Frame Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 4)

Thanks to the Minister for that update. It was very helpful. Protection of NWT caribou herds is a complex matter as there are a number of communities that have traditionally harvested herds, most migrate between the NWT and Nunavut, there are different management regimes on each side of the boundary, and very little habitat has any permanent protection. That raises the issue of whether our government has any policy or position on resource development within calving grounds. Can the Minister say whether our government has a position or policy on resource development within caribou calving...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 4)

Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Later today, we will be debating a motion about development in the calving grounds of one of our migratory caribou herds. The Bathurst caribou herd has plummeted from a high of 472,000 animals to 16,000. Indigenous governments have voluntarily halted harvesting, yet nothing has been done in terms of habitat protection. Can the Minister give us an update on the status of the Bathurst herd and whether there are any signs of recovery? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 4)

Merci, Monsieur le President. Midwifery: where to begin? We go back to the last Assembly in 2012, when public advocacy prompted the government to commission a Midwifery Review and Expansion Analysis Report. That report recommended options for expansion of midwifery service, including creating a territorial model based out of Yellowknife in 2015-2016, so that the full rollout could be done in 2016-2017. Mr. Speaker, that was last year.

The Minister stated in July 2015 that he was still committed to introducing midwifery services, but then there was no money; so a further study and further public...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 4)

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, this is an issue that I have raised in the two public accounts reviews that I have participated in. There is a big difference between bad debt as listed in here and student loan remissions, and my reading of the Financial Administration Act, and I am not a lawyer, when I read it, there is no requirement for disclosure of individual names to be listed in this part of the public accounts, and I think it is an invasion of these individuals' privacy. We want to encourage our students to come back here and work here and live here, and one way we do this is through these...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 3)

Thanks to the Minister for that. I am no Chicken Little, and it is not my leadership that is being questioned by the Auditor General here on climate change. It is this government's. ENR and Infrastructure undertook joint public engagement on the development of an energy strategy in Climate Change Strategic Framework.

That work was done months ago and a draft energy strategy is now out for further public consultation. There has been no public recording on the status of the Climate Change Framework until earlier today. Why is the Climate Change Strategic Framework lagging so far behind the energy...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I accept the remarks from my colleague, and I think, you know, these motions basically serve as drafting instructions, and it will be up to the board of management to work with a law clerk, legal counsel to basically come up with wording that meets the spirit and intent of these. Look, I am not a lawyer, but it might be a statutory declaration or a place for a candidate and the official agent to sign off on the statements and have them notarized or, you know. Look, I am not a lawyer, but I think the intention is clear here. We do not want there to be unnecessary...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 3)

Thank you. I appreciate that commitment from the Minister to look at how we can better build community capacity with regard to these sorts of projects as part of the regular project planning cycle. I still maintain and want to go on the record as being concerned about the one-off nature of this appropriation, the very highly unusual way that it is coming through the Executive, through a supplementary appropriation, rather than as regular O and M, and I think this opens the door to other interests coming forward to our government for special requests for money.

I will give one example: the...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is the last recommendation. I am sure everyone will be relieved to know that.

I move that this Assembly recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to authorize the Chief Electoral Officer to enter agreements with any person or government, department, or institution to obtain information, including personal information, to update the register of electors and permit the Chief Electoral Officer to enter agreements with any person or government, department, or institution to provide address, mapping, demographic, or geographic information including...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 3)

Merci, Monsieur le President. Yesterday, the Auditor General of Canada released a very critical report on our government's management of climate change. Every jurisdiction in Canada is undergoing a similar audit to allow for some comparisons, best practices, and lessons learned, with a roll-up final report in 2018. While the NWT is a very small contributor to Canada's GHG emissions at 0.2 per cent, the effects are already being felt here, and we will experience some of the greatest impacts. We must do our fair share of mitigation and adaptation.

Environment and Natural Resources was reviewed as...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are on to recommendation number six. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to replace the requirement for candidates to file statements from a bank or other financial institution with a practical, reliable requirement that ensures accountability and transparency; and further that the act be amended to provide the Chief Electoral Officer with discretion to extend elected candidates' deadline for filing accurate and complete financial statements for up to 15 calendar days. Thank you, Mr. Chair.