Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome the students here from N.J. Macpherson and thank you. You, too, look awesome in your pink today.

I’ve got some residents here from Range Lake I’d like to recognize here in the gallery. I’ve got Aidan Drew… No? How about Zach Smith? My good swimming buddy Mr. Liam Philipp. Mackenzie Pariseau, Destiny Hobbs-Stewart, Kealan Harper and Meadow Munroe. Thank you, students, for coming out today.

I have one more resident here from Range Lake who is no stranger to this House, Ms. Sandy Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank my colleagues here today in support of this motion who spoke. I’d like to take a moment to thank the Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro, for coordinating a concerted effort with our students out there at N.J. Macpherson, and I appreciate her doing so. I’d also like to thank the seconder of this motion, my esteemed colleague from the Sahtu. As a new Member, I’m getting to know and learn his genre of music. We’ve gone from country to R and B and now to hard rock. We are not going to take this anymore. I’m looking forward to what he is going to choose for...

Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS bullying includes a range of repeated, intentional or hurtful behaviours such as threats, name calling, physical abuse, physical violence, shunning, shunning and excluding, stealing or breaking of person’s things and coercing people to do things they do not want to do;

AND WHEREAS in recent years, the use of social media and other information and communication technologies to bullying, also known as cyber-bullying, has become increasingly problematic;

AND WHEREAS people who are subjected to bullying may experience a range of harmful...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Monday, February 20, 2012, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories establish a territory-wide campaign to denounce bullying, including cyber-bullying, and provide information and resources for schools, parents, victims and bystanders;

And further, that the government review anti-bullying legislative measures being undertaken in other jurisdictions and bring forward a bill for consideration by...

I thank the Minister for indicating we have a pilot project out there. That leads me to think that with a pilot project, we obviously must be working towards something. I’m hoping that that issue is potentially a Mental Health Strategy. With that question in mind, can the Minister indicate is this the precursor to the Mental Health Strategy that this government has been so desperately looking towards?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked a bit more about the mental strain and struggles that a lot of victims go through with respect to bullying and cyber-bullying. If there was ever an ideology to put forward in terms of the Mental Health Strategy, I think this would be one of the best cases going forward.

My question for the Minister of Health is: Given the fact that, in my Member’s statement today and I am sure the Minister would agree, we’re dealing with a lot of potential depressive illnesses here, prolonged psychological issues with victims of bullying, can the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this week I had the opportunity to talk about anti-bullying and cyber-bullying and my commending the Quebec government for introducing new measures to counter bullying in schools. Questions earlier this week posed to our own Minister of Education also asked about the Northwest Territories embarking on a journey of creating better sound legislation to combat bullying. We have heard some promise, but we need these measures now.

I can’t tell you the vast number of parents, teachers and students that contacted me since my Member’s statement earlier in the week in...

Thank you. I do appreciate the Minister’s comment regarding the partnering, but again, risk matrix is more than just a partner. There are a lot of elements behind it and I’m sure the Minister is aware of that. So having said that, do we have any preliminary findings of a risk matrix that can be shared with the people of the Northwest Territories as it pertains to this new project that is on the floor? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Tony Whitford, but for one more accolade. He’s actually a gifted auctioneer and on behalf of the Yellowknife Community Foundation he’s raised thousands of dollars this past weekend for a lot of needy people and a lot of needy organizations around Yellowknife and the surrounding area.

Thank you. Again I thank the Minister for his comments, but at what point can we expect to have a full risk matrix for the Inuvik-Tuk highway and will this critical piece, which is an important piece I think for the Members and the people of the Northwest Territories to have, will we get this information and will it be available before we get past that point of no return when it comes to proper funding?