Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a detailed progress report to this Assembly on work done towards a comprehensive review of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, identifying a timeline and any additional resources required to complete the review within the life of the 17th Assembly.

One million six hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money for our NGOs and our small communities. Would the Minister, going back to I think it was my second question, look at creating an application-based program specific? We have a lot of application templates out there. Would he create something new where we can start funding things like kids sport, friendship centres, youth centres, or hamlet organizations? Would he look at creating something new in the amount of, say, maybe $25,000 application so that communities can actually get a little extra dollars to run some great programs and...

Yesterday the Minister made a Minister’s statement, and he does say that he’s waiting for the Early Childhood Development and Anti-Poverty strategies to come forward, but he says, “I will not wait until that response is finalized to take action.” So the sooner the better. We can’t wait to start providing programs.

You have heard a lot of really good options, a lot of good suggestions on this side of the House, what’s happening in Hay River, what’s happening in rural and remote communities. I’d like to ask the Minister, would he look at creating an application-based program with the funding...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also stand here in the House and use my Member’s statement to talk about the NGO Stabilization Fund.

In my work in doing a lot of volunteering, working on committees, past government work, working in actually offering some of these programs through some of the departments that I have worked for, we have a lot of really great NGOs out in the Territories who are doing excellent work. Coming into the government, I see the process of how long it takes to get a budget passed to support some of these organizations that we put policies in place that prevent them from actually...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Finance continue to work with the Auditor General of Canada and GNWT departments, boards and agencies towards the completion of both the interim and final public accounts at the earliest possible date each year. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I also rise in favour of this motion. I commend Member Bisaro for bringing it forward and all Members who are in support of this motion as well. With the common use of cell phones, I-pads and computers in this day and age, it has become a common theme and a common occurrence that youth – not even youth – employees, adults do get bullied on a regular basis, and this definitely needs to be addressed and in the school system. Rather than just having one department take a look at it, I’d focus on the Department of Justice looking at how we can make the crime fit the issue of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am obviously trying to stay on top of this project here, as well as getting concerns from some of the local contractors as well as local residents in terms of how the asbestos is being discarded, those kinds of things.

Just by seeing what is happening in the community, what is the percentage of local workforce on this project in terms of the employees on the job site? What is the percentage of our local workforce? Does the Minister have those details? If not, can he provide them so I can make another statement in the House before the session is done...

There are a couple concerns here. Obviously, one from our local contractors not getting the awarded bid under some discrepancies with the Business Incentive Policy, but then also coming back, in their eyes or their perception, the southern contractors getting a change order without…(inaudible)…details. I’m glad that the Minister made reference to the Hazmat assessment, because right now we’re going to be going through some more demolitions with the Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, not to mention the Aurora College family housing units.

Will the Minister agree to fixing up the Hazmat assessment...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Friday I had the opportunity to attend a ceremony here at the Legislative Assembly, which was near and dear to my heart, and that was the World No Tobacco Day on May 31st of every year. It was really nice to see, although I missed part of the ceremony. It was nice to see that the Department of Health and Social Services and its partners were promoting not only talking about the commercial uses of tobacco but promoting the cultural and traditional uses of tobacco that we have in the Northwest Territories, and promoting spirituality, healing, respect, offering prayers...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The three northern territories are the only Canadian jurisdictions which do not have information and privacy legislation for municipalities. Municipalities collect and retain significant amounts of personal information about citizens and employees. There is no recourse in the NWT for citizens when this information is improperly used, nor are there any rules governing citizens’ access to municipal information.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner says she is receiving an increasing number of letters from people who are concerned about municipal access and privacy...