Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I realize the Member is on the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures and was present during the rather extensive discussion we had on this, which we’re hearing again today. The CEO assured committee members that every community does have an accredited financial institution that would qualify. This includes co-operatives and Northern Stores. It’s recognized that not every transaction will be on the record of a financial institution. I suspect that’s true for all of us here today, but every receipt of dollars and every expenditure must certainly be accounted for and...

With this activity and fresh greens on the table, I’m really getting in the mood for summer, and I bet you are too. I’d like to wish you, my colleagues and staff and all of your families the very best for a safe, fun and restorative summer. I’d like to say that for all the people of the Northwest Territories as well.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the definition of elections advertising in Section 237 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act be clarified as proposed by the Chief Electoral Officer on page 13 of his auxiliary report. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Sections 104 and 299 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to prohibit election advertising on polling day and the day prior.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to prohibit candidates from vouching for another elector.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures has presented its Report on the Review of the Auxiliary Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on Issues Arising from the 2011 General Election.

The report contains 13 recommendations which, taken together, will help clarify, modernize and strengthen the NWT’s electoral system. These are important incremental changes to ensure the continued integrity and fairness of our elections.

The committee advises that these changes should be made in advance of the next election.

The committee thanks the Chief Electoral Officer for his...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a letter from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the City of Yellowknife and Alternatives North addressed to the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Honourable Gail Shea and Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, entitled “Responsible Ministers Decision on the Report of Environmental Assessment of Giant Mine Remediation Project, EA0809-001.” Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a budget session in a few months’ time, so there is plenty of opportunity for this Minister. Clearly, there are serious communication issues with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. We haven’t seen even an evaluation of the pilot project in Fort Providence and what the impacts of that were on the students, on the families, on the Aboriginal Head Start program. Basic stuff, and everything that comes out of the department communication is confusing and lacking in facts, just like the Minister’s responses.

What will the Minister do to not only...

Thanks for that simplistic answer. The lack of women here is a reflection of women’s lack of political power in our society in general. We need to enable women to represent their various perspectives in our day-to-day functioning of society. We need to support women’s organizations that represent their views and environmental assessments, economic decision-making and so on. We offer similar support to Aboriginal organizations and this is a good thing.

Rather than just funding the Premier’s handpicked Status of Women Council for a narrow selection of topics, will the Premier commit to providing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As spring arrives and the trees leaf out, it’s clear that money is not growing on those trees. But perhaps our Minister of Finance has a different view.

Our government is deeper in debt than it has ever been, yet the Minister wants a spending spree that will put us another billion dollars in the red. We continue to aggressively pursue more and more massive and expensive infrastructure projects that we can ill afford, while seeking ever-increasing debt limits. We spend big on infrastructure for large private sector projects that never materialize, stranding us with...