Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are standards for fire provision within the Northwest Territories. Our Office of the Fire Marshal works closely with the communities to develop safety plans in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The questions that were asked of me did not say that I wasn't working. I don't believe that I am failing at addressing the issue. I do know that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is actually working diligently on this issue at this time. We are supporting the community. We are assessing their needs and their situations. That I do know. Our job is to support the communities. When we hear there is an issue, we are in there to see what we can do for support.

The appointment of the executive director is not under my authority. I only delegate the board of directors. In discussing the position with the board of directors, they have informed me that they have completed interviews and they have found a successful candidate. I can't state when they are going to be starting their position, but I do know that they have selected a new executive director. We are all looking forward to the changes that this new person will bring.

The first step for any resident who has a problem with their municipal, Aboriginal, or designated authority is to ask if they can speak to the council. They are public bodies. They are responsible to their residents as public entities. People are allowed to go and present to the council. At a last recourse, if that does not work and the resident is still not satisfied, they have measures through the court of law. If they feel that the council has broken a bylaw and it has impacted them and they can't find a successful resolution, then they can take it to court. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Most definitely. With every new council that takes place, we do an orientation. The interpretation and the right understanding of the bylaws is critical in that. That is the main function of community government. We do spend time with them. We try to help them understand both how to develop bylaws and how to interpret them.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize in the gallery members of the NWT Status of Women Council. We have the president, Ms. Violet Camsell-Blondin, Martina Norwegian, Catherine Mackeinzo-Taylor, and Arlene Hache.

Because it is International Women's Day, I would like to recognize some of our women leaders and women colleagues: my Deputy Minister, Ms. Eleanor Young, from Municipal and Community Affairs; Ms. Dawn Moses, Municipal and Community Affairs; and colleague and personal friend, I consider, Ms. Sharon Firth, Municipal and Community Affairs.

Another woman that I recognize...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, March 8th, today, is International Women's Day. On this day, I would like to highlight both the strides we are making in the Northwest Territories and the challenges faced by women in taking on leadership roles.

Our government has made mandate commitments to increase the number of women in leadership roles, both on public boards and in electoral politics. Since the beginning of the 18th Legislative Assembly, the Government of the Northwest Territories has appointed 172 persons to public boards, 95 women and 77 men. This brings the total composition of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Increasing the number of women in politics is critical. MLA Green did a wonderful job of talking about why we need to increase the numbers, so I am not going to do that again. I do want to say that this government has made it a mandated priority to support initiatives designed to increase the number of women running for elected office in the Northwest Territories. We are moving towards this through campaign schools to support women with the tools they need to run for office. When we do this work, we cast the net more broadly than running for a Member of the Legislative...

It is not that Status of Women can't promote women by doing such things as the Wise Women Awards, the Take Back the Night, the December 6th Vigil. Those are important things for women. Those are things that they choose to do on their own in their work to promote women's concerns within the Northwest Territories. Their primary role, though, Mr. Speaker, is to enact the legislative requirements within the Status of Women Act, so that is their primary role. We are trying to move there.

I do want to say that my vision of them, I met one of the new board members that I appointed actually is an old...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories Status of Women is kind of at an arm's length of the Legislative Assembly. Although I, as the Minister of the Status of Women, appoint the board of directors and can take them out of their seats as board of directors, they have a little bit of flexibility in what they do. They are mandated within the Legislative Assembly to incorporate the act, to adhere to the act, to do the tasks that are defined within the act. Part of that act states that they will do gender-based analysis and support the Minister in reaching the Minister of the Status of...