree?
Thank you. Clause 19. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I move that Schedule 8 of Bill 6 be amended by adding the following after Section 19:
19.1(1) In this section, "voter" means in relation to a community, a person who is on the list of voters prepared under the Local Authorities Elections Act for the most recent community election;
(2) If that's at least 20 per cent of the voters of a community in which a cannabis store has been in operation for two or more years, petition the Minister to hold a plebiscite. The Minister may order that a plebiscite be held to determine whether the voters of that community wish to establish a restricted-quantity system as described in paragraph 12(2)(b)(3). Sections 15 to 19 apply with any necessary modifications to a plebiscite ordered under Subsection 2.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. The motion has been made. The motion is being distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion, Mr. O'Reilly.
The purpose of this motion is to ensure that communities have one more tool to look at the effects of cannabis in their communities, and, if they're not happy with what's happening, then they would have the ability to hold a plebiscite for a restricted-quantity system, even if there's an operating store. That could only take place, though, two years after a store opens and if 20 per cent of voters in the community prepare a petition and only after the Minister allows for a plebiscite to go ahead.
Just to refresh people's minds, a restricted-quantity system is one of the three options that are open to communities, as set out in Section 12(2) of the bill. The three approaches are: an unrestricted system, the second is a restricted system, and the last is a prohibition system. I'm not talking about a prohibition system, this is not about prohibiting cannabis in a community where there is a store. This is about bringing in a plebiscite for a restricted-quantity system, "a restricted-quantity system where the quantity, or type of cannabis that persons may possess, purchase, transport, or bring into the community is limited."
It's not about prohibiting cannabis but if, after a store has been operating for a couple of years, the community would like to have some kind of restrictions placed on possession limits, what's sold through the store, that kind of thing, they would at least have the ability to petition for a plebiscite, and the plebiscite would only be held if the Minister agrees. So this is to give communities one more tool to express their views about cannabis, even if there's an operating store. Under the current bill, once the store opens, the community cannot have a plebiscite for prohibition, cannot have a plebiscite for a restricted quantity system; that door's closed. This would open the door to allow for a community to express its views.
The last thing I guess I want to say about this is that this is no different than the authority of the Minister. The Minister can set terms and conditions for cannabis sale in a store through the agreement that's negotiated with a vendor. The Minister also has authority under Section 71 to set the terms and condition of sales through the store. What this does is allow the community to have some authority, a tool to express its views once a store has been opened. So that's what this is about, is providing communities with one more tool. So I hope that Members would support it. Thanks, Mr. Chair
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Next on the list, we have Mr. Simpson.
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Briefly, I appreciate the Member's intent to give communities more tools; however, I can't support a motion that sets up another hurdle for small business in this territory, and if utilized, would have the effect of just simply shifting sales from the legal to the illegal. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Mr. Thompson.