Bob Bromley

Mr. Speaker, that sounds kind of weak to me. Governments have to be able to chew gum and think at the same time and, in fact, in multiple ways, so I wouldn’t expect this sort of thing would allow a delay.

On the area of a related issue – child and family resource centres in Tulita and Ndilo – could the Minister please provide an update on the status of these centres that are long overdue? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, focused on early childhood development, questions of midwifery, and child and family services centres. In March of this year the Assembly provided a specific, clear direction and allocated an additional $330,000 to Health and Social Services to ensure that a midwifery program would be established in Hay River this year. That was six months ago.

Can the Minister confirm that the Midwifery Program in Hay River is now operational or will be within the next few months? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize members of the Yellowknife Farmers Market for their very successful first season. The Farmers Market was started by two friends of the land, France Benoit, a Weledeh constituent, and Amy Lizotte. They say their idea caught on quickly, with many helpful volunteers.

The market operated in the Samba K’e Park next to the Yellowknife City Hall every Tuesday evening for 12 consecutive weeks. Over 70 vendors throughout the summer enjoyed total sales of over $140,000. Based on studies of other farmers markets in Canada, this farmers market likely...

Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, we’re on general comments. Next I have Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I find a lot of my comments are the same as Ms. Bisaro’s. I don’t find the response from the Minister at all helpful. We are raising concerns here and he’s just stating what the budget is.

I think the message here is that we’re not happy with this budget. So going through very quickly here, this is a very unbalanced, disproportionate budget. It’s way over-weighted to highway, Department of Transportation highway projects, and primarily new highway projects.

I’d like to quote the Minister: “The GNWT is facing the difficult challenge of maintaining existing assets...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I don’t see a coordinator as being what I’m talking about here. Policy analysts are a very specific breed of cat and they have a specific focus and they get into the intricate examples of conflicting policies and weigh out the solutions. So I’m wondering: Has the work to date profiled issues such as these, other than a few examples provided by my colleagues and myself? What mechanism is being contemplated to ensure these policy conundrums are captured and brought forward for resolution so they don’t recur? I don’t think, again, a coordinator is...

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate the Minister is seeking support or input from the wider community on this and that he’s committed towards moving things forward towards implementation of the action plan.

The poverty traps I mentioned have been discovered by people trying to access the system. Obviously, these constituents are not policy analysts, but their experience highlights the need to research such policy issues and propose solutions. So can the Minister say how the action plan will tackle these needs?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to acknowledge the passing of respected elder Michel Paper of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

Just two weeks away from his 100th birthday, Michel loved sharing stories about the incredible changes he had lived through. From pre-contact times to trading with the Hudson’s Bay Company, seeing an airplane for the first time, even colour TV in Detah, his experience spanned generations.

Michel was a man of faith and generous spirit. Every time we talked, he would say how he appreciated my work and that he was praying for me. This is just the kind of person he was.

I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleagues have recognized that today is the United Nation’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The NWT No Place for Poverty Coalition has been working hard with our government to produce an Anti-Poverty Strategy. We look forward to an action plan that will generate real changes for people in poverty.

As one of the richest regions on the planet, the NWT has constructed a social safety net that is well funded, with a significant part of our budget dedicated to caring for our people. Sadly, though, we still have Weledeh families who are homeless.

In spite...

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 107-17(4), Capital Estimates 2014-2015, and I would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.