Members Statement, October 24, 2008 CLICK HERE >>
Member’s Statement: Gnwt Zero-based Review

Members Statement, October 23, 2008 CLICK HERE >>
Member’s Statement: Restructuring The Northwest Territories Power Corporation

Members Statement, October 22, 2008 CLICK HERE >>
Member’s Statement: Regular Performance Audits Of Crown Corporations

Members Statement, October 21, 2008 CLICK HERE >>
Member’s Statement: Diesel Fuel Shortage In Western Canada

Members Statement, October 17, 2008
Member’s Statement On Lack Of Public Washrooms In Downtown Yellowknife CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 16, 2008
Member’s Statement On Distribution Of “Water Is Life” Documentary Film By Local Businessman CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 15, 2008
Member’s Statement On Medical Care Provided To Constituent In Southern Institution CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 9, 2008
Member’s Statement On Safety Guidelines For Student Travel CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 8, 2008
Member’s Statement On Lack Of Public Washrooms In Downtown Yellowknife CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 7, 2008
Member’s Statement On Board Reform Exercise CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 6, 2008
Member’s Statement On Cooking Trade Red Seal Training Program CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 3, 2008
Member’s Statement On Rising Energy Costs CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 2, 2008
Member’s Statement On Proposed Revenue Options Versus Expenditure Reductions CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, October 1, 2008
Member’s Statement On Proposed Taxation Initiatives CLICK HERE >>

Member's statement, June 11
Recognition of Prime Ministers Apology regarding Indian Residential Schools CLICK HERE >>

Member's statement, June 10
Reducing the cost of electricity in the north CLICK HERE >>

Member’s statement, June 9
Public service employment of persons with disabilities CLICK HERE >>

Member’s Statement, June 5
Early entry to kindergarten programs CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, June 4
Safer communities and neighbourhoods legislation CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, June 3
Delays in receiving responses from health and social services minister CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, June 2
Call for public debate of transportation safety issues - cell phones and smoking in cars CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, May 30th
Motor vehicle safety restraints for children CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, May 29th
Elimination of Government Red Tape CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, May 28 2008 CLICK HERE >>
$100 Million Dollars Outstand To The Gnwt From The Federal Government

Members Statement, May 27 2008
Immigration Of Skilled Foreign Workers CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, May 26 2008
Extension Of Cooking Trades Program CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, May 23 2008
Yellowknife Association Of Community Living CLICK HERE >>

Members Statement, May 22 2008
Yellowknife Airport Parking CLICK HERE >>

Member Statement, February 6, 2008
NWT Power Corporation Communication Strategies. CLICK HERE >>

Member Statement, February 15, 2008
Aftercare Treatment Programs. CLICK HERE >>

Member Statement, February 21, 2008
Thebacha Campus of Aurora College. CLICK HERE >>

October 24, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT: GNWT ZERO-BASED REVIEW

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I continue to remind this government about the need for a zero-based review before any tax increases. I started this session several weeks ago raising the concerns of many of my constituents in this city regarding the way the government potentially wants to tax monger these new ideas through our next budget process. Mr. Speaker, 23 days ago I raised this issue, and I would continue to raise this issue. The fact is the Finance Minister must listen to the people. They cannot bear being punished with further taxes. Good fiscal management needs to be the philosophy. Again I say that we do not have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem, Mr. Speaker. I hope the Finance Minister is listening to all the feedback he has heard on this side of the House and certainly from constituents, as I have. The fact is the knife cuts both ways. Yes, we might get a short-term increase in taxes, but in the long term we’ll erode our tax base. Think carefully, I say to the Finance Minister; think carefully. I stand firmly here today reminding the Finance Minister, that almost every one of those should be dropped, if not every one of those. They should have had the red pen treatment and fallen onto the floor and been struck off long before public consultation was considered. Mr. Speaker, the public at large can no longer bear unnecessary costs to a regular cost of living. This government has not proven to any degree that it is working as hard as it can with the sharpest pencils and doing government in the best and the most efficient way. So, Mr. Speaker, they cannot take it, and nor will I. I say to the Finance Minister: heed the warning of the public, because I can use the drumming of restless constituents who will demand responses — and measured responses. That discussion paper released by the Department of Finance has caused serious ripples in our North. People in industry are starting to second-guess this investment climate. Individuals are concerned about covering day-to-day costs. The tone of the economic environment in our North is struck and rung clearly by the Finance Minister. I have a message for that Finance Minister: before you run out into that dark room and draw up the next budget, be careful which tax bell you ring and how hard it is rung. You cannot un-ring a tax bell that scares the investment climate and destroys the tax base. Be careful, Mr. Finance Minister.

October 23, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT: RESTRUCTURING THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES POWER CORPORATION

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Power Corp issue is an accountability issue for me. It’s about value for money. The day-to-day question is: how is it being operated? Are we getting the money that we expect out of this organization? Are we getting the accountability out of this organization that we expect for our citizens in the territory? Mr. Speaker, I think the government has a role to play. I think it’s time to roll the NWT Power Corp into the territorial realm of responsibility, just like any other department. They act like a department, but with the independence of free rein. It’s a grey area as they exist right now. They’re not privatized, but they’re not quite government, so they get to sort of play on their own field the way they want. They set the wrong rules. Who gets punished? The consumer, Mr. Speaker. I wouldn’t suggest we damn the PUB through any type of exemption or roll it into the GNWT. I still think today that it provides a service, but the fact is I believe in better performance, and what better performance than bringing it here to the floor of this House for that type of scrutiny? Mr. Speaker, it’s about accountability that I don’t think exists. It wasn’t that long ago we heard about the U.S. bailout. What it did was it helped look at bad practices. It helped look at bad policies. That bailout also helped look at — and by the way, rewards, bonuses for their CEOs who run this corporation…. I question this: what about the efficiency of the NWT Power Corp? Does the rate increase, in my mind, mock or similarly look like a proposed rate increase versus a bailout package? Possibly. In my view it’s scandalous. It looks at rewarding bad policies that aren’t reviewed by us. It looks at rewarding bad management, possibly not reviewed by us. And certainly it rewards CEO bonuses, again unaccountable and not examined by us. Mr. Speaker, my issue is about having confidence in the system. The way it’s set up today, I don’t have confidence in the way it’s structured. I’m going to close by saying we could probably do the best for our citizens by having it here, accountable in the Legislature, where it belongs. Thank you.

October 22, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT: REGULAR PERFORMANCE AUDITS OF CROWN CORPORATIONS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February 2006 and again in March 2007 I made a Member’s statement on the need to perform regular performance or value-for money audits on Crown corporations owned by the GNWT. In response to my repeated questions, the Finance Minister indicated this was something he was willing to examine. Well, Mr. Speaker, another year has gone by, and I have yet to hear from the Minister, or even the new Minister, to see or hear about any concept being implemented. We all know that Crown corporations are subjected to annual financial audits by the Auditor General’s office, which examines the books and ensures the financial reporting practices are in accordance with recognized accounting principles. While this is a valuable exercise, Mr. Speaker, it does not provide the directors of the Crown corporations or the shareholders — which are the residents of the NWT as represented by this government and our MLAs — with the indication that the Crown corporations’ resources are being managed efficiently and that the operations are being carried out as effectively as possible. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important roles of Regular Members is to hold the government to account for the use of taxpayers’ money. Regular performance audits of Crown corporations are especially important, because Regular Members do not review the yearly budget and business plans of Crown corporations like we do for regular departments. This is a lack of direct oversight on the part of the elected MLAs for our Northerners at large, Mr. Speaker. We have seen the benefits of performance audits. Most recently the NWT Housing Corporation was under an audit by the office of the Auditor General. As a result, significant issues were identified, and a work plan to address these operational issues is now being implemented. There are a number of other government-owned entities, like the NWT Power Corp, that would benefit from a regular performance audit to help address many of the questions and concerns Northerners have about that operation. Mr. Speaker, we need to move ahead on this. Other jurisdictions, like the Government of Canada, have legislation that requires special examination of Crown corporations. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the NWT continues not to. We have an opportunity through the revision of the Financial Administration Act to address this gap. The Auditor General’s Office has agreed to work with this government on this problem. We need to recognize and partner with them to make sure this happens. Mr. Speaker, I will be raising this issue during question period later today. Hopefully the government will finally move forward on this initiative.

