Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here today to present Bill 20, Vital Statistics Act.

Mr. Chairman, the current legislation evolved from the Vital Statistics Ordinance that was enacted in January 1927. There have only been minor amendments to this act over the years and, as a result, the administrative processes are extremely outdated and do not reflect best practices. The registration procedures in this proposed act will make the process to register an event more efficient and easier for the public and will also remove the provisions in the existing act that are discriminatory.

The bill addresses...

Yes, Mr. Speaker, as far as I know.

We have professionals, capable individuals that manage the scheduling of the operating rooms, that look at the schedules, the wait lists, what is elective and what’s emergency, and they are doing all the things necessary. They’ve done a very good job, I would suggest, given the fact that we were struggling with some of the sterilization issues up until recently, and that that rate will increase as we pick away at that backlog now that the operating rooms are functional. Thank you.

Thank you. In the agreement-in-principle for devolution there’s a specific clause in part of the agreement that deals with the whole area of contaminated sites, ones that are currently in existence, ones that may come into existence. There’s been significant work on inventory. There’s hundreds and hundreds of contaminated sites that have to be cleaned up. Many, or most, are on Crown land, some on territorial land, which we are responsible for. Pine Point is on that list, and once again, it’s a list that far exceeds the resources available to remediate all of the sites. So it will be on the...

Thank you. Because at this point they are the landlords, it’s Crown land. Should the day come with devolution, that site and its remediation would be dealt with through the devolution process, but at this point they are the landowner and responsible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the goals of this Assembly is healthy, educated people. Preventing rather than treating illness and disease is the real key to achieving that goal. Encouraging our residents to make healthy choices is one of the most important things the Government of the Northwest Territories can do to help.

Through the Healthy Choices Framework, several GNWT departments have been successfully working together to make it easier for our residents to make better choices in their daily lives. Healthy Choices is our approach to encouraging and supporting NWT residents to make healthy...

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 20, Vital Statistics Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill replaces the existing Vital Statistics Act that provides a comprehensive framework for the registration of birth, adoptions, stillbirth, marriages and deaths in the Northwest Territories.

Transitional matters are provided for, and the Children’s Law Act and the Marriage Act are consequentially amended. Thank you.

Thank you. We played a major role as a government back when the town was in existence. As they dismantled the town and shut down the mine site and people were relocated or left, we played a role in that capacity. The actual clean-up of the site, with the huge pits and the tailings ponds and all the other attendant problems were the responsibility of the federal government. We had a role where we made sure and encouraged them to complete it and conclude it. I flew over there a few years ago and it is still a very visible work in progress, with the pits wide open and work still being done in the...

The federal government, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I would be happy to provide the Member with a note that would lay out the position of the government when it comes to this particular service and we can have further discussion at that point if he wishes. Thank you.