Michael Nadli

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today we’re talking about bullying. Bullying is most prevalent in the young people population, but it’s all over. My question is to the Minister of Justice. It’s essential that we have peace officers, like one of the symbols that we have here in the North and across Canada are RCMP officers.

To the Minister’s knowledge, have any young people from the NWT participated in the RCMP’s Aboriginal Pre-Cadet Training Program? Mahsi.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has been considering Bill 43, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act.

Bill 43 was given second reading and referred to the standing committee on February 9, 2015. Bill 43 is a little bill with a potentially big impact. For this reason, the standing committee wanted to ensure the due diligence was exercised during the review. The standing committee provided notice to stakeholders of its intention to hold a public hearing on the bill which took place on Friday, February 20, 2015. While the standing committee did not...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the time for innovation is here, especially when this department has undertaken along with this government the on-the-land program, and we’re kind of making it up as we go. So, there’s an opportunity to perhaps reach out into the community.

Once again, will the Minister consider doing a community-based mentoring project with the RCMP so that experienced police officers and, at the same time, community elders are involved with trying to mentor young Aboriginal people to become RCMP officers? Mahsi.

It’s essential that relationship building happens between RCMP and the community. So as such, has the Department of Justice considered its own version of the RCMP program? I have in mind a community-based policing program where young people are mentored not only by experienced police officers but also by caring and strong community elders. Mahsi.

[Translation] Our elders say we will go into the future holding a pen. This is how the old people are saying we will benefit from the education [Translation ends]

…and together at work to agree that as a goal we need to act upon this and make it a priority to ensure that we improve the lives of our people, all of our people in the NWT. One goal that we should all aspire to work towards is our high school graduation rates. Let’s agree that by 2016 we will graduate with at least 2,000 students by that time. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise, too, in support of the bill. I’d like to congratulate the people from the Sahtu for this long haul. I’ve been in a leadership position and it’s not an easy task. But what’s very inspiring is having your elders there with you along the way and it’s very important that you carry along with you your elders, their involvement, at the same time, their wisdom, their patience, and at the same time showing us the humility in terms of not knowing everything, but trying to learn from them as well. So it’s a very important path that you’ve taken. I congratulate you. It’s a...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Education is about going to school, learning… [Translation] …we learn from the school. We sit around the table and listen and learn. Also, we work in the bush, as well, to educate ourselves in our culture and…[Translation ends]

[English not provided]

…our extended families and the knowledge is passed on through... [Translation] We learn from our culture. We learn from our legends and this is how our culture is passed on. This is how we learn as Dene people. [Translation ends]

…sometimes it is a detriment to the society of the NWT. Sometimes we are reminded of the reality that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have some opening comments. I was very interested, of course, in the progress towards updating the Forest Management Act and with the particular interest in terms of the non-timber forest products. I understand that’s still in the works at some point. Hopefully, we’ll see some progress towards that end.

Why I remain very interested in that is because, of course, the non-timber forest products pertain to the mushrooms in terms of how it is that this government will be responsible and manage them and ensure they’re sustainable at the same time. There are regulations...

I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has conducted its review of Bill 12, Northern Employee Benefits Services Professions Act, and wishes to report to the Assembly that Bill 12 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted.

Further, the Standing Committee on Government Operations has also conducted a review of Bill 43, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act, and would like to report that Bill 43 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I too rise in support of this motion. The hospital emergency situation in Stanton, I think it’s a paramount matter that needs to be addressed and is needed. Security and safety is essential and should be established in the hospital. Of course, there are two more likely spots in the hospital, the emergency ward and the psychiatric ward that need to at least have immediate security systems in place.

Of course, we’re trying to learn from the incident that happened in 2011 regarding Allisdair Leishman and we need to make things right to ensure that there is a level of safety at...