Charles Dent

Mr. Speaker, the Status of Women Council has been the impetus for many major developments such as Family Violence Awareness Week. They have actively supported the newly-established NWT Human Rights Commission, the work now underway for the implementation of the Protection Against Family Violence Act, and, most recently, the release of The Government Of the Northwest Territories Response to the NWT Action Plan on Family Violence, 2003-2008: A Framework for Action.

Much has been accomplished and still much needs to be done. I look forward to continuing my collaboration with the council to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I would like to announce an exciting new pilot program to provide leadership opportunities for young people in the Northwest Territories: the Northwest Territories Youth Abroad Program.

The Honourable Michael McLeod, Minister responsible for Youth and I, as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, have agreed to jointly contribute start up funding for a pilot project that will operate over the next two years. This NWT pilot project will be operated under the direction of the Nunavut Youth Abroad Society and coordinated by Northwest Territories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 17, Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends several acts to ensure that references to "spouse" appropriately capture persons who live in spousal relationships outside marriage, so that the rights or obligations provided for or imposed under those acts are equitably applied to persons in different forms of spousal relationships.

This particular bill:

amends the Conflict of Interest Act to ensure that the term "spouse" includes...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that this isn’t a government program. It’s basically volunteers who are running the program. This government is providing contribution assistance for two years to assist it to get off the ground. It’s very similar to what happened with the initial program that was set up in Nunavut. That’s one of the reasons I can’t answer the age questions because I don’t have all of the criteria. We welcome all the Members here for the 2:00 p.m. launch this afternoon of the program in the Great Hall. At that time, I am sure we will be able to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of the report and have reviewed it myself. Part of the response is to the social framework that this government is working in partnership with other agencies. That issue is discussed regularly at the social Ministers' envelope meetings and it is something that this government is working to bring forward. In terms of what we are doing specifically for oil and gas, it is no different than what we would do in all of our communities. We are working to improve the ability of communities to deal with social problems that are a result of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment invests about $1.1 million on its own annually to train people in regional settings to assist them to find jobs in the oil and gas field. That will continue and that does take place throughout the region, including communities like Tuk. The ASEP funding is intended to serve all of the regions in which oil and gas is found and in which people may find employment. So there is certainly an intention to make sure training takes place on a regional basis. I can assure the Member that there will be regional training...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize a friend today: Major Karen Hoeft.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the document entitled Renewing the Labour Standards Act of the Northwest Territories, A Consultation Paper, October 2004. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure that I would agree that this is totally separate. A company that is responsible for making a large amount of money from our resources in the Northwest Territories has a responsibility to help us deal with the social issues that arise from that money coming into the Territories. Therefore, one of the things that we are trying to do is to bring social issues into socioeconomic agreements with the company. We believe that we have to work with companies to support gender issues when we talk to them about the socioeconomic agreements as well....