Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I will be addressing community policing concerns raised by my constituents and the residents all throughout the North. Several years ago, particularly in the 14th Assembly, the small non-tax based communities met with the special committee members to discuss this issue. All remote communities indicated that safety of residents and community policing was the highest priority. There was a case where a victim was so injured that he could not even walk to get help. Even this did not get the police to their community. That was pointed out in the final...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is absolutely correct and that is what the government chose to do. They went directly to one owner, one building in the community when there is another business that offers office space. What happens is you have two providers for the service and our procurement policy, Mr. Speaker, is we offer the opportunity to everybody for goods and services that we need. In this case, it didn’t happen, and I would like to ask the Minister why.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Residents of the NWT recognize some committees, boards and councils require considerable expertise and experience in this field. However, even these groups must have representation from the average residents from all of the regions. The responsibilities and functions of these groups are trusted to them by the Legislative Assembly, the GNWT; the government of the people. These responsibilities affect all of us and have deep implications. Therefore, all regions of the NWT must have adequate representation and not what is convenient, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to address an issue important to Nahendeh and other regions in the Northwest Territories: adequate regional representation. Yellowknife and Hay River seem to have consideration based on representation and attention on many issues. Their size and accessibility to administration gives them a considerable advantage over policies and implementation. This policy must address these inequalities and implement the policies of our previous governments to have balanced regional representation.

Reviewing the NWT Public Committees, Boards and Councils...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I cannot be in favour of something that doesn’t have an adequate dispute resolution attached to it. With that, I will end my comments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am glad the Minister clarified some of the allowables, as it were. I don’t know; my gut feeling tells me it’s an uncomfortable amendment. I know it’s already in there, but this particular amendment is uncomfortable to me. I don’t think it’s really thought out. Once again, we end up in a situation where something sounds like a good idea when we discuss it in generally, but when we put it into practicalities, it just doesn’t work out. I think here is another system that is just not going to work out because it’s the individual, the taxpayer, who is going to end up...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. With respect to the amendments on Bill 9, I, too, would like to voice my concern with respect to the municipalities being able to collect outstanding fees that are owed to them through the taxation bill. It is laid out clearly here in the chair's opening remarks of the dispute mechanism that is noticeably absent. Already in the small communities, people are disputing their taxation bill because of overlaps of band and territorial government land issues or just confusion of who owns what land. That confusion already exists. Now we are also giving...

Mr. Chairman, the committee wishes to consider Bill 8 and Bill 9.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the procurement of office space in Fort Simpson, that’s exactly what has happened, Mr. Speaker. There was no opportunity given to this other provider. He’s got office space. It’s a prefabricated building, which is like a trailer. One of the reasons he was given, Mr. Speaker, is because it’s a trailer-type office space and the government says they don’t even consider that. If I asked a written question today to ask the government to list all the trailers that we do rent throughout the NWT, I am sure it’ going to be there. This reason is not acceptable...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the honourable Minister of Public Works and Services with regard to the procurement practices of our government. Recently in Fort Simpson, the PWS leased some office space locally, and I am here to say that I don’t think it was done properly in following a proper procurement process. There were no tenders put in the newspapers or asking the general public to bid on the contracts, Mr. Speaker. So I would like to ask the Minister today, what is the procurement process when you are looking for office spaces in our regions and communities?...