Sandy Lee

…for people to gather and meet, like granny from Nahanni.

Madam Speaker, I know there are a lot more things that we could add to this list, but for me I would like to just make it clear that it is absolutely unacceptable that in the year of 2005, in one of the most prosperous countries in the world and in an area with one of the most heated economies within this county of Canada, our residents lack these most basic services.

Madam Speaker, it is absolutely unjustifiable in a budget of over $1 billion where any given Minister can sign a cheque for $200,000 to $300,000 for a conference here and a...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are aware of the fact that this session is only going to go until next Thursday. I do want to give the Minister time to respond to this, but could I get him to commit to giving us the information back and responding to these correspondences before the end of session? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Let me say, to be fair, that there is a lot of good work being done with this program. I have attended many graduation ceremonies for this program where we have produced lots of tradespeople. It appears though that we are not doing as well as we should be doing. I understand that the Minister is going to look into this, but just like the basic level of services that I was talking about in my Member’s statement, I wonder if the Minister could set a basic minimum rule that when someone wants to be registered as an apprentice in the North that they shouldn’t have to...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yesterday we had the pleasure of having students from Hay River, and today we have a class from Yellowknife who has been patiently waiting to be recognized. Madam Speaker, it’s always good to have them here and it’s my pleasure. I would like to do this in French, but if I did nobody would understand it. I know they speak better English than I speak French. So it is my great pleasure to recognize the grade 3 and 4 class, Madam Isabelle Cormier’s class, from Ecole Allain St-Cyr. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as you are well aware, between the February and March budget session until we reconvened this week, all Members in this House had a chance to travel widely to many communities in the North. I have particularly appreciated traveling to Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik, Fort McPherson, and just yesterday to Fort Liard with the Premier and some of the Members to meet and talk to the Deh Cho leaders.

Madam Speaker, in these gatherings, I always learn a lot. As I was reflecting on this last night, I noticed an obvious common theme. I would like today to advocate this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to conclude by saying that none of us should have a monopoly on basic human rights and Charter rights we hold so dear. Whenever we see someone do that, especially an elected body, good people and especially the leader should stand up and say that should not be tolerated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to express my disappointment in how my beloved city of Yellowknife is being advertised around the country as a city so insecure in its identity as to feel the need to celebrate a heterosexual day.

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Mr. Speaker, as one council member put it so succinctly, I find this to be extremely frivolous and vexatious and a real mockery of the day of celebration hard fought and won by one of the most marginalized and victimized people in our society. Mr. Speaker, I believe no matter where people stand on the issue of gay...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t know when that meeting that the Minister refers to has taken