Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions with respect to Highway No. 1 and Highway No. 7. Typically in our government I think the priority is called the Deh Cho Trail. My long-term vision is to see the whole thing chipsealed. That way we can increase businesses and business opportunities with that. I’d like to know what the strategy is for the Department of Transportation, the long-range goal for this particular Deh Cho Trail.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I will be speaking today on the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle. I’m still concerned in the way it was signed by the Premier and the Indian Affairs Minister at that time. However, I have been contemplating the fact that our Premier has indicated that there is no turning back and that the returned federal Conservative government will continue with devolution negotiations.

At this time I would urge our Premier to convene a meeting with the new federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development -- a name change that is stirring controversy. I hope...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) to have Committee Report 5-16(6), Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the Review of the 2009-2010 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, moved into committee of the whole for consideration later today. Mahsi cho.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you very much. When did the Department of Human Resources start planning for hiring of summer students for this spring and summer?

Thank you very much. I don’t know; I would actually have a real good look at it. So I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, is he willing to at least look at that through a legal opinion and present that perhaps back at the House, because I believe that this certainly is in our treaties and we all know it is. With that there, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to know if the Minister is willing to do something like that. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I had an interesting discussion with the Minister of Human Resources on summer student hiring and I’d like to continue with that.

Members are very concerned about the hiring of northern students returning to work in the NWT for the summer. Based on the return of questions yesterday, the Minister responsible for Human Resources indicated that the GNWT was committed to hiring 263 students; yet, to date there appears to be only about 146 students hired.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Human Resources is the gatekeeper for facilitating the hiring of...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to follow up on my questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to our elders that are in long-term care facilities paying a fee and, of course, there’s an increase coming up on June 1st. However, I just want to speak more particularly about the Aboriginal elders that are in long-term care.

Our treaties dictate that our health is taken care of by the federal government. So I’d like to know if the Health and Social Services Minister has looked at this. Has his officials looked at this aspect of it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories institute requirements for proactive disclosure of employee bonuses and the salaries of senior employees or bring forward legislation to this effect if legislation is necessary. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) to have Committee Report 5-16(6), Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the Review of the 2009-2010 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, moved into committee of the whole for consideration later today. Mahsi cho.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act was enacted in 1994;

AND WHEREAS in the 17 years since the act was passed, e-mail, laptops, flash drives, smartphones and other technological developments have dramatically altered the way government manages, uses and communicates information;

AND WHEREAS other Canadian jurisdictions have conducted comprehensive reviews of their access to information and privacy legislation in recent years;

AND WHEREAS since the coming into force of the act, the Information and Privacy Commissioner has made a number of...