So, Mr. Chair, from what I’m hearing from the Minister, if the Gwich’in wanted to have all their health boards and that in the Gwich’in Settlement Region operate independently, they can go right on and do it and come under a different system and follow what they do in Hay River without having to follow the rules we expect every health board to. So basically we’re endorsing independent boards to operate independently from the system by not doing anything.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am not asking questions in spite. I want to make sure that we are trying to be fiscally responsible. We realize we are probably going to have a tough year next year. I want to make sure that we monitor these programs going forward. I think that it is important to get this information hopefully by the time we conclude this. I would just like to ensure that we are on budget and we are trying to control the expenditures on these projects and we don’t have them run away from us like the Deh Cho Bridge.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Following up on similar questioning, I would just like to ask if there are any legal ramifications from doing this by way of being a separate health board. I think that, if anything, you know, we talk about taking all our mental health, alcohol and drug workers and bringing them into the government so that everybody’s treated fairly and everything else, so you don’t have the disparity between one group over the other. So I’m just wondering, is there a legal hold-up to doing this or is there the possibility of a legal challenge, or is it just that we don’t want to do it...

I will wait.

I’d like to ask the Minister if it’s possible for his department to come forward with quarterly reporting to this House regarding the vacancies of these units, where they are, and what efforts are being made to fill out those vacancies so that we have houses in the communities that are being occupied.

Can the Minister give me the final price as expected for that facility?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. In the last session there was a document tabled regarding the housing needs in the Northwest Territories. It showed that we are not meeting the needs of the residents of the Northwest Territories. If anything, things are getting worse. I think it’s important to realize that, as a corporation whose responsibility it is to deliver social housing in the Northwest Territories and to ensure that we’re able to bring down the needs of our residents and meet the challenges that we are facing.

One of the...

I will now provide rulings on the points of order raised in the House on May 12th. All of the points of order dealt with unparliamentary language. In dealing with unparliamentary language, the Speaker takes into account the tone, manner and intention of the Member speaking; the person to whom the words were directed; the degree of provocation; and, most importantly, whether or not the remarks created disorder in the Chamber.

The point of order raised by Ms. Lee objected to the use of the word “doublespeak” by the Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy. Ms. Lee felt that the use of this word...

Please be seated. Colleagues, welcome back to the Chamber for the continuation of the Fifth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the elders of our Territory who participated in the first Elders Parliament held in the Northwest Territories and, in fact, the First Elders’ Parliament held in any commonwealth country.

---Applause

The special parliament took place last week and I was honoured to serve as Speaker for this historic event.

The Elders Parliament clearly celebrated the wisdom of our elders, the knowledge and history they bring from their...

Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.