Jane Groenewegen

Thank you and I really appreciate the Minister’s well wishes towards me.

Going back to the issue of analysis and how we’re going forward with this, the issue of changing legislation, all of our boards and agencies in the Northwest Territories are creatures of our legislation. We’ve had a piece of legislation we’ve been trying to get to -- the Wildlife Management Act -- for 10 years. We don’t have the people to write the legislation; we don’t have the workforce to...I’m just wondering what kind of analysis went into what the cost would be to put in place changes to existing legislation...

Mr. Speaker, the Minister says that his research and analysis for coming forward with this 70 to seven regional super board model came from watching the Tlicho model over the last 10 years. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the Tlicho people and some of the wonderful things they have done in that constituency, surely the Minister would recognize the fact that the Tlicho Community Services Board serves one group of people, the majority by far from one nation, who speak the same language, who have one large central community and three outlying smaller communities. How did he think we were...

The boards and agencies which currently exist in our communities and regions across the Northwest Territories took many years to evolve to the point that they did. They were intended to encourage participation from people more than us. Consensus government doesn’t stop at the doors of this building. Consensus government is a Territory-wide concept. What does Mr. Miltenberger say to those people who are contributing here in Yellowknife and in the communities around the Northwest Territories. What does he say to those people who have contributed so much to build this capacity and be involved for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think the Minister responsible for refocusing government has to wait for April to find out what Members think. I think very little research is really required to find out whether or not this side of the House supports going from 70 boards to seven boards. The Minister sat here today. He’s heard all 11 Members on this side of the House stand up and say we don’t like your policy, we don’t like your process, we don’t like the way you’re going about this. Why don’t you just save us all a lot of time and trouble and commit here today to take this off the table?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The wish of the committee today is to proceed with consideration of the budget for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I bring this motion forward today as the chair of the Priorities and Planning committee. This motion as put together by all Members of the P and P committee and I merely bring it forward as their chair. To that end I will conclude the debate on this motion, but I would defer to my colleagues to begin to speak to the motion and I will speak at the end.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

So all of the preliminary analysis was based on one model and all of the serious analysis that we’re asking about is going to happen in the next seven weeks. Mr. Speaker, I have to ask this Minister why would you launch a plan or a model or a scenario with none of that stuff having been done? This whole initiative should be dubbed failure to launch, because, yet again, another ill-conceived, ill-prepared idea thrown out there into the public. Why wasn’t the research done in advance before putting this out? Thank you.

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Mr. Speaker, part of this approach has also been premised on the theory that it’s kind of a one-stop window for people who come in contact with government through their need for housing, education or health. You know that basically we’re serving those three agencies, or those three departments are serving the same clients. Mr. Speaker, I think that is another ill-conceived premise. I would like to know from the analysis that the Minister and his committee has done how many people are actually in that category. Because you know, for myself, I don’t have a housing issue, I don’t have an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a very divisive initiative that this government has gone out with. It has not been costed. There are so many unanswered questions. It is causing people in the regions, in the communities, in the aboriginal governments to consider their confidence in this government. What can the Minister suggest that we do to dial back on this initiative and start again to look for efficiencies and effectiveness? What venue or process would he suggest going forward?