October 21, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT: DIESEL FUEL SHORTAGE IN WESTERN CANADA

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a serious shortage of diesel fuel across western Canada. Many drivers are nervous about the supply and whether it will dry up altogether. Most certainly the question out there today is how effective is the resupply going to be in the North, both the supply as well as the price. Those are important questions. In a recent news broadcast a spokesman from Petro-Canada said the shortage is due to an unexpected high demand this month from wholesalers. In addition, problems at several Alberta refineries have combined with diesel fuel in short supply. Two refineries have temporarily shut down diesel production. A third refinery is not producing at full capacity. What we have here is a perfect storm of problems, because this uncertainty is real. Mr. Speaker, last weekend I went to Edmonton, and in a polite fashion, while I was filling up my vehicle, I asked the store clerk: how are things going? He said miserable, because they had no diesel fuel to offer anyone, and he said the supply chain is broken and is getting worse. It wasn’t at one gas station alone I heard this problem. I heard it at others. I fear the situation could have negative effects on all Northerners. A slowdown in trucking deliveries could lead to shortages of products on our store shelves. That could be food. That could be gas to fill our tanks. Mr. Speaker, that could be home heating fuel to warm ourselves in this cold coming winter. Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that Christmas is coming, and I certainly hope merchandise won’t be shorted on our shelves. This problem has existed for a couple of months now, and all indications are that it is not fully resolved and should not be resolved until approximately November. Some fill-up stations in the south are rationing the amount of fuel that they can sell to certain customers. Mr. Speaker, I fear that this may come here, and I certainly hope it does not. Some diesel fuel supplies from Eastern Canada are being delivered west, so this situation can be eased due to the shortage. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Public Works later today to ask him what he is doing with the situation. How well aware is he of the situation? I want to make sure his department is on top of the situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

October 17, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON LACK OF PUBLIC WASHROOMS IN DOWNTOWN YELLOWKNIFE

Today I want to use my Member’s statement to encourage the Minister responsible for coordinating initiatives related to homelessness to support this very important initiative. I first raised the topic of public washrooms last week. Since then I’ve learned that I have support and recognition of this problem from many of my colleagues. I also have the support of many businesses that have spoken out on this issue, and certainly a number of residents who feel it is a serious issue that needs serious measures to deal with. So I recognize that, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly hope there will be a Minister who recognizes that too. Yellowknife needs public toilets in our downtown. N Nobody expects that this alone will completely solve all our problems when it comes to urination, defecation in the downtown public areas. However, the installation of public toilets can be undertaken relatively quickly and certainly will achieve results. We need to link this to improvements to our housing, treatment for mental illness and addiction to drugs, and this would lead to all types of longterm solutions. I’ve taken a quick look at what other cities across Canada have done. This is a standard challenge facing many urban communities in our country regarding the significant homeless population. And worth noting, Mr. Speaker, even in the city of Yellowknife, the library downtown has had to take steps because they can no longer offer their washrooms — it’s just public washrooms — because it’s caused significant problems, and they continue to lose their contractors because of it. Often municipal governments are asked to take a partnership role, but certainly not the lead role, because that belongs to the senior government — in this case our Health Minister, our Minister for the homeless, but certainly the territorial government. However, many Canadian cities have been able to access additional funding sources from that senior government and use partnerships through businesses and NGOs. Many municipalities have purchased special-purpose self-contained cleaning units for public washrooms. There are several kinds of standard units readily available out there, and they range, starting at approximately $50,000. Some communities are able to hose those lanes and doorsteps down all year long. But that certainly is not the case here in Yellowknife, and that’s why we need a self-contained unit, so people can go on the coldest days and use the washroom.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, it is a significant issue, and many cities are working hard on this. I want to compliment cities like Winnipeg. It is a winter city, and they are trying to deal with this problem. I have even read that they have had architects come forward offering free service to design a public washroom to help deal with this problem. Mr. Speaker, I’m going to close by stressing that access to public washrooms is also a health issue. If the Minister has never heard of infectious disease, then let be me the first to tell her about it. There are certainly her officials who can remind her about what problems this can lead to. This is very important to our community. It is very important to the growth of our community. It’s certainly important to the health of our community. Later today I will be asking questions to the Minister of Homelessness who, hopefully, will understand the significance of this file.

October 16, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON DISTRIBUTION OF “WATER IS LIFE” DOCUMENTARY FILM BY LOCAL BUSINESSMAN

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to use my Member’s statement today to trumpet the efforts of one individual in our business community, in our Yellowknife private sector, who stepped up to the plate where government sometimes is uncomfortable on environmental education for youth. That person is Yellowknife’s Chris Johnson. He heard last week the lukewarm answers from our Premier about purchasing the documentary film “Water is Life.” He heard — and I quote from the October 7, 2008, page 22 unedited Hansard — we will be prepared to “try to see what we can get to do to get this information out to all the students in the Northwest Territories. We ourselves are undertaking a number of issues to get on top of the water situation….”  Mr. Speaker, someone in the business communities often hears and uses this phrase “we’ll think about it and maybe get back to you” or even words as a veiled — or not so veiled — no. Chris Johnson believes that the foundation of our youth is built with the knowledge and understanding of the world and most certainly the importance of the environmental issues in our North and in our community. So when he said that he would buy all of those videos for all of our Northern high schools, I was quite shocked and amazed and certainly excited to hear this. When he contacted me, he felt so strongly about this issue that the government wasn’t clearly saying yes to help our youth of today. He said he would help our youth of today because they are leaders of tomorrow, and they need to be armed with knowledge and understanding of the issues of today. He said this without any hesitation and felt it was unacceptable that it wasn’t a clear yes from the Premier, so he said he would be willing to do it. Chris Johnson is mindful of the youth. He cares very much about them. He is very strongly committed to his community and his family. He believes strongly in our North and the environment we are living in and where we will be living in the future. That is why he is doing this. He feels that he has to step up as a business, he needs to be committed to the North, and he feels he wants to demonstrate this. Mr. Speaker, this is a fine example of where a business is leading on this initiative and shows the North that business cares too. I want to compliment the efforts of this young businessman in Yellowknife, Mr. Chris Johnson, for his community efforts. Thank you.

October 15, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON MEDICAL CARE PROVIDED TO CONSTITUENT IN SOUTHERN INSTITUTION

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the Thanksgiving weekend something horrible happened. A young mother in her youthful prime had a stroke, and because of her condition level, she needed to be sent to an Edmonton hospital to meet her needs. So she was medevaced to Edmonton Monday night and arrived around 11 p.m. with her daughter and three-month-old nursing son in tow. As anyone can imagine, this is a difficult situation, but what can be noted here at this specific point is that it has the appearance that the system may be working. That is, you get sick, and the publicly funded system, via taxpayer dollars, is there to care for you when you need it most. However, this is where the system did not work, because when this mother needed it most, it seems to have fallen off the rails. When she got to the Edmonton hospital, there was no room to forward her to. When she got there, she spent the remainder of that evening and most of the next day in Emergency. In total she sat there almost 19 hours in the emergency room — again, with two in tow. I don’t know what the reasonable level of health care is and how it would be defined by our Health Minister, but, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that if we stepped outside of this building, no one on these streets would tell you that waiting 19 hours in Emergency is considered a reasonable level of care considering our taxpayer dollars are paying for something much better. Why do I keep pointing to 19 hours? Well, that’s when an “enclosure” in the emergency room was found. I don’t know where it may have been. Maybe it had been lost. To be honest, Mr. Speaker, I don’t even know what an enclosure is. Is it a broom closet? Is it a coffee room? Is it a storeroom? I just don’t know. Again, this is not a reasonable level of care that I would normally define. I only wish the story ended there, Mr. Speaker. So this woman with a stroke, two in tow, waited 15 more hours in the enclosure. But I’m pleased to say, as of nine o’clock this morning, after 34 hours of this whole ordeal, she finally received a room. Now, this is very important. As I’ve come to understand the situation, a memo had been forwarded to the Health Minister almost two weeks ago saying that there were no rooms available. That’s two weeks ago. How can that be? How can we leave health care to chance? Mr. Speaker, this stresses me out just thinking about this statement. How do you think the husband felt? How do you think she felt? How do you think her children felt? No one should feel abandoned by our system — certainly not like this.

So what happened? Why were there no rooms available? There is more than one hospital in Edmonton that I’m familiar with. Where is the assistance from our northern nurses who work down there to make sure our northern patients are taken care of? What about that great arrangement we have with Capital Health? We pay them. What are they doing? At this moment I’m not sure. It sounds like they’re not doing their job. So what is the problem? What was the plan? Knowing full well that there might not be room, why did we send her? Why didn’t we send her to Calgary? Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to have wait six to nine weeks for an answer from the Health Minister on this situation, but I can guarantee you that this family deserves a written apology and a public statement saying that this level of care will not be delivered to anyone, and this is not a reasonable level of service for anyone to receive in the future.

October 9, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT TRAVEL

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am raising the topic of safety for students in the NWT. We all know that intercommunity sports and recreation events are an important part of a student’s life experience. Mr. Speaker, I have many fond memories of travelling with Mr. Rick Tremblay when I was kid to communities for basketball, wrestling and cross-country events. As we all know too well, coaches, team mangers, chaperones and parents often take their teams to other communities in the NWT and Alberta. They make use of their own cars and minivans and sometimes rent vehicles and buses. Sadly, I need to recognize the tragedy of seven lost lives last year in an accident in New Brunswick. Typically, the investigations into these kinds of incidents point to poorly maintained vehicles, overly tired drivers, bad weather, poor safety practices by passengers. In response to that event, the province has now taken steps in establishing guidelines about students travelling, including vehicle types, vehicle inspections and driver training. Mr. Speaker, before the alarm bells need to go off in our territory, I hope our government will consider acting. The government in New Brunswick is proposing and eventually establishing their guidelines as enforceable regulations under their Education Act. I suspect the NWT practices are not much different from other places in Canada. Hard working teachers and parents volunteer their time and efforts and vehicles to make huge positive contributions in their children’s sports activities. We all have heard stories about northern travel, about broken down vehicles in cold winter and passengers without winter gear. We know that ambulances are not easy to find on many NWT highways. We all know that coaches often do double duty coaching and chaperoning all day long at hockey arenas, and then they drive home in the dark when most of the athletes and students are sleeping because of their exhausting day and weekend. I think that it is time for the NWT Minister of Education to work hard with his partners and establish some northern guidelines for student travel. These guidelines would assist everyone to take the right amount of care and the right kind of standard to make sure our students are travelling safe. Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Education Minister would agree with me that parents and teachers want to know their children are as safe as they possibly can be when travelling to events with the school teams. That I wholeheartedly support.

