Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier, and they are a follow-up to my statement about an aspect of the affirmative action policy. As I said, I have had constituents remark, and in fact complain, that the policy really amounts to a form of age discrimination. I also spoke of our previous government's commitment to look at this issue, but I have found in my research no evidence that this was addressed. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier tell this assembly whether this government has examined its affirmative action policy in light of changing circumstances and the passage...

Mr. Chairman, if I were to put one question forward it would be to see if the Minister could give us a snapshot given that all our optimistic forecasts come to bear and we have projects like Snap Lake, like a Mackenzie River bridge, like a Mackenzie Valley pipeline come into reality. What kinds of revenues potentially could this payroll tax net for the NWT? Could you paint us a picture of that benefit?

Mr. Speaker, has the Premier considered, given his knowledge of these steps and what’s involved, that an option that he has would be to ask Mr. Zoe to temporarily step aside from his duties so he could concentrate on this? Is this something that is relevant to the situation, a temporary absence from the portfolio? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, along the same lines of several of my colleagues on the issue of conduct and Mr. Zoe, indeed this is a serious matter as has been well acknowledged and it’s also an extremely difficult one for everyone in this assembly. You know, when a friend or a colleague has difficulty, one of the things that is incumbent on us as peers or co-workers or friends or neighbours is to do what we can to be supportive of another person who intends to get back on the right track in life. That is where I would like to be with our colleague, Mr. Zoe. In order to say that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item number 7 on the order paper. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, specific to the residency criteria, could the Premier advise whether he is in any position to consider whether this half lifetime requirement for eligibility for hiring in our government is still acceptable in today’s human rights standards? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This too is something that I hope the whole idea of going and looking at two different acts takes some time. But I would put to the Minister to consider that I think we already have a very strong precedent for that in our government, and this is in the area of tobacco legislation. I think it is the Department of Finance that looks after taxation and administration of cigarettes, but, yet, the Department of Health has demonstrated, I think with extraordinary vigour and good results, that we are making headway on the reduction of tobacco and its impact on society. I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is a follow-up to my statement and it is directed to the Minister of Finance concerning the upcoming review of the Liquor Act. I wonder if the Minister could give us an outline of the process that the government is planning on undertaking in its review and rewrite of the Liquor Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a newsletter that I recently distributed to my riding, Mr. Speaker, I proposed that this government should consider taking a review to a new step in that we would be probably looking at two acts governing the way we control liquor. Mr. Speaker, one act would provide an effective business framework for the supply, the taxation and the pricing of alcohol. The other, and the far more significant one, the one we really need, is to legislate an entirely new approach for the prevention, awareness, enforcement, treatment and community empowerment, a social approach to...

Mr. Speaker, I'm looking forward to a process whereby the public can get involved with this, whether it's a panel or a committee process. But we all know that the degree of input, the quality and the calibre of the input will certainly improve when people get access to some resources. So I'd like to ask the Minister would the non-government organizations, or frontline service agencies, be factored into this and be able to access funding or other assistance to help in their involvement in a review of the Liquor Act? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause