Bill Braden

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. During my two terms here as MLA, I have been approached on many occasions by constituents dealing with disability challenges in their families. This can range from parents dealing with dementia, adults with housing accessibility issues, children suffering from mental capacity issues, and caregivers desperate for financial and program support as they cope with their family’s disability.

Mr. Speaker, most disabled persons don’t want to be wards of the state. They want to remain free and independent. They are very proud of being on their own. In most instances, this also...

Mr. Speaker. I am not going to support this motion. I do believe though in putting it forward, my colleague Mr. Ramsay and those who are supporting it, were putting something constructive on the floor here, Mr. Speaker. That is that the information requested in the motion is nothing more than four years ago in the debate. Okay, I’m getting there. The government should be very forthcoming in saying we will present the revised analysis. We will present the revised risk situations, the revised traffic numbers. Here is what we are willing to put in front of people. That has to be something that...

Thank you very much.

---Laughter

…in the financing proposals. They are ideas, they aren’t nailed down yet but they are ideas that have been put out there that will indeed enable Ottawa to come to the table for this project.

I asked the question a little while ago and my colleague Ms. Lee referenced the other visionary transportation projects that are before us now. One is a port and road project that would come down from the North that would, in effect, bypass the infrastructure we already have here. What would be seriously threatened if the signal that went up from this Assembly is we don’t...

Why should we go ahead? If we don’t stop saying, as my colleague here -- maybe that didn’t pick up on the mic -- Mr. Miltenberger said. the little engine that can. We are. If we don’t believe we’re the little engine that can, then what are we doing here?

--Applause

We’ve got to get this one going. Mr. Speaker, the colours that I wear federally are no secret to this House, but I must say that I have got....

---Interjection

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So what I'm hearing is we're going to take a neutral stand on these projects; we're not going to evaluate them for their relative merits and then seek out one that we can support. So I guess my question is, are we going to be standing on the sidelines as the two projects develop, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, thank you. My questions this afternoon are for Mr. Menicoche, the Minister for Transportation. Mr. Speaker, there are two visionary projects in play right now to open up the diamond fields and other mineral areas north and east of Yellowknife to more secure transportation. The Bathurst Inlet port and road proposal, which would bring things in via the Arctic Ocean marine route, and, of course, the Tibbet to Contwoyto seasonal winter road project. Both have significant ramifications for our economy; both will require significant public and/or private investment. It is likely...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s very good news and I know a lot of families will be looking forward to hearing about this next month. Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned children and perhaps I missed something in his reply but I would like to confirm, are we also going to be acknowledging or accommodating adults, Mr. Speaker, who can sometimes find themselves in situations where they are perhaps as helpless as children but still warrant and can be provided the support of families? Will we be acknowledging the situations for disabled adults, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I appreciate the acknowledgement of my colleagues in the involvement that I have been very pleased to have with this exchange student. So it is certainly a pleasure to recognize Mr. Emil Madsen, Miss Letizia Foracchia and Miss Hiu Ying Lau. I would also like to recognize a resident of my constituency, at least on a temporary basis, Miss Jessica Monnaie, who is from Belgium, not an official exchange student but very much one of our community. She is staying with her aunt, Ms. Nancy Trotter. Of course, Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not recognize another...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the Assembly for missing my cue earlier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Minister examines the issue of involving non-custodial parents in caring for apprehended children and, if necessary, make required necessary and regulatory changes to allow child protection workers the discretionary powers to place apprehended children with the non-custodial parent on a temporary basis, providing it is in the best interest of the child. Thank you, Madam Chair.