October 8, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON LACK OF PUBLIC WASHROOMS IN DOWNTOWN YELLOWKNIFE

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue I wanted to raise today on behalf of my riding is the concern about the lack of public washrooms. People need to be people, and people need personal dignity, and they need to be normal just like you and I. In the morning when the homeless are nudged out of the door — that is, if they’re the lucky ones — they are faced with the same issue, just like everyone here. Businesses have locked their doors and refused to give out keys for various reasons, some justified and some less justified. Having someone deal with bodily functions behind cars in the downtown parking lots, behind buildings, behind dumpsters, and even sometimes in dumpsters is not a symbol of our finer society achieving its better moments in history. Has all been lost, I wonder. Has society given up on them? I start to wonder about that too. Mr. Speaker, the issue really is: has this become normalized? I certainly hope it hasn’t. We have to ask ourselves what we are elevating this issue with. Are we dealing with this, or are we ignoring it? The homeless, as well as some of the other street people who spend time at the Salvation Army and other places, need a place to be able to turn to. Businesses are not sharing this opportunity. Our government needs to stand up to the pressure and all the silly little jokes of not realizing that this is a real issue. Those people should be ashamed of themselves. I believe this public government has a responsibility to develop an approach that will help people. Mr. Speaker, if we are truly the society we promise to be, we should start showing it.

October 7, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON BOARD REFORM EXERCISE
The die has been cast, Mr. Speaker, and this government seems to have set in motion the decision to implement the regional services board model as a quintessential advantage of board reform. I agree there are too many boards out there, and we should examine their mandates and strive for efficiencies where we can find them, especially during times of fiscal crisis and restraint. What’s odd about the situation is that it’s no different from the repeated request made by me and many other Members for program review before slicing and dicing. What is interesting here, as usual, is that any decision that requires a soft glove approach becomes one of urgency and is greased through the system. I want to highlight my official concern and caution, as I can hear the Finance Minister resharpening his boning knives, which have only recently become dull on our public service because of the lack of direction. The intent behind consolidating health and social services, education and housing boards may not be bad in principle by itself, but when considering all of those mandates under one regional board, the problems start to surface on their own. I fear that this government has come up with an implementation model and put into motion an implementation process without costing this issue by realizing at what cost. Can anyone provide any analysis of the costs of this change? I doubt it. Can anyone provide any analysis of the efficiency of this change? I doubt that too. The Finance Minister, as always, seems convinced of the virtues of his direction and is full of wishful thinking about the implementation of this task facing him. I look forward to hearing about what he has identified as a proposal here in Yellowknife for three school boards, a local health authority and, of course, the Stanton Territorial Hospital. I also look forward to the engagement of our public stakeholders in an open and transparent manner about the problems we face with this approach and how they plan to solve these problems with their approach. Mr. Speaker, I only hope that board reform or government policy isn’t mandated by either wishful thinking or any magic eight ball. I prefer community based boards that respond to community based needs on their structures. I’m concerned that people will lose faith, local control and input if everything is rolled up into a regional board. Mr. Speaker, I suggest a caring and a modest approach, one the Finance Minister is characteristically not familiar with. I support board reform and efficiency, but don’t take the community relationship out of the factor just to save a few dollars.

October 6, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON COOKING TRADE RED SEAL TRAINING PROGRAM

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In May of this year I raised the issue of the lack of trades programs in the field of cooking here in the North. At the same time, I also talked about the opportunities and solutions we have right here. However, in typical fashion, it seems that maybe another good idea has been lost in the grumbling bowels of government. What continues to be obvious to me is that there still are many gaps that need to be filled in our trades programming for those who want to learn more. That is why, more than ever, a Red Seal trades cooking program needs to be supported. There is a hunger out there, Mr. Speaker, to learn, to teach and, most certainly, to be fed. There’s a high demand for certified cooks in our diamond mines, exploration camps and certainly in the food service industry in our communities. I ask the government: what additional signals are you looking for? Because if you need something to be made more obvious, I’m sure many of us here will get them for you. This sector truly is not being served. The demand for skilled cooks will only increase as government watches maybe even the Mackenzie pipeline go by with no one to train to send to their camps. We all know there is a camp cook training program at our rural college, but this is an entry level program, Mr. Speaker. It does not provide the necessary training for a fully licensed cook in a Red Seal tradesperson program. I believe we need to extend the cook training program opportunities here in the North. We have the facilities here in Yellowknife; they are just sitting idle waiting for students. We have journeymen, we have journeywomen who want to teach their skills, but we have no government support to back them up, and we certainly won’t have any students for them to teach. Let’s not waste this opportunity. Government, I hope you’re listening. The potential is sitting idly by. They certainly want to learn. I’ve had the opportunity to take the Education Minister down to see this facility here in Yellowknife, and there is promise, Mr. Speaker. There is certainly promise for the next generation, because it shows that it wants to learn. So let’s unlock these doors, not keep them locked. We have industry that wants to be part of the solution. Where’s the Minister helping them? Bring them to the table, I say. We have the people, we have the skills, we have the teachers, but we now need government. The next step is easy. Let’s flip into gear before this opportunity boils over and is lost. I will have questions for the Education Minister later today.

October 3, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON RISING ENERGY COSTS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Northerners are reeling from the increased costs of gas, diesel and home heating fuel and are fearful for what this winter will bring. Not only does it cost more to put gas in our vehicles or to heat our homes, but these sky rocketing fuel prices are affecting and impacting the everyday cost of living of all Northerners. As a result of these high fuel prices, we are living with increases in electricity, food and other goods and services. The bottom line is that this government needs to stand up for Northerners and protect them by introducing regulations that monitor and stabilize fuel prices. Gas price regulation will make a real difference for our residents. It will stop gas price volatility, eliminate opportunistic price gouging, and deliver fair, stable and predictable fuel prices and hopefully eliminate price poaching. Five other provinces have implemented fuel price regulations with serious success. New Brunswick, for example, sets fuel prices every two weeks based on global oil prices, fair transportation costs and certainly a reasonable margin. I hope that the Finance Minister is listening. Our citizens matter, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly hope that this government finally takes that to heart. We need to be protecting them. Excuses need to be stopped. There’s not one person in this building who didn’t run to say we are going to stop those people who like to say no instead of saying yes. Let’s start standing up for our territorial residents by protecting them. That’s why we’re here. Which side of this problem does this Finance Minister want to be on? Does he want to be on the side of protecting the producers or maybe the citizens? I can tell you, I’d be on the side of the citizens. So, Mr. Speaker, there’s no reason why this government can’t do the same here. The regulatory mechanisms already exist within our bureaucracy, so establishing a process would not be onerous or expensive in any way. People work hard or their pay-cheques, and they get angry when the gas prices suddenly shoot up overnight by 10 cents without a resupply or any other excuse proving why this is. Is the bureaucracy protecting the producers? They should be protecting the people. Mr. Speaker, we can’t sit idly by in this situation watching our Northerner’s money be gouged by these people. High prices have to be protected against for the citizens, and we have to stop this. Thank you.

October 2, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON PROPOSED REVENUE OPTIONS VERSUS EXPENDITURE REDUCTIONS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said yesterday, the problem with this government is it has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, and it continues to be obvious more so even today. I only wish there were a program like the Tree of Peace to send the Finance Minister to, to make sure he understands that, but we don’t. So it’s about time this government realizes that you could lower the cost of living in government and do business better at the same time without raising taxes. We need someone over there on that Cabinet side of this building to understand that we don’t need new taxes. Again, Mr. Speaker, we need imagination to solve this problem. This problem we face is no different from what I would normally call kitchen table economics. When money is tight in my house, we ask the question: what are we are spending it on? We take a look at the realities we live under, and we say: well, we can’t afford that; we’ll have to work around that. But this government does not take into account its spending choices and would rather consider laying off the public service and raising taxes than looking at itself. The reality is here. This government has enjoyed the Dijon mustard lifestyle far too long, and it should start shopping at the Co-op, because that is just as good when times are tight. Let me tell you again: good financial policies will encourage investments that will help grow our tax base in the North. They will encourage businesses to hire more employees. I hope the Finance Minister is listening. Last week in my riding of Yellowknife Centre, the Shoppers Drug Mart opened up. It has hired 20 more people. That’s bread and butter economics that the Finance Minister should start to pay attention to, because those people will bring in new taxes and that’s additional grant money from the federal government. But, no, that’s too shocking, this new business trend to working with business and fostering this. We’d rather help subsidize, at a $140 million subsidy, than help people get jobs, because the system sometimes pulls hem back into social programs instead of getting them up on their own two feet. Mr. Speaker, where is the zero based program review? It’s been asked for, for about a year now, by this side of the House. It’s obvious that we wouldn’t want to rush into anything. Maybe the Finance Minister just wants to get to know about this good idea before he marries into it. Of course, we wouldn’t want to rush him on this issue. We’d rather tax first, from what seems to be obvious. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent at this time to conclude my statement. Unanimous consent granted.

