Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After the July 31st report has been delivered and has been reviewed, could the Minister put some kind of a time frame on when we can conceivably see something like this in operation in Hay River, perhaps by the fall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what kind of results has the DVTO court achieved so far. Until such time as this review is done, perhaps he doesn’t have concrete answers, but perhaps he could tell us what the department’s general feeling is on the success of this program. Thank you.

I would like to recognize a delegation of senior management in our public service. It looks like a group of deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers who have joined us here today. Having been in this Legislature for 18 years, there are some days we have a hard time just understanding the briefings until we are very happy to see the deputies walk in the room. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that. It is very good news to hear this. There are a lot of things we want in Hay River. This is one of them, just one on a long list.

What resources are needed to expand the DVTO program to the regional centres? What kinds of resources, other than money, are required to be in place in the community in order for this program to work? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement today, I had some questions for the Minister of Justice. I would like to ask the Minister, how is the Department of Justice measuring the results of the Domestic Violence Treatment Option court program that currently exists in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve been approached by a constituent in my community with an idea which I am completely in favour of, and that is to extend the Domestic Violence Treatment Option court program to Hay River. This is another innovation that is so far only available in Yellowknife but could also be done elsewhere.

A person who is charged with violence against their spouse can take responsibility for their actions and enrol in a treatment program. To be accepted, the offender must plead guilty, the Crown and defence lawyers must agree that diversion from Territorial Court is appropriate...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think this is a good thing to look into, to investigate. I think that everybody probably sitting on this side of the House has a different idea of what an adequate emergency response network would look like in the Northwest Territories. I’m sure that some people have an idea about what it should look like that would probably be out of reach, from a financial point of view.

In a community like Hay River where we have many volunteers who are willing to devote their time to being first responders, to taking all the training, to going out on calls, it’s a system that needs...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I’ve already spoken to this issue of the plebiscite in the House before, but just to be on the public record for this particular vote and this particular motion, I will not be supporting the motion.

A plebiscite is a costly thing. It is an opinion poll. I do applaud the Premier’s efforts in getting the signatories that have come to the table already on devolution. I know that that did not happen by waving a magic wand. That took hard work. That took visits to all of the regions. It took a lot of consultation out there. We know some of the work that quietly went...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister of Public Works and Services for his very comprehensive Minister’s statement today: Diamond Jenness Secondary School Renovations.

It just seems like yesterday that I was standing up in this House waving that thick volume of material that was the technical review of the Diamond Jenness Secondary School and I guess lobbying hard on the government to get that midlife update done on it, and I’m happy to celebrate with the citizens of Hay River on June 29th when we have the unveiling, the reopening of the new and improved Diamond Jenness...

Thank you, Minister McLeod. General comments on the bill? Mr. Hawkins.