David Ramsay

That’s good, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Minister for that. Again I think it’s an important issue and it can’t continue to be downplayed and overlooked.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hear what the Minister is saying. Again, there aren’t any guarantees here. I appreciate the fact that they want to talk to students. They want to talk to anybody that’s interested in SFA, including Regular Members of this House I think should be heavily consulted on that. In the dealings we have with our constituents, I think we can’t leave any students out of this equation. While we’re studying this, we can’t afford to let it drag on. I think we need to get some assurances from the government that we are going to take a set amount of time and get the review done so...

During the review period, which the Minister says might take up until next fall, I’m just wondering if the government is going to have any provision that would see students in the situation that I outlined earlier that would protect students from undue hardship. Especially those with, you know, I said four children, so that they aren’t faced with hardships and they’re not getting their living allowance reduced while the department and the government is out there reviewing SFA. I think we should put some provisions in place that can maintain living allowances until the review is done so that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’m going to tell the story of a 31-year-old woman who saw the doors of opportunity open for her, only to see this government try to slam them shut. She’s struggling to get through them and realize her dream of getting a degree in nursing and then go on to medical school to become a doctor.

She began with the Nursing Access Program at Aurora College because she needed upgrading as a mature student. She is the mother of four children between the ages of six and 14 and she’s not rich, at least not financially. She’s a tenant in a Yellowknife Housing Authority unit...

We’re hearing it from residents, business owners, and constituents about the level of crime in our community, the fact that addictions seem to be getting much worse, affecting young people in our community, and as a government I’m just wondering what we are doing about it. I’d like to ask the Minister how exactly does the Government of the Northwest Territories measure and evaluate the success and/or failure of the programs and services related to addictions in our territory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members have heard numerous statements and questions from me in regard to our justice system, and today I want to continue on with that theme related to root causes.

In May I talked about recidivism and the drastic increase in the number of violent crimes being committed in our territory, often by criminals who are committing a violent offence for the 17th, 18th, and sometimes even 30th time. The question I’ve been getting as an MLA representing a riding here in the city of Yellowknife is: how safe are our streets? When we have an RCMP inspector stating that this past...

Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on August 16, 2011, to review Bill 19, Cost of Credit Disclosure Act. Following the public hearing and clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 19 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 19. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure held public hearings on Bill 7, Community Planning and Development Act, during the months of April and May of 2011 in Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Ulukhaktok, Inuvik, and Aklavik. The clause-by-clause review with the Minister began on May 10, 2011, and concluded on August 15, 2011.

During the May 10, 2011, review of the bill with the Minister, the committee passed a motion to amend the bill by adding a provision stating that nothing in the act shall be construed as to abrogate or derogate from Aboriginal or...

What the government is currently offering and currently doing is not working. I’d like to get some type of commitment from the Minister that the government in its transition document going forward into the next government will identify the area of addictions and how we deal with addictions as a government as a key priority for the next government. I’d like to get a commitment from the Minister that that will be there and that they will examine all the programs and services related to addictions here in the territory.