Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask my questions today to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. In my Member’s statement I spoke about the Enbridge Pipeline Incorporated, the oil spill just south of Wrigley at the Willowlake River. I’d like to ask the Minister what is the role of the Department of ENR when there’s an oil spill incident and an emergency of this nature. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the 2009-2010 Human Rights Commission Annual Report and comments it to the House.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations has completed its review of the 2009-2010 Human Rights Commission Annual Report. This report covers the Human Rights Commission’s sixth year. The committee would like to thank Ms. Mary Pat Short, chair of the Human Rights Commission, and Ms. Thérèse Boullard, director of human rights, for their appearance before the committee.

In 2009-2010, the NWT Human...

Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Government Operations held its public review of the Report of the Auditor General on Northwest Territories Health Programs and Services – 2011, Department of Health and Social Services, and commends it to the House.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations held its public review of the Report of the Auditor General on Northwest Territories Health Programs and Services – 2011, Department of Health and Social Services, on April 19 and 20, 2011. The committee thanks the Auditor General, Ms. Sheila Fraser, and her staff for their work in preparing the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the Report of the Auditor General on the Northwest Territories Deh Cho Bridge Project – 2011, Department of Transportation, and commends it to the House.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations held its public review of the report of the Auditor General of the Northwest Territories Deh Cho Bridge Project – 2011, Department of Transportation, on April 19th and 20th, 2011. The committee thanks the Auditor General, Ms. Sheila Fraser, and her staff for their...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There was also Chief Lennie, as I indicated in my Member’s statement, who was impacted. His health was impacted. He has serious concerns. He would like to know when will the Department of Health and Social Services take a role in this incident, advise the community of the health concerns of potential H2S and the effects of just the odours, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to get some certainty that even the Department of Health and Social Services can contact the community. Mahsi.

I think it’s very important for us to get in early and meet with the new federal government, and I would like our government to have a strategy to plan to be down there, our Ministers to be down there, our Premier to be down there, and let him know our infrastructure needs. The Conservative government had high commitment for our rural and remote communities and I would like our government to convey that as the federal government begins their process on working on their new federal budget, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Deputy Premier his strategy with regard to that, as well. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Deputy Premier, given the results of the recent federal election that’s all over with now -- we have a majority Conservative government -- I’d just like to know how our government plans to respond to the results of the recent federal election and their budgeting process. I understand that the old budget that they released in March is now dead. We’ll be looking at some new budgeting figures.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk to you in regard to the condition of our highways in the Deh Cho. It’s a sad comment on the state of highways in the Northwest Territories. Once again, last week the Liard Highway was closed to all traffic until further notice from Kilometre 254 at Checkpoint all the way to Kilometre 38, which is the Fort Liard access road. Once again the communities of the Nahendeh region are cut off from much needed highway access. Highway No. 7 is broken and needs fixing.

Over the years I have consistently spoken on the need for work on Highway No. 1 and 7. Later...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-2011, and wishes to report that Bill 5 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. That’s exactly what I’m urging this government to do, is as we’re meeting for the next couple of weeks in their Cabinet strategy sessions, to put that on their agenda just to see how it will all unfold. I too am looking forward to whoever the Ministers are, because then we’ll exactly know who’s got experience in the North and who can hear our specific needs here in the Northwest Territories, especially with rural and remote communities and our aging highway infrastructure systems. So that’s why I would like our government to make it a priority as they develop...