Mr. Speaker, we need a program review. Of course, it’s obvious we can’t review all the government all at the same time, but we could start, as other Members have said here, with two or three departments to see how we could achieve business by doing things better. It’s true that not all programs are bad, but let me tell you, a number are working properly. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I don’t want to see us raise taxes just to bail out health boards to the tune of $217 million in write-offs without going to the taxpayer and saying: we tried our very best. We’re not trying our best. Pay attention, Finance Minister.

October 1, 2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON PROPOSED TAXATION INITIATIVES

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The public is passing judgment today, and they’re saying that these new tax initiatives are the last straw. From what I see, the motto of this Finance Minister is “tax first, ask questions later.” I encourage the Minister to listen very carefully, because you can hear the caravan of people exiting the Territories. If Mr. Miltenberger has his way, that’s what we’ll see. In the past couple of weeks I’ve had my fill from the public, hearing their concerns about this Minister trying to fix our financial problems with more taxes. They have had it. They’re his ideas, and I’ll tell you, they’re not mine. The problem is — and I say to the Finance Minister to listen very carefully — the government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. We don’t need new taxes. We need someone with some real imagination over there. If Mr. Miltenberger had his way, everything suggested on his list would affect every person’s basic cost of living. That means milk, butter, heating oil, and don’t forget the power bill. Don’t get me started on the health care premiums. I can clearly see this Finance Minister has been getting sensitivity training from Revenue Canada, which is not the way to go. Mr. Speaker, the only surprise I have on this initiative is that it wasn’t released at Christmastime. As I look it over, you can clearly see they have no direction. You can clearly see that over at the Finance department no one understands bread and butter economics. What they’ve chosen is a path to destroy our economy, not to help it. With power rates spiking, home heating going up, what is the next straw? There will not be one, because no one will be here. Let me tell you: good financial policies will encourage investment, and they will certainly help our tax base grow. They will help businesses create employment. By the way, just in case you’re not listening, that means more taxes, naturally. More people working will help this territory far more than putting the thumbscrews to the cost of living of the average person, who’s had it. Every additional person, as it’s been said here today, can add at least $20,000 from our federal grant. That doesn’t even take into consideration the spending this generates. At this time I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Unanimous consent granted.

Mr. Speaker, let me give this Finance Minister a lesson. If we encouraged 2,000 people to our territory, that would cover our shortfall. By the way, that means 60 people per community. We can encourage a growth with the North policy, as opposed to taxing them to death. Let’s start on some of those migrant workers, as has been articulated clearly here. In closing, the financial gaps are big; imagination is low. As one person told me yesterday, it’s time that we start showing some backbone with some mineral tax instead of milk tax.

Recognition of Prime Ministers Apology regarding Indian Residential Schools

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I, too, would like to speak to the issue of Prime Minister Harper's statement regarding the apology for residential schooling that happened to First Nations and Inuit people in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I had one of the unique experiences of growing up in Fort Simpson, and I always treasure that, and I’ve met a lot of people over the years who have gone to residential school. I had to attend Akaitcho Hall because there wasn’t a school there, and I built a lot of bonds with many good friends who have gone through the system. For that, I’ll always treasure the experiences, knowledge and the relationships we’ve always had.
I felt that the place I went to was a caring organization, and it was okay for me. But I’ll tell you: my experience was that it wasn’t for everyone. The administration, the organization and the intent took care of many of us, but the stress of being taken away from families was too much to bear for many people. I remember many people going home, not a lot but many people, because of the heartstrings that it pulled upon and the problems it created there.

But I want to commend other Members, such as David Krutko, for speaking about his experience and his relationships and the challenges they faced. As well, I want to recognize Mr. Menicoche for his experiences, which he’s spoken about today. Mr. Speaker, I had a statement that I couldn’t read today, because I think what happened today was a groundbreaking moment. As highlighted by Mr. Menicoche, this is not just going to be a page in history. This will be a new chapter on how we identify ourselves.

Mr. Speaker, even though maybe someone had thought this was right, fortunately someone is looking back and saying, “This was completely wrong.” I think that so much of the identity of people was erased over such a horrible period of time that it will take not just years but decades and decades for us to move forward.  My heart goes out to those who still struggle with challenges. I know people for whom this experience has not just changed their lives but has permanently carved a new path for them. It’s not a path that they willed upon themselves; it’s an experience that was forced upon them.

Mr. Speaker, I’m going to close by saying that I’m grateful for my experience.  I’m not saying that every day was good, but I’m saying that this recognition was the fact that many people struggled, and they need that recognition and that apology, which came today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

June 10

Reducing the cost of electricity in the north

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not news to anyone that the NWT residents pay very high costs for electricity compared to southern Canada. Some of the extra costs can be explained by economies of scale.  However, I believe that more could be done to reduce the NWT Power Corporation's expenses and the burden they put on our ratepayers.  The NWT Power Corporation's electricity rates are approved by the Public Utilities Board and are based on the case the corporation makes to the PUB for its revenue needs based on expenses. I believe this approach is backwards and needs to be revisited. It does not provide enough accountability for its spending. The NWT Power Corporation should be adjusting its expenses based on revenues, not the other way around. In other words, it should have a budget set for it by this Assembly. It should have to work within that budget instead of going back to the power customers — people like you and me — for more and more money. Where is the incentive for the NWT Power Corporation to look for savings and efficiencies to keep their costs down? There are none.  For example, I've heard people question the shiny new trucks and the performance bonuses at a time when the cost of living keeps increasing. Our power bills are already too high, and the government is cutting back. So where is the Power Corporation's incentive to hustle for that buck? There isn't one.  When the customers are held hostage, there is little incentive for them to ever worry about the customers leaving, because there are no other utilities for them to go to. Where is that accountability to this Legislature? It's one customer, Mr. Speaker. So I will be interested in hearing what the Minister has to say is his approach for alternative ways to ensure that the NWT Power Corporation works as thriftily as possible so they do not pass unnecessary expenses on to their customers.

June 9

Public service employment of persons with disabilities

Mr. Speaker, I’d like today to urge this government to hire more people who are persons with disabilities.  Persons with disabilities have priority status under our Affirmative Action Program and Policy. With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I’d like some explanations for the low numbers for persons with disabilities in our public service. It’s hard to believe that of the 4,725 employees within the GNWT, we only have 19 people, or 0.4 per cent, who are persons with disabilities. 

For me, this raises two issues. For one, the Affirmative Action Policy does not work; and secondly, this government is not committed to integrating this group into our workforce.
The GNWT needs to starts hiring more persons with disabilities. They need to make true accommodations to integrate them into our casual pool. It is time for this government to realize that fostering diversity is a strength in our organization, not a weakness. To help this disadvantaged group get a little help and get forward in this life, we have community-based organizations like the employABILITY23 program of the Yellowknife Association for Community Living that has the expertise in this field. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to get out there and work with the Department of Human Resources to
make sure some initiatives get off the ground.  Supporting persons with disabilities as they work towards achieving their skills, development and employment goals must become a priority of this government. Priorities also mean strategic investment, Mr. Speaker. This government needs to set up a pool of money and set aside something in the range of $50,000 that could achieve these goals. That’s not asking for an incredible sum; it’s something that could go a long way. This government needs to recognize that individuals such as I’ve talked about can make valuable contributions in our public service. 

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to say that whenever someone’s hired, you see that they bring a new hope and a new light to their life — you can see the excitement in their eyes — and the chance of moving forward with some dreams. Let’s make sure that we bring some dreams and hope back to this group. Let’s hope that we bring some quality of life back to this group, such as persons with disabilities. I think we could go a long way by recognizing the opportunities, not the walls.

June 6

Eliminating plastic shopping bags

Mr. Speaker, as I always like to begin each Friday, I would like to make special mention that it’s Red Friday and I support my troops.

Today I want to talk about the need for public support in discussion and education in an effort to gradually eliminate the use of plastic bags. Plastic bags are everywhere. For almost every purchase we make, we get a plastic bag. Here in the NWT that adds up to almost 40 tonnes of plastic bag waste each year.  The use of plastic bags has serious impacts on the environment. While some are recycled, most plastic bags go to the garbage and end up in our landfills.  It is estimated that plastic bags take up to 1,000 years for them to break down. Plastic bags are also a major part of our litter problem. They clutter our streets, stick to our trees and certainly pollute our waters.  Another reason to consider eliminating plastic bags is that they are made from petroleum products, a major contributor to greenhouse gases.

Some people like to say it's Environment Day or Environment Week, but as I see it, to some degree, it's Environment Day every day.  The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has identified plastic bags as something we should consider recycling. I believe we should take it a step further and consult with the residents and businesses on ways to eliminate the use of plastic bags in the NWT.

