David Ramsay

Thank you. I certainly do care about people. I’ve been in this position for almost 12 years now and I do take my job very seriously. If the Member is so inclined, he has got the opportunity to move a motion on the floor of the House if he wants to pursue his idea. Thank you.

Thank you. I will check with the department on whether or not it’s too late to get another submission from the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes, I can assure the Member that I’ll have that discussion immediately with the department. Thank you.

I give the Member a commitment that we will look at the program criteria and understand there are number of elders that are out. Some of those cabins belong to elders who don’t necessarily earn a living or are retired.

Again, that criteria is under review and it’s something I can commit to the Member that we will look at that issue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s great to see so many students here. I’d like to welcome them all to the Assembly today. I also wanted to recognize one of our Pages, Delaney Beaton, who is with us today. She’s a Grade 8 student at St. Joe’s. I’d like to thank her for her work and all the work that the Pages have put in for Members during these last two weeks. Thank you very much.

I also want to recognize both school board chairs: from YK1, John Stephenson; and from YCS, Simon Taylor. I know Mike Huvenaars, the assistant superintendent, is here as well. Welcome, folks. I know I have two schools in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Northwest Territories Economic Outlook 2014-2015.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’d also like to table the following document, entitled “25th Annual Report Victims Assistance Committee of the Northwest Territories, 2013-2014.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. We will continue to work forward with the process that we have in place. We’ve received submissions and we will be bringing forward amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act later this year, which will be debated in this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As oil and gas regulator, I am fully committed to ensuring that NWT petroleum resources are developed responsibly in a way that creates benefits for our people and communities and protects our environment. I am guided in my decisions by a well-developed framework of legislation, regulations and policies that includes the Oil and Gas Operations Act, or OGOA, and Petroleum Resources Act. I am responsible through OGOA for ensuring human health and safety and environmental protection for all oil and gas development activities such as seismic operations, drilling of wells...

Mr. Speaker, the Member has a lifetime of experience in that area and I know the last eight years he’s spent on the leadership hike with…(inaudible)… The Member and I have had a number of discussions of how best the department and the government can use the information that people who have actually been out, walked the trail, hiked the trail and have lived that experience can provide to the government in terms of what infrastructure is needed and where it’s needed. We talked earlier about the update guidebook for hikers. These are things that are tangible and things that… We need to look to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Canol Trail remains within the authority of the federal government. It does have a number of sites along the trail that would, or could, cause issues for health and safety of persons travelling on that trail. That’s not to say we’re not continuing to move forward with discussions with the federal government on how we are going to make improvements. We have some capital dollars earmarked for improvements in the park, including cable crossing at Twitya River next year.

The Member has a very valid point about the guidebook for hikers on the Canol. It hasn’t been updated...