Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Minister mentioned a secretariat. Is there a lead department that is taking part in it, or is there an interagency committee that is coordinating the government directorates, particularly with the schooling and educational records that are kept by our government? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today, I, too, would like to express my congratulations to graduates and especially to the Nahendeh riding. As well, I would just like to commend the Minister of Education for sending his appreciation to all grads, parents and teachers that are out there as well.

In today’s world, more and more education and prosperity goes hand in hand. Without graduates from our schools and our colleges, our future and the future of Nahendeh can be bleak. Today, I want to dedicate my Member’s statement and commend the graduates of Nahendeh, to the youth, the adults, the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’ll turn the floor over to Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you very much, there, committee members. I’m going to have to re-read that. The example provided in the report is of a person with a record for driving while impaired being refused a job that does not involve driving. The current act would not protect that person unless he or she had received a pardon. With the recommended wording, the person would have grounds for a complaint by making the case that a conviction for a driving offence is unrelated to a job that does not involve driving. Similarly, a person refused a job on the basis of a conviction from many years ago might have...

Mr. Chairman, Thank you very much. The Report on the Review of the 2004-2005 Annual Report of the Human Rights Commission. The introduction was read into the public record during the sitting of the House.

The report includes two specific recommendations for amendments to the act.

The first recommendation is to amend the act to explicitly allow the Human Rights Adjudication Panel to order systemic remedies in addition to remedies to address the situation of individual complainants. Systemic remedies might include requiring an organization to implement employment equity or to change policies...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just with respect to the maintenance schedule, the residents and constituents are reporting that the roads are not being maintained. People who travel quite frequently haven’t seen the graders out there. There are indeed potholes. Highway No. 7, that’s the Fort Liard one, there are lots of soft spots that need maintenance and filling in, but people aren’t seeing anything being done. So when is the ministry going to direct the maintenance crews out there and have a good look at the problems that are occurring? Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s time for my spring road report.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I’ve got a question for the honourable Minister of Transportation. Just recently, the Dehcho leadership were travelling to Fort Liard, as well as track and field communities were travelling to Hay River, and they report that highways No. 1 and No. 7 have largely been unmaintained. They’re saying that there's lots of potholes, it’s soft. I’m just wondering, when is this ministry going to spend some of that money that’s earmarked for maintenance on those highways? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government has indicated publicly as well that they will be clawing back any residential school payment program. Is this an actual policy that is already in place, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to ask questions to the honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment just with respect to something that has been in the news lately. It is the residential school lump sum payment program for the common experience. I know that the GNWT is involved, but the Minister can detail for me how they are involved with this residential school lump sum payment payout that is happening. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker

The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight met on May 2, 2006 to review the 2004-2005 Annual Report of the Human Rights Commission. 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 appearing before us.

As the Human Rights Commission opened its doors on July 1, 2004, this was its first annual report and covers only the first nine months of operation, much of which was taken up by implementation matters. During the public hearing, Ms. Short and Ms...