Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. We’re about to head out, here, for a while, and we’ve heard the Premier talk about a potential project to build a highway down the Mackenzie Valley. There have been proponents out there who have suggested this should be done on the basis of a P3 project. I’d just like to ask the Premier if he’ll assign any contracts for a highway down the Mackenzie Valley before we get back in September.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s the last day of session, and I will be glad to be going home. When I first came here at the beginning of session I was one of the ones who said, “Let’s not waste our beautiful summer days in here.” I saw ice on the lake and buds on the trees when we got here, but we’ve gone through a change of season.

I was one of the ones who said, “Let’s not try to beat this untenable budget document to death here. Let’s just go back to the drawing board and come back.” But a number of Members wanted to persevere and press on, and they did. Between reinstatements, reinvestments...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank Mr. Ramsay for bringing this motion forward. We’re talking about the best interests of children, and I believe that first and foremost the best interests of children are to be in a home, in a family, where they have parents who are in a committed and long-lasting relationship. However, we know this is not always possible.

When a relationship breaks down, then I think it does become incumbent upon the law and the lawmakers in the process to ensure that children are never used as a pawn or as a weapon of one against the other, because in those types of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would concur that with the P3 projects, whether it’s the Deh Cho Bridge or the Taltson Hydro Expansion or whatever it is we’re talking about, certainly our government has taken the majority of the risk. Therefore, I think we should be in a position to make up the rules. I’d like to ask the Premier if he would also agree to try and engage northern industry in any policy that’s developed, to ensure we have something very concrete when it comes to maximizing the benefits to Northerners through northern participation in any major capital infrastructure project.

Hand in hand with that concept, I think the Deh Cho Bridge project gave us clear evidence that we need something more solid in our policy about P3 projects than references in the Financial Administration Act, which would also cover the leasing of photocopiers. I’d like to ask the Premier: where are we at in developing a policy that would allow us to enter into P3 projects on a more solid footing?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a page from Hay River who is a grade 8 student at Diamond Jenness Secondary School and thank him for serving us in the Assembly this week — Zachary Pangborn.

With respect to the proposed directive — it doesn’t sound like it’s been adopted yet — I was just wondering about consultation with various stakeholders on this issue and if this proposed directive met with the approval of or agreement from the French first-language school board for the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I would appreciate that

It’s a long, straight, boring road when you’re driving north. People are so glad when they get to those big blue signs as they cross over the border that say, “Twin Falls Highway” and there’s actually something to stop and look at. Escarpment Creek was always one of those places, but now there’s a big gate across there. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. That’s it. No question there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI, and they relate to the issue of campgrounds and camping services in the Northwest Territories. Summer is just around the corner. I think it’s going to arrive this weekend, and a lot of people want to use our parks and campground facilities.

I understand that the Minister may be conducting a review of the rates, and I’d like to ask if any consideration has been given to giving seniors a reduced rate to use our camping facilities. We would like our seniors who retire in the Northwest Territories to stay in the Northwest Territories...

Mr. Speaker, without going into the merits of the concerns that have been raised, I’d like to know: at what point does the Premier think it would be appropriate to step in, to at least discuss some way the government might be able to be involved to resolve this issue?