Thank you, Mr. Chair. Today the Standing Committee on Government Operations presented its report on the Review of the Northwest Territories Information and Privacy Commissioner’s 2012-2013 Annual Report.

The committee thanks Ms. Elaine Keenan Bengts for her report and for her appearance before the committee on April 25, 2014.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner has been encouraging the GNWT to find ways to include municipalities under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act or under their own legislation since her annual report of 2007-2008. The Commissioner has again...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the key word is collaboration. The expectation that is, indeed, that as we’re going down this path, we would work together.

In Fort Providence there has been a JK pilot project running since October. We have Head Start running there as well. The children go to junior kindergarten in the morning and they come to Head Start in the afternoon. The program manager, Joyce McLeod, has had to contact parents and ask them to please come and get their children because they are very, very tired. So we know for a lot of the children, a full day is too much. That’s just one...

Would the Minister consider delaying or suspending at least the options of communities that raise their concerns, and see if there’s going to be a pause in terms of trying to reflect upon the next step? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bob Bromley, for moving this motion forward. I stand in support of this motion. What the motion asks for is refrain from supporting fracking until a full and public assessment, and if fracking could actually happen within the public scope of the existing regulatory system and public opinion.

It’s timely that the ITI Minister has committed his department to develop regulations on fracking. I would like to encourage him with his leadership to really think about how this would be done. It could be done within the regulatory...

In terms of the next steps for the Energy Action Plan that the government is contemplating and in development, what can we expect in terms of this series of steps that could come about within the year in terms of advancing the plan? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I made a statement on just some of the challenges that our people have in terms of meeting their challenges to heat their homes. My question is to the Minister of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Could the Minister explain how the NWT Energy Action Plan could provide immediate relief for increasing fuel prices and our dependency on fossil fuels? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to Motion 12-17(4) of the Legislative Assembly, the Standing Committee on Government Operations wishes to table a document, entitled “Establishing an Office of the Ombudsman for the Northwest Territories.”

The Standing Committee welcomes public comment over the summer and anticipates further discussions during the fall sitting of the Assembly. Mahsi.

The question that I have is the Energy Action Plan outlines the potential expansion of the southern goods from the South Slave region. I wanted to see and to know whether there has been any regard or consideration for the benefits that communities in and around that area could derive from the expansion of the grids, especially at the end of the day the consumers that have to contend with the high and increasing rate of fuel.

How would the communities benefit from such an expansion? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last week, Members and I have spoken to the issue of high costs of living in NWT communities. The high cost of living is directly linked to the cost of fuel. It has become clear that the only way to reduce fuel cost is to reduce fuel use.

The NWT Energy Plan was an important piece of policy work for the 17th Assembly. It lays out a framework for how we will supply energy to our communities and industry. The planed proposal ties Kakisa and Fort Providence into the hydro grid and expanding hydro power to create the NWT grid.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, in April, there was a day designated as Autism Awareness Day. I do know of parents who are caring for their autistic children and they’re burdened with the cost of bringing, sometimes, their autistic children down south just to get that specialized care.

In the hospitals, too, we have a few patients who live there in the extended care unit. Sometimes, of course, there’s separation from family, and sometimes we have disabled persons who have to be removed from their family and communities.

Being disabled, there are challenges in terms of transportation. We just...