If I highlight Halifax, for instance, some stores don't even sell plastic bags anymore. They don't allow them. They sell only cloth bags. So if you show up there, you’re out of luck if you forgot your bags. You have to buy new ones.  There's a growing international movement to ban or discourage the use of these manufactured plastic bags. Countries like Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, and even China have either banned these bags or implemented taxes or fees to put pressure on consumers. These taxes and fees have resulted in a significant drop in the use of plastic bags and have provided millions of dollars to governments to support recycling programs.  Many Northerners recognize the problems associated with plastic bags, and they are saying no to plastic bags by using cloth bags.  I believe that we need to move on this movement and ideals that are best for
our environment. I would encourage the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources to make sure he gets out there and engages Northerners to make sure we take significant steps to reduce and move forward on this issue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

June 5

Early entry to kindergarten programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about an issue in the riding here where a parent has come forward with a concern about access to kindergarten, but before I go into my statement, I should make it absolutely clear that there’s been no breach within the system, and of course, the school board is providing full and fair access within their rules.

Before I talk about what needs to be done, I should also stress that the Department of Education is working fairly as well.  Now that I’ve laid that out, to be honest, Mr. Speaker, we all know the rules around entering kindergarten. You have to be five before the date of December 31. Well, what happens in the case when you’re born not days
after December 31, not months after December 31 but a few minutes after the date of December 31? That parent would have to wait a full school year before their child could access kindergarten.

Mr. Speaker, Alberta considers an option where if you are in that type of situation, you can go through a little bit of a review, and the school board looks at your situation and does some tests on some kids. What they do is evaluate if that child should or could enter that school year. So they do a bit of a functional review. They work with the parents, and they find a way to say, “Is this considered a reasonable option?”

Mr. Speaker, we don’t have that type of option here in the Northwest Territories. We have a school board that would be willing to take a child who just happens to be five moments after the cut-off date, and we have a parent that would really like to do that. I know we have an education system that would like to provide those types of opportunities, but the problem is that we don’t have a policy to allow that type of negotiation or discussion or any type of flexibility in that process.  Today I rise on this point because I have a parent with that predicament right now. They would like the education system, through the Education Minister, to come up with a policy and possibly a solution to build some flexibility in that type of review. We’re not talking about bending rules for one person. We’re not talking about bending rules that would breach any type of policy. What we are talking about building is flexibility into a system that is
sensitive to the needs of children and parents. 

Mr. Speaker, ultimately, the Department of Education needs to build a framework so this policy could be looked at by a school board. I think this is ultimately a school board decision worked out with the parents. We don’t have rules, like Alberta does, to allow something like this to even be considered.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you, and I will have questions again for the Minister
later today.

June 4

Safer communities and neighbourhoods legislation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act was a groundbreaking initiative brought forward during the 15th Assembly in an attempt to deal with the drug trafficking and crimes devastating our communities. Although the SCAN bill died an unfair death, the problems it was meant to address still continue.

Law-abiding citizens continue to be intimidated by crack dealers and bootleggers in their neighbourhoods and are frustrated by the inability of the police to shut down these operations, not to mention the time it takes to do that. With drug houses next to our schools, our seniors’ homes, et cetera, the days of it being a spectator sport need to end. It’s time this government creates laws and enforcement tools that finally push back on this problem. 

Mr. Speaker, the saying “taking back our streets” is certainly not new, but it deserves the recognition that this government needs to support that.  Meanwhile, other jurisdictions, such as the Yukon, have had significant success using SCAN-type legislation which allows the authorities to close these drug and crack houses down and stop the other illegal activities that continue to destroy our communities.

Mr. Speaker, SCAN was a leap forward in protecting our citizens. It should come as no surprise to this government, to this House — to anyone — that for everyday people their quality of life is being stepped on, and they’re being taken advantage of. This government’s job, principally, is to protect its citizens and to ensure that they are safe. But the image out there is that the government’s more worried about those creating illegal activity than those who are trying to live everyday, law-abiding lives. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories as a whole would benefit from a safer communities and neighbourhoods act. I would encourage the Minister of Justice to bring forward a bill at the earliest opportunity to finally put our citizens first.

June 3

Delays in receiving responses from health and social services minister

Today I wanted to talk about the difficulty Northern families have accessing services for their children who are diagnosed with autism. I’ve spoken to a number of them, and I’m really starting to understand their struggle. I can’t really talk about this today because I’m more than just struggling in the sense of understanding their issues. I’m struggling to get answers from the Minister of Health and Social Services.

That’s what I want to talk about today.

A number of times I’ve written the Minister, and I find that things are really slow. I write a letter to find out about NHIB money and how much the GNWT is owed, especially in this crisis of trying to find money to pay our bills so we don’t have to lay off staff. It takes seven weeks before I get a response acknowledging that it’s still slow. It takes two extra weeks on top of that to finally get a response. That’s nine weeks to get an answer when we’re in a difficult position — when Members want to be proactive to find ways to help the government solve some of these financial crunches.

Speaking of that autism issue, I wrote the Minister over three weeks ago with just some simple questions, because I have parents struggling with this issue. I’m still waiting for those answers.

In March I’d written the Minister regarding multiple sclerosis coverage. I had a family come to me and say, “Look; we’re struggling. We have a potential drug that has a positive effect.” Mr. Speaker, it took over three weeks to find out a yes or no answer for this question, which is: was this drug one we cover? By the way, three weeks later I found out it was. But a walk down that back corridor could have certainly helped this family. They were concerned why it would take over three weeks to get an answer. 

At the end of April I wrote a letter — a supportive letter — because there is a family who is struggling with crack addiction. Although the answer didn’t come out the way I wanted it to, with ministerial support, it did take over a month to at least acknowledge my letter.

Mr. Speaker, how are we to get back to our constituents in a timely way?  This is not just happening to me. I’ve heard at least one other MLA speak to this as well. A staff member has told me that when they try to communicate and get information for MLAs to move forward on issues, this continues to be a problem.

If it was a photo-op or it was a cutting of cake, I bet that Minister would be running down the hall to do this. The fact is that I need answers to do my job.

I will have questions for the Premier today regarding what he has expectations of as reasonable response times for Members to do our jobs.

June 2

Call for public debate of transportation safety issues - cell phones and smoking in cars

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about a couple of transportation issues that have been on the horizon of that industry.  Across Canada there have been a number of concerns emerging that are under public discussion, which are all about cell phones and smoking while driving in vehicles with children present. The issue really is about the public debate and the fact that there needs to be a public debate on these types of issues for transportation here in the North. 

I’ve had a number of constituents come forward through e-mail to talk to me about what our government is doing on these issues that have come on to the horizon of safety of our people, whether there’s the safety of children inside the car or, of course, there’s just the safety of other people driving along the road. Many supporters of cell phone usage, of course, say that drivers won’t be distracted. But other people say that there are a number of distractions on the road, so would that add to any better situation?

I’m not an expert in these areas, but I think it’s critical that we get out there and have these types of debates. Provinces like Nova Scotia moved forward and banned smoking with children present in vehicles. I think that’s an interesting and bold move, because they’re worried about the safety of those children. There are a number of provinces who talk about things like enforcement and the difficulty of that.  When we look at these emerging transportation issues, you don’t need to be a
rocket scientist to know that if you’re not distracted, you’ll probably be driving safer. And, of course, we all understand that smoking in cars is a concentrated focus, and affecting children is a very difficult thing that we don’t want to do.

The reason I raise this as a rising transportation issue is that the concern is out there, and at this moment I don’t see the Department of Transportation leading a discussion, and that’s really all I want. 

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to add the fact that it’s on principle that we get out there and find out what the citizens need to know. It’s critical we find out what they want to hear, and I want to hear from them as well.  The fact is that public discussion is the principle and the basis of why I raise this issue today. I’ll have questions for the Minister of Transportation, to make sure we get out there, find the facts of these issues and find out if these types of things really work in the Northwest Territories and if would it make our roads safer and better.

May 30th

Motor vehicle safety restraints for children

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I always like to do on Friday, I like to make a special mention of the fact that it’s Red Friday so we can show support for our troops. 

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury to children of all ages. But those aged between four and nine years old are currently the most vulnerable. Canadian data shows that the death rate from car crashes has dropped in all other age groups, but not for the children between the ages of four and nine. Data also tells us that the majority of Canadian children aged four to nine are riding in seat belts, which puts them at risk for serious injury in car crashes.

Seat belts are designed to fit adult proportions. Children don’t generally reach the right size for seat belts until at least the age of nine. When a child is too small for a seat belt, it crosses the wrong places, such as their neck and their stomach. In the event of a crash, a child who is too small for a seat belt can suffer spinal injuries, internal injuries or what the doctors sometimes call seat belt syndrome.

The risk of serious injury and death can be significantly reduced by the use of a booster seat, a simple safety device that raises a child so the seatbelt fits correctly across the shoulders, chest and hip bone. Unfortunately, research shows that less than 30 per cent of Canadian parents who have children between the ages of four and nine use booster seats. Most parents think their children are too big or too old for those seats. 

We need to work to address this gap in the protection of our children that are between the ages of four and nine by implementing a public education campaign to give parents good information on the importance of booster seats and on how to tell their children that they need this seat and that they’re not too big or too old to have one.  Secondly, we need to pass legislation that requires booster seats. Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., Newfoundland and New Brunswick have all passed booster seat legislation. British Columbia will be implementing new booster seat legislation this summer. The Government of NWT should follow suit and make booster seats mandatory. 

