Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unless the head of the RCMP has been renamed the Premier, the sign on the parking stall says "Premier." I know how to read, and right beside it says “Minister.” As I was searching for a parking place in the overcrowded parking lot at the airport, I saw those two empty spots and it was very tempting to take one of those, but, being as I am not the Premier or the Minister, I thought I had better not. But there is designated parking and we pay for our parking here, we come to work every month, it comes off our paycheque if we want a parking spot and I want to know if the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Premier has made reference to, you know, due diligence and protecting the public interest, but certainly the Government of the Northwest Territories has an obligation to protect the interest of those people who have been affected by these abusive situations that they found themselves in. Recently there was a suggestion made that perhaps if this government doesn’t in fact embrace the kind of defense that was put forward, that we should find an alternative way to resolve and bring some peace and some reconciliation to these people who are now adults who...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess the four areas of particular concern were speculation as to whether any of the alleged victims were consenting, whether they were lying, whether the abuse actually had any impact on their future life and whether or not their race or their culture had any overbearing facts and whether or not they were in a position to consent to anything. Those are the things I’m speaking to with respect to his personal beliefs and I would like for the Premier to clarify on those matters. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We still don’t know what the Minister is going to suspend. We’re going to be in suspense wondering.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of seniors currently living in public housing, I need to know if the Minister in the next few weeks is going to go to Cabinet and ask them for some kind of moratorium on the existing current Seniors’ Rent Subsidy Program. I need to know what context that that request is going to be made. We can’t do this open ended. Do seniors know by now that the government is considering a change in the policy for assessing rent? Yes, I think they do. Between the work of ECE and the Housing Corporation, I think they do. But Mr. Braden asked for...

Mr. Speaker, I was really happy there for a minute. I thought we actually got an answer from the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation on something to do with the seniors’ rent. First I heard we were going to suspend the rent policy that’s in place now. Then I heard we were going to suspend it in market communities. Then I heard we were just going to take it back to Cabinet to see if we can suspend it in market communities. I just think this has created so much lack of clarity now that if I was a senior living in a housing unit right now, I would not be getting any sleep this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the meantime, there are people who are resigning from positions. There’s not a lot of clarity around liability, there’s been lawsuits that have been filed by the Workers’ Compensation Board. There’s just a lot of outstanding questions and I think the time is of the essence. What is the Minister going to have in hand by the fall that is going to actually not just see more review and more study, but something tangible in the hands of these folks who are offering these volunteer, but very, very important services to our communities? Thank you, Mr...

Mr. Speaker, after we leave this House today I would like to get somebody to go back and do a word check and see how many times we heard the words "under review" during the last eight days, because it was quite significant.

But, Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Minister responsible for perpetual planning. That’s his own phrase that I’ve stolen from him there. Mr. Speaker, the emergency response services in our communities, I raised this last time in the House, I asked for a measly $10,000 to give to our local emergency response volunteer...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Charles Dent. Mr. Dent wrote a letter to Mr. Roland subsequent to our budget session. I had inquired about the status of the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River and had asked if the functional report technical review that was done in 2003 could be updated. So Mr. Dent wrote to Mr. Roland asking that this happen. I was just wondering what is the status of that technical and functional review of the Diamond Jenness Secondary School today? Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with Sunday being Father's Day, I thought I would devote my Member's statement today to some very special fathers.

Mr. Speaker, my own father passed away almost 10 years ago. I miss him but I do have the wonderful and vivid memories of him. He was colourful, opinionated and larger than life.

The testament to a good relationship is when you lose someone and you can say that you have no regrets. I was very close to my dad. To me he was human, but he was very savvy and discerning. One of the best legacies that a father or a parent, for that matter, can...