Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee members wish to consider Bill 15, Elections and Plebiscites Act; Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3; and Committee Report 5-15(5), Report on the Review of the Report of the Auditor General on the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see action results focussing on the expansion from the department’s perspective. Can the Minister commit in this House that this can be implemented in the fall time of 2007? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of the ministerial directive clarifying the use of funding provided to deliver aboriginal and language programming in our schools as Minister Dent had identified, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell this Assembly how any schools in the NWT can be expected to employ a qualified ALCIP instructor when it takes them five years or more without funding or support to achieve this goal? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker… (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk on an issue that’s very important to the continued survival of the Tlicho and other First Nation languages and cultures. That is the proper funding of a full-time Aboriginal Language and Culture Instructor Program, also known as the ALCIP program, to be delivered through Aurora College.

Mr. Speaker, as it stands right now, the ALCIP program is delivered on a piecemeal basis through either distance learning or individual courses being taught by instructors in the communities. In other cases the...

Mahsi, Chair. The Members wish to consider Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Jury Act, and Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. Mahsi, Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we did make progress in this House a while back. I supported the government when the Department of Executive introduced the regional director positions so there could be a better link between the GNWT residents in the region and government headquarters. So can the Premier explain why even these regional directors of our North Slave region are located at the headquarters in Yellowknife? How can this position support the region if it is located in Yellowknife? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd just like to touch on my earlier Member’s statement about the transfer of the North Slave office staff to Behchoko. Mr. Speaker, this government is contradicting itself when it recognizes the Tlicho Government but it does not have the regional offices with decision-making powers in the Tlicho region. Mr. Speaker, it’s time this government sees these decision-makers to be in the communities. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain how over a year this government continues to ignore the self-government of the Tlicho by refusing to...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Mr. Speaker, requests forwarded to headquarters go through multiple levels of bureaucracy. Their message may change in this process. They are either delayed or sometimes lost in the system. This is not necessary and causes undue hardship, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government should give the Tlicho region with Behchoko the same acknowledgment that it did with the Sahtu and the transfer of North Slave regional office function serving the Tlicho from Yellowknife to Behchoko.

As the Government of the Northwest Territories chooses to represent the Tlicho...

Mr. Chair, I move to report progress.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's been an issue of the gravel road to the community of Behchoko and there was a huge concern and safety issue for the departments, I guess the executive or the senior staff to be in Behchoko, to be allocated. Anyway, I would like to ask the Premier, because that's not an excuse anymore, but if he's willing to work with us, that's good, I appreciate that. Can the Premier make a commitment in this House to add these changes, whether it be capital plans '07 or business planning, to transfer these North Slave staff to Behchoko as a regional headquarter for...