In closing, we protect our children with car seats when they’re infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. I urge the Minister of Transportation to extend the same degree of protection to our children between the ages of four and nine by implementing legislation that would cover them. Putting children first is something we should always do. Let’s not let this gap continue.

May 29th

Elimination of Government Red Tape

Mr. Speaker, today I will be speaking about an all too familiar frustration for individuals and businesses in our territory: red tape. Red tape refers to those non-essential procedures – forms, licences and regulations – that add to the cost of dealing with government.

To be clear, red tape does not refer to regulations that are effective and necessary for the protection of public health, safety, the environment and consumers. Those types of regulations are important and essential for good government. The regulations we need to do away with are those that are obsolete, redundant, confusing and hurt our economic competitiveness or that simply just waste taxpayers’ time and money.

Several provinces, including British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Quebec, have red tape reduction initiatives underway. In 2001 the British Columbia government committed to reducing the unnecessary red tape and regulations by one-third within three years. The government ministers are now required to maintain a zero per cent increase to regulatory requirements from their June 2004 baselines and continue to identify further reductions and reform opportunities. In addition to reducing the number of regulations, the British Columbia government has introduced strict criteria to ensure that new and remaining regulations are as efficient and as effective as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it’s time for the GNWT to look at its own red tape reduction initiative, perhaps dusting off some of the work started on regulatory reform during the 13th Assembly. This is a project that would fit well with the mandate of the Refocusing Government Strategic Initiatives Committee led by Minister Miltenberger, which he spoke about yesterday.  I’ll be encouraging the committee to consider this type of initiative to make government as effective and efficient as possible.

May 28 2008

$100 Million Dollars outstand to the GNWT from the Federal Government

Mr. Speaker, it’s been raised a number of times in this House that the 2 per cent cost-escalator cap by Indian and Northern Affairs has placed significant difficulty on our hospital and physician services that we provide to status Indian and Inuit people. Today I wish to state for the record that I’m also very concerned about the failure of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs to acknowledge their fiduciary responsibility to provide health care to status aboriginal peoples of the North.

It is also concerning to me that the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs is, by placing an annual expenditure growth cap of 2 per cent, effectively downloading its fiduciary responsibility, its treaty responsibility, to the government of the Northwest Territories. Over the last nine years the total difference between the GNWT on what they’re paying for health care costs for eligible aboriginal people and what the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs is willing to pay is approaching $100 million.

Over the last five years the amount owed to the GNWT has ranged from $12.2 million to nearly $16 million per year. This works out to an average funding shortfall of approximately $15 million a year. Using a rough cost of $100,000 per PY, that is enough money annually to fund 150 government positions. This is money that could be used to fund things like that teachers’ agreement the Minister just announced, nurses, a daycare program. As well, it could have helped protect the laid-off folks that we all know about today. This $15 million could have mitigated some of these unpalatable budget reductions that we’re seeing before this House as we continue to go through them. We are in no position to be subsidizing our federal government, especially in light of our financial situation.

An agreement needs to be moved forward, and an agreement needs to be negotiated. We need to be starting to do something today, because if the federal government is not willing to pay for their treaty rights — that’s right, their fiduciary rights to Northern aboriginal people and to Inuit people — then we should start talking about and negotiating to give back the Department of Health to them,

because that is truly their responsibility. These are negotiated treaty rights, and they’re guaranteed. So, in closing, I will have questions for the Deputy Premier, because I think this problem goes to the highest office of this Assembly. If we are owed that type of money, somebody should be looking into this.

May 27 2008

IMMIGRATION OF SKILLED FOREIGN WORKERS

During the February session I spoke of the need for the government to establish a Territorial nomination system to help speed the immigration process for foreign skilled and semi-skilled workers who wish to become permanent residents of the Northwest Territories. Most provinces and the Yukon have an agreement with the Government of Canada that allows them to play a more direct role in selecting immigrants who wish to settle in their jurisdiction. Unfortunately, the response from the Minister indicated that the government did not see a role in facilitating the recruitment of skilled immigrants to the NWT. Like other jurisdictions in Canada, we face serious challenges in finding and attracting skilled workers to meet the employment needs and demands of our booming economy. Our unemployment rate is at an all-time low, and both large and small employers are struggling to recruit and keep qualified employees. The current federal immigration process is not well-equipped to respond to the need for skilled and semi-skilled workers in a timely manner. We need to find a proactive way to assist employers in recruiting qualified immigrants for jobs that cannot be filled by our local residents. I believe we can provide this type of service and maintain our commitment to training and employment opportunities for Northern residents, including our possible new ones. This is not an either/or situation. An effective labour force development strategy for the Northwest Territories would include a balanced mix of training, recruitment and employment of both skilled residents and semi-skilled foreign workers. Again I ask the Minister to establish a support service program so our employers of the North, to help them hire people and keep their businesses contributing.

May 26 2008

EXTENSION OF COOKING TRADES PROGRAM

The government has put an increased emphasis on support for trades training and apprenticeship opportunities over the past few years. What hasn’t been discussed enough, as far as I’m concerned, is the fact that the trades training programs, in my mind, still have a number of gaps. One area in the trades that is definitely needed in the North is cooking trades, a Red Seal program13. There’s a high demand for certified cooks in our diamond mines, exploration camps and in the food service industry in our North. The demand for skilled cooks will only increase when the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Project eventually moves forward. There is a camp cook program offered through Aurora College, but this is an entry-level program that does not provide the necessary training for work as a fully licensed cook, a Red Seal tradesperson. I believe we need to expand the cook training program opportunities in the North. I believe that it’s something we could do, and I believe it’s something that’s direly needed. People should not have to travel south — whether it’s to Edmonton, Calgary or beyond — to receive this training. We have facilities here in the North. We even have facilities here, potentially, in Yellowknife. I’ve had the opportunity to take the Education Minister down to see what a good program could look like. Later today I will be urging the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to take a serious look at this, to fully implement a fully accredited Red Seal cooking trades program here in the North so that all our Northern students can get true training here in the North, exactly where we want them.

May 23 2008

YELLOWKNIFE ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY LIVING

Before I begin I would like to make special mention of Red Friday, where people wear red to honour the troops.

Mr. Speaker, today’s Member’s statement is to talk about a couple of community grassroots events that will be happening here in Yellowknife. The first one is the Gumboot Rally, Mr. Speaker. It will be happening tomorrow, Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m. at the Yellowknife Education Board’s parking lot. It will be the scene of fun, games and a lot of laughs at the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, where they are holding their 16th Annual Gumboot Rally. The rally is the association’s major fundraiser to maintain programming throughout the year. The YACL is a non-profit organization that supports families, children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities so that they are included and able to contribute to community life here in Yellowknife. The association provides services in eight different programming areas, including employability, family projects, living and learning with FASD projects, literacy outreach centres, respite, supportive living, skills training, and inclusions.

Mr. Speaker, at the Gumboot Rally 15 to 20 teams will don hilarious costumes — and their gumboots, of course — to come out and compete in such games as basketboots, skinny ankles, boot toss, and catch ‘n boot. Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of notable prizes that will be donated by Canadian North: two trips, which can be a trip to Edmonton or Calgary. One is for the person who raises the most money, and the other is for the person who gets the most sponsors. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the event there will be a barbecue.

I’m just letting folks know that there are still packages available. Every year teams don funny costumes. In past years we’ve had the Loan Arrangers from the TD Bank, Aurora Jiggers from the college, the Flashers, Sisson Judges and the Hippies. So Mr. Speaker, that community event starts on Saturday. I’m making special note of our sponsors who make sure this event happens. They are Canadian North, YK-One, Artisan Press, North’s Best Foods, BHP, and the Gumboots, as well as Coffee Break News.

Mr. Speaker, just in closing, as I mentioned, I had two community events that are important in Yellowknife, and they’re grassroots. Of course there’s the Walk For the Cure for Juvenile diabetes, which I’ll be attending as well. That happens here at the Legislative Assembly on Sunday, May 25. Registration starts at 12 o’clock. Mr. Speaker, I’ll just say in closing it’s put on every year by the Lions Club. I want to thank them for leading that initiative starting here at the Legislature on Sunday. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

May 22 2008

YELLOWKNIFE AIRPORT PARKING

Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about a subject that I've raised before in this House, and it's my concern about Yellowknife Airport parking. I've highlighted the concern that Transportation continues to invest a lot of money in the installation and the repair of the airport parking ticket machine, and yet the problems continue not to be solved. I wonder how much money will continue to be spent out there on a product, a technology that just can't serve people.

Mr. Speaker, it's a waste of money. In my view, things have gone far off the rails and way out of hand. Anybody who has recently travelled or gone out to the airport to pick up loved ones will know that this parking machine isn't worth it salt, because long-term parkers have taken up all the spaces and not allowed short-term people out there. This machine isn't working.

