When individuals are consulted on this after-hours number or when they are going through their itinerary, is there somebody else in the room with these clients or individuals? In some cases, I’ve had elders approach me where they have agreed on medical travel and agreed to go to Edmonton without an escort when, in fact, they did need an escort. When I have approached the Minister in the past, he’s always said this elder – the Minister’s office, I shouldn’t say the Minister himself – was consulted. However, in some cases, the elder or the individual might just agree, not knowing what they’re...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to congratulate and welcome all the recipients of the Culture and Heritage Awards today, specifically the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute, and also welcome Karen Wright-Fraser, who is a relative and who has been a very strong advocate for cultural contributions and the prolonging of the Gwich’in culture. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted a public review of Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Dental Profession Act, on September 18, 2013. The clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day.

The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. The bill revises registration requirements for specialists, as well as the registration and supervision requirements for students. It also amends the composition of the Registration Committee and creates a position of the registrar replacing the secretary.

Finally, the bill makes a change to meet the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 18, Apology Act, on September 18, 2013. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day. The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

The bill provides an apology made by or on behalf of a person in relation to any civil matter does not constitute an admission of fault or liability by the person or confirmation of a cause of action related to the matter and does not affect insurance coverage available to the person making the apology.

The bill also provides that an...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 15, Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act, on September 17, 2013. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day.

The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. The bill requires that all gunshot and stab wounds other than those wounds reasonably believed to be self-inflected or unintentionally inflicted be reported to health facilities and ambulance services that treat those injuries. The bill outlines the information that must be reported and the...

Thank you. In terms of modernizing the agreement, when can we see a copy of that agreement once it’s in draft form, and is the Gwich’in and the other three Aboriginal groups that are affected in the Peel River watershed, will they have some input into this agreement? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also have questions today for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in regard to my opening Member’s statement on the Peel River watershed and the Peel River itself. I want to ask the Minister what is the department’s position in this cause to protect the Peel. What is the department’s position on this? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Good job.

It is the considered opinion of the Standing Committee on Social Programs that the bill is a reasonable first step in the NWT’s efforts to prevent bullying. However, it cannot be the last step. In fact, committee members expected more and so do residents of our territory. Further work must address the root causes of bullying.

It is significant that Bill 12 does not amend the Education Act to prohibit bullying outright. This surprised some students. In Inuvik, for example, one said, “It should be law. It’s wrong.” It is hard to argue...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the past number of years, the Gwich’in people of the Inuvik region as well as other Aboriginal groups throughout the Yukon Territory have been fighting to get the Peel River and the Peel River watershed protected. Earlier this week in the news, we saw that the MP for the Northwest Territories tabled a bill in the House of Commons to try to get that Peel River and Peel River watershed protected.

This ecosystem is an integral component to the survival of the Gwich’in people’s way of life, their traditions and their culture. I am of Gwich’in descent and I have seen the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Justices of the Peace Act, on September 17, 2013. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day.

The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. The bill provides justices of the peace for the protection from civil liability so long as they do not act maliciously and without reasonable and probable cause.

Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Justices of the Peace Act, to the Assembly...