Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I think it is one of the focuses of the GNWT, where we need to develop programs and services for those homeless who are out there. We currently do have programs among our resources. If we need to increase in that area, we need to work with the communities. We have contribution agreements with the communities, whether they be with First Nations or organizations in communities, to deal with the homelessness.

Certainly, any input from the Member or the Members will be very helpful for our discussions with the social envelope Ministers to move forward.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill includes a number of amendments to update the discipline process in the Legal Profession Act, including amendments that would:

require that at least one layperson serve on the Law Society’s Discipline Committee and on any committee of inquiry set up to hear a discipline matter;

provide that certain complaints may be referred to mediation;

empower the chairperson of the discipline committee to designate a member of...

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to provide the services and programs that I highlighted. We are in the process of meeting, as the social envelope Ministers — myself as Education, Culture and Employment Minister, Minister Lee and also Minister Miltenberger — on this particular subject that the Member is referring to: homelessness and the programs and services that we provide, how we can enhance those areas, where can we make changes, and how can we improve certain programs. We will be discussing those key areas once we meet. We were talking about possibly sitting down and dealing with those...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We do have coordination between the departments of Health and Social Services, NWT Housing Corporation and ourselves, and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. We do have programs with the Small Communities Homelessness Fund towards homelessness and also homelessness support projects, so there are plenty available for these individuals at the community level. Also, when they’re outside their community, there’s assistance for them to go back to their own communities.

Mr. Speaker, once we meet as a social envelope committee, I can certainly share that information with the Member and also the Members of the Social Programs Committee. Certainly, after we meet, we can do up a summary report of what has taken place.

Mr. Speaker, the homeless in the communities can turn to various avenues, whether it’s the social workers who work seven days a week, 24 hours a day, on call. We do have some facilities in communities — in Yellowknife the new Bailey House is going up, the Sally Ann, the SideDoor — and there are homelessness shelters here as well. These are the avenues that individuals can turn to. There are income support areas, but more so, it’s the social service workers that are on call. Those are the avenues they can turn to as well.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. April 15 marked the official opening of the Mobile Trades Lab in Inuvik. Many of us here today were present at the opening and had the opportunity to tour the facility. It is an impressive unit — a great example of how innovation and open-minded thinking can allow us to maximize opportunities for Northerners. The opening of this lab was cause for celebration in the Beaufort-Delta region and for all the partners involved in the project.

Earlier in this session I spoke about a partnership approach to building the Aurora College residence in Inuvik. The Mobile Trades Lab is yet...

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. That commissioner has their own role, to implement the operations of the Languages Commissioner within the communities and regions. My understanding is that she is a statutory officer. With our ECE department we work closely with her as well. I believe there have been some recommendations brought forward, and we are working on those recommendations, so she is in that role. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I can’t speak specifically to the position. It is a confidential matter. If we do highlight their credentials and qualifications, we are specifically targeting those individuals, and I certainly cannot speak to that. But I can speak to the criteria that we follow: again, it’s the Correctional Service of Canada. My staff will be meeting with Corrections next week.

Just to move forward on this, we want to train more individuals at Corrections as well. We want the program to be successful. It has been very successful to date. We want to continue the progress. So we are moving in the...