I'm in favour of a simplified process that allows people to get out there with little or no administration. People need to get out there quick and easy, have lunch, picked up loved ones, et cetera. But there's no parking for those folks, because, again, long-term parkers have taken it up, and the government isn't charging money for that. The barriers are gone or they're left up, so anyone can just drive in there and stay as long as they like. And some stay for a long time, such as weeks, and nobody pays. What we've done is we've designed free, secure parking that's being provided to the special few. I can't see how this government can continue to justify its investment in this parking machine if it's not working. We're wasting money, Mr. Speaker.

This government continually talks and preaches about efficiency and spending money wisely, but it's yet to be seen.

We just heard the budget speech from the Finance Minister. Money is our problem. Spending is our problem. So I ask: why do we continue to spend money on a machine that doesn't work? All is not lost. My suggestion is, instead of wasting $30,000 or more on a machine that doesn't work, instead of spending $10,000 or more at a time to fix the darned thing, I'm suggesting we invest in the age-old technology called a clipboard and a pencil. We could go out there and check on who's paid, and if they haven't paid at the end of the day and they're not on the list, they could be removed or taken out of the situation. But the fact is that this is a diabolical departure from normal practice, simplifying it and making something that works.

Mr. Speaker, as I’ve highlighted, we have a really simple situation here. First of all, we have a money problem and a machine that could be making us a lot of money every year. We have a revenue problem; we’ve heard the Finance Minister speak to it many times. Why do you think we’re in the situation we are? It’s time to go back to start doing business properly and efficiently. I think if the

Minister listens very carefully, we could probably solve this problem without trying to embarrass the government by getting on and doing business right.

February 6, 2008

NWT Power Corporation Communication Strategies

Mr. Speaker, residents of Yellowknife have had a very concerning experience recently. With air temperature below minus 40 Celsius, a total power outage happened. The city sat in total darkness for over an hour in many areas before it was restored.

Yellowknife continues to get blackouts from time to time, and it’s a topic that has been raised in this House before. This case however was extreme, it occurred at a very serious time in our year.  It bothered many of my constituents.  In these temperatures, it doesn’t take long before the cold sweeps into your home and starts to cause problems with pipes that begin to freeze.  I heard from some very concerned seniors who didn’t know what to do, who to call or where to go?

That brings me to my point, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to touch on the topic of communications and the lack thereof on that issue.  During prolonged power outages, information must be made available to the public.  There are ways to ensure that the public is informed properly.  A power outage hotline could be established and promoted. That way, people would know power is being turned on or being dealt with and that they do not have long to wait.  If there are problems, they can give them ideas and suggestions of where to go and what to do.  Providing timely information is very much needed.

The facts are simple: power outages happen.  But we do have distribution already in

Place.  We have the NWT Power Corp and we have the Northland Utilities system here in Yellowknife.  They could send out information pamphlets with their bills.

Mr. Speaker, the fact is a public campaign needs to be held and we can do something very simple that means a lot to our residents.  In times of crisis we do not want to be hearing nasty stories; we want to be prepared in advance before they begin.

I will have questions for the Minister Responsible for the Power Corp to see if he will be willing to take on this initiative and make sure our constituents are informed properly if they need help.

February 7, 2008

Vacant GNWT Civil Service Positions

During the 15th Assembly I raised the issue of vacant or ghost positions within the public service and the fact that funding for these unstaffed positions is included in the departments’ budgets.  I recognize that many of these vacancies are short term, but in some instances these positions are left unfilled for long periods of time, and the funding is then used at the discretion of the department.  Sometimes that money evaporates into the abyss.

I have two concerns today about these unfilled positions that I wish to highlight.  My first one is accountability.  Members review and approve the departmental budget with the understanding that the money will be spent according to the budget information provided.  I am concerned that these funds may be spent without approval from Members of this House.

My second concern is that at this time, we are facing serious spending reductions and it is paramount we maximize our resources. Funded yet unfilled positions need to be reviewed and that could go a long way to mitigate some of the effects of the proposed reductions.  We must look for inefficiencies to avoid any serious ripple effect.  We need to be selective when picking from the blueberry patch, Mr. Speaker.

Our government has spent, in past years, like we are living in a dream of gluttony.  We must be prepared for and careful about what pound of flesh we demand out of our public service or out of our system in general.  I support the course correction, but I do not want a flashback of the Todd days in the ‘90s.  Mr. Speaker, I say to the Premier, heed my warning and engage Regular Members.  Again I say heed my warning; engage Regular Members early or prepare your few coins for the ferryman as he is starting to dock for you.

February 8, 2008

GNWT Volunteer Support Action Plan

Mr. Speaker, the G.N.W.T. Volunteer Support Initiative action plan speaks specifically about the support of volunteers in the N.W.T. Since 2005 this initiative has only served us lip service. Today I will use my Member’s statement as a plea for action supporting volunteers and volunteer organizations.  We all know what volunteers mean for our community.

Volunteers ensure that sports and recreation activities take place. Volunteers do fundraising, organize food banks, assist the homeless, teach and organize community cleanups — Mr. Speaker the list does go on.

Ask around. Getting community events off the ground without volunteer support is like making guacamole without avocados. These are only examples of volunteer activities, but the list of Good Samaritan activities could go on endlessly.  Volunteering contributes to good citizenship and our economy, saves the public purse money and creates a healthy community and not to mention, volunteerism helps all Members of this House.

Our government has to start showing our commitment to its volunteers.  There is an easy way for this government to show its commitment.  The G.N.W.T. can introduce a program allowing its employees to take one day per year to volunteer.  We are, as a government, yet again behind the times when it comes to showing our support for volunteering and volunteer days.  The benefits a volunteer day would provide would outweigh any costs.  This new form of civic leadership would inspire employees to contribute to their community.  It would demonstrate that the government values and recognizes the engagement in simple ways in volunteer activities.  It would show that the government is really in support of volunteers.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for our Premier later today.

February 11, 2008

Immigration Process For Foreign Workers

In this heated economy many Northern employers face shortages of both skilled and semi-skilled workers. Allowing employers to fill their labour shortages through foreign employees, both on a temporary or permanent basis, is a win-win for our economy, and there is a role for the G.N.W.T. to play.

There are shortages in a variety of industries and we lack the number of interested people to catch up. Eleven jurisdictions, including the Yukon, have a provincial nomination system that helps speed up the immigration process for skilled and semi-skilled workers who wish to become permanent residents of that jurisdiction.  Of course, Citizenship and Immigration still have the final say, but these programs do cut the red tape and make it easier for these employers to help fill those labour shortages.

I believe the G.N.W.T. needs to take a look at setting up such a program.  I am also aware of the difficulty and expense employers go through in the food and hospitality industry as they face staff recruitment.  It is extremely difficult to find workers who are willing to work for the wages that they can provide. Some food service operators have had some success in hiring temporary foreign workers, but this process is expensive and very time consuming.

We need to help our employers meet these challenges, Mr. Speaker. The resulting tax revenue and grant increase from Canada with higher immigration levels could easily help with the expense involved.

Mr. Speaker, I can best describe the situation as a Scylla or Charybolis. If we do nothing, the six-headed monster will chew those hard-working small business people down, wear them out and cause them to give up. Or equally as bad, the whirlpool of bureaucracy will swallow them up in frustration in a system that was designed to always help them. If we do nothing the ambition of small business will be sunk, and it is embarrassing for this government to watch that sailing ship sink without helping it.

February 12, 2008

Consumer Protection Measures in the Residential Tenancies Act

Today I will speak on behalf on many of my constituents who rent their accommodations in Yellowknife Centre. The Residential Tenancies Act allows landlords to raise the rents once per year with adequate notice. This puts tenants at a disadvantage when it comes time to renegotiate a lease. They can be left in a position with little options: they can be offered a 12-month lease with a rental increase, or they can enter into a month-by-month lease with even a larger increase.

The problem arises as to whether you commit yourself to a long-term lease and realize some savings, or you lose the flexibility. Or do you keep paying whatever rate they’re offering?

Mr. Speaker, long-term leases have their place. They give landlords the peace of mind that their properties are rented and allow the renters some certainty for budgeting over a long period of time. However, I believe when the economy is hot and the vacancy rate is low, there should be some mechanism that makes it easier for a renter to break the terms of a lease to help people follow potential opportunities.

Rental increases need to have merit, based on modesty, not on gluttony. A new Norman Rockwell artwork in the lobby shouldn’t constitute a need for a rent increase. I’m talking about what’s affordable and about fairness.

Mr. Speaker, there is a lack of reasonable protection in the act for renters at this time. With these types of consumer-protection clauses I talked about today, I certainly hope that we will be looking at them when the proposed Residential Tenancies Act comes forward to this Assembly for deliberation.

I want to close on two points. The first one is quite clear: you could double someone’s rent, and there’s nothing that could be done about it. The fact that somebody may say, “We would never do that,” doesn’t mean they don’t have the possibility to do that. The second point: Pontius Pilate once washed his hands of responsibility for making a fateful decision. He let the crowd determine the justice. Do not let this government wash its hands of the responsibility for protecting our consumers, our constituents, our people, and our families.

February 13, 2008

Appointments to NWT Boards and Agencies

Mr. Speaker, as we all are aware, there are many appointments to boards, agencies and commission positions that are either the responsibility of the G.N.W.T. or are done through statutory appointments by this Assembly. I believe that, except for cases where either specialized knowledge, circumstances or skills are required, every effort should be made to appoint Northern residents to these positions and that a condition of such an appointment require ongoing residency in the N.W.T.

