Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Next on the list, I have Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Braden.

Okay, committee, I am going to call us back to order. The next item on our agenda is the discussion on the Northern Strategy. To start things off, I am going to ask the Premier if he will please provide some background and some opening remarks on the Northern Strategy. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that over building infrastructure in Yellowknife should not constitute losses in the regions and other communities.

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister not agree that that is not unusual in terms of the territorial facilities that we have, such as River Ridge Territorial Treatment Centre and the Arctic Tern facility in Inuvik? As territorial facilities, it’s not unusual for there to be a group of people from the various regions. I understand why the Minister is making the point when he is referring to South Slave numbers, because he’s being asked by South Slave Members. In the context of the territorial facilities, is it not common to have people from all regions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, besides there being room, what else is better about putting the inmates in remand in Yellowknife rather than Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the Dene K’onia and the $1.5 million I believe the Minister said that it costs to operate the Dene K’onia, Mr. Speaker, he keeps referring, and so have other Members of the government kept referring, to a number of one. I believe that that open custody young offenders facility in Hay River can accommodate eight young people. He says there has recently only been one young offender accommodated there. I am going to ask the Minister is he going to stand by that number today in the House on the record? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize Dallas Stelmack and Matthew Lakusta, both Grade 8 students from the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River who have served in the House as Pages this week. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister said he had picked a number out of the air and I think that’s exactly what he’s doing on these savings and these reduction initiatives. He’s picking a number out of the air and so is his department. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if he is so confident of his numbers and the projected savings, would he not then agree to a conservative investment, not some big, full-blown extensive review, in an independent opinion to verify these numbers that he’s so confident of? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will speak extra loudly today. Mr. Speaker, earlier, this Legislative Assembly announced the appointment of the first members of our new Cultural Enhancement Commission, which I have the honour of chairing, as Deputy Speaker of this House.

As Members know, the Legislative Assembly was built prior to the division of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and, of course, it was reflective of the NWT at the time. Following division, during the 14th Assembly, there was some concern about how representative the building was of the cultures of the new NWT and there was a...