If a person moves outside of the Northwest Territories, as we’ve recently had using the example of one of our legislative commission appointments, he or she should be deemed to have resigned their appointment immediately.

Furthermore, there are no real mechanisms to review a person in these positions until the term expires. If there are concerns with their effectiveness, ability or quality of work, we should be able to re-evaluate the position with justifiable reasons to overlook that concern. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that every year an increasing number of Northerners are furthering their education and developing skill sets that enhance their ability to serve the N.W.T. residents.

I strongly encourage this government and this Assembly to develop and adopt protocols to ensure that persons appointed to statutory positions or boards are residents of the N.W.T. for the term of their appointment. The Boards and Agencies Review gives us a great opportunity to look at this and deal with this problem.

The residency issue has become an increasingly important element to the N.W.T. and has even been applied to MLAs, with the recent adjustment for eligibility to be a representative. It isn’t a stretch to apply such conditions to persons appointed by this House.

February 14, 2008

I would like to make mention, as so many of us are already aware that February is Black History Month and that 2008 marks the 175th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery in the British Empire. 

It has been 12 years since Parliament officially recognized February as Black History Month, in a unanimously carried motion brought forward by the Hon. Jean Augustine. 

This Month and the activities scheduled for it, across Canada provides the chance to put the spotlight on the contributions made to our communities and to our country by Canadians of African and Caribbean descents.

The many nationalities that compose Canada’s Black community have been here helping pioneer, build and defend Canada and Canadian society from the very beginning.  From Mathieu Da Costa’s arrival in the 17th century with the first European explorers, to William Hall, Canada’s first Victoria Cross Recipient the impact and contribution made to our history is undeniable.  

Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on a long history and to celebrate a heritage that has struggled, endured and overcome.  This is also a time for us to reaffirm our commitment to promoting respect, equality and diversity in our country.

Mr. Speaker, I invite all members of this House and the people of the NWT to celebrate the achievements of Black Canadians and recognize the important role they have played in our national history.  Their contributions have helped shape Canada’s diverse mosaic and have helped establish our collective identity.

February 15, 2008

Mr. Speaker, as always, I try to regularly make special mention that it is Red Friday.

Today I feel compelled to speak again to the issue of aftercare and follow-up for clients with addictions. I must confess that I am perplexed by the Minister’s answers to the questions earlier this week. A finer defense of the status quo I have never seen. As the Minister stated, individual responsibility is a major component of recovery in healing from addiction. I do not disagree with that statement. What I find puzzling is the Minister’s harsh resistance to what seems like a simple, inexpensive yet potentially very beneficial service — a mere phone call, Mr. Speaker.

The transition from a residential treatment program back to the community can be very difficult, full of pitfalls and temptations to return to addictions. Follow-up with a client lets the person know that there’s still someone who cares even though they are no longer in treatment. If the client knows in advance that someone will be checking up, this in itself can be a motivator to stay the course in his or her rehabilitation. An individual can be responsible, but for many of us encouragement and support help bolster our resolve. I think this is what we usually call being human.

Mr. Speaker, one follow-up call could make the difference for a recovering addict who is struggling with feelings of isolation and social pressures. Success and effort are paramount in dealing with the biggest problems that are causing our social ills in this Territory. Poundmaker’s Lodge does this. Bellwood Health Services, a leading addictions-treatment program in Toronto, does this. Why can’t we do this? Why can’t we expand our ability and help the people the way we want to?

Mr. Speaker, aftercare is the key to successful recovery, and this government needs to ensure that a comprehensive aftercare program is made available to our residents. They need to be aware of it, and the lines of communication need to go two ways, not one way, as the Minister’s letter directs it to go.

In closing, I want to make a clear point. We’ve gone far beyond the question of this costing too much money. It has now become clear: it’s strictly a position of stubbornness.

February 18, 2008

Program Delivered at the Thebacha Campus of Aurora College

One of the consequences of decentralization is that even where we have good intentions, it may not work. Such is the case when concentrating Aurora College programs at the Thebacha Campus in Fort Smith.

As much as it pains me to say this — and it does — the Thebacha Campus is not meeting the needs of all Northern students. I’ve had concerns from constituents brought forward to me who fear for their personal safety because incidents of violence and intimidation in Fort Smith. This causes them to change their mind and refuse to want to continue training at the Fort Smith College.

How can we expect people to attend these courses and gain qualifications when they’re not welcome in this community? How can we expect students to enroll into programs that take them into greater degrees of isolation?

There’s a clear demand for trades’ training in the NWT, yet trades’ programs in Fort

Smith have suffered a drop of two-thirds in enrolment last year alone. I really have to question whether it is the best use of government funding to continue focusing activities and programming at the Thebacha College. Mr. Speaker, with two-thirds of an enrolment drop, I question if funding for instructors and programming should drop by the associated amount. I understand the lights and the heating bills need to be left on, but I question the programming.

I am of the opinion that we should be offering more programming at the Yellowknife

Campus, particularly in trades, and in doing so, a greater interest in residents would result. They need to expand the Yellowknife Campus. And that has been proven, because it has been deserving of this opportunity for many years. I think good discussion needs to finally, seriously take place.

Mr. Speaker, in tight fiscal times, we need to concentrate our resources where they make sense and question if they are being spent properly in that community. It’s not as much in the people as a whole, but if our students are going there and they’re not welcome, we should be asking ourselves hard, tough questions. The program may not run smoothly, but sometimes there’s a bump in the road. Those need to be addressed, and those questions need to be answered.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to discuss how we can get to the bottom of this and start treating our students fairly.

February 20, 2008

Contracts For Water Treatment Plants

Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about perceived fairness or, I should say, the lack thereof in a recent awarding of a bundled contract of five water treatment plants by the Department of MACA.

An unsuccessful bidder who has documented a number of strange coincidences has contacted me. What they have noted would lead any reasonable person to question whether this was an actual RFP or merely an exercise to ensure that MACA’s preferred contractor was awarded these contracts.

A brief backgrounder: MACA realized that the escalating cost might mean delaying some of the five water treatment plants on their capital plan. To their credit, MACA started looking at an innovative solution to ensure that all five water plants were examined so they could be built with one design and one contractor. So, Mr. Speaker, a good approach from MACA.

I’m sure you’re asking: who is the perceived contractor? To do this, they hired a southern Canadian firm, from Abbotsford, BC, to be exact, and they had determined the work could be done. This same firm was presented to the five communities as a preferred solution and approach in the presentation made by MACA in April of 2007. Mr. Speaker, this sad sonnet will continue with this firm; you’ll hear more about it later.

After an expression of interest in August 2007 two contracting groups qualified to respond to the request for proposal issued and finalized in November 2007. The unsuccessful consortium, both well-known and respected northern-based firms with decades of experience in the North and after spending a considerable amount of time, money and investment, were advised that their proposal could have been stronger for the case in the areas of operations, warranty options and support options. Mr. Speaker, how local do you have to get?

This leads me to believe that the cost of this competition was not the problem. Here we have a southern contractor — they’re back again, Mr. Speaker — who defines the feasibility of the scope of the project, works closely with MACA on the project and may, for all I know, have assisted in the design of the parameters of this contract being awarded to them.

Mr. Speaker, did anyone from MACA phone the unsuccessful proponent to clarify these areas of concern, that we had a southern-based contractor working with these communities on individual contracts?

The concerns are related to this process, Mr. Speaker, and they indeed deserve an explanation. The fact is that this Northern consortium wouldn’t reconsider even bothering to respond to this request for proposal, knowing very well the fact that this southern company from Abbotsford, B.C., was involved early on in this project.

February 21, 2008

Mr. Speaker, I arrived at the House today to clearly state for the residents of Fort Smith that it was not my intention to portray all residents of the community of Fort Smith in a negative light. As we all know very well, it is usually the actions of a few individuals and not the community that causes this type of issue to rise to the top. Those are the people to blame for this problem. Those who have chosen to make the lives of others miserable need to be brought to task.

Since I have made the concerns of my constituents public, even more people with similar concerns and stories about their experiences regarding these types of incidents have approached me. Yesterday I had 15 messages from around the North on my phone from people who wanted to share their personal experience or that of a family member.

Mr. Speaker, a real opportunity is before us. There is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed. It cannot be swept under the rug or ignored in hopes that it will go away. The issue is real, and it must be confronted. As I mentioned yesterday on CBC radio, I am working on a survey for former students related to their experiences. I want to hear both good and bad experiences. And with that, I’ve had several offers from our community to help make sure that this survey gets off the ground.

Mr. Speaker, I commit to sharing the results of this survey with the local MLA for Thebacha, with the Minister of ECE, with the town of Fort Smith and the council, and certainly with the management of Aurora College.

I quickly spoke to Mayor Martselos this morning, for whom I have a lot of respect, and I assured him I would make that statement today to make sure that the concerns are not about the community as a whole but needs to be focussed directly at those who are causing the problems. I agree with his concerns, and I certainly am making that statement to make sure he knows I have heard his statement.

Mr. Speaker, my goal is to work with all parties to find a collective solution to address this concern. It’s about the students and safety, and that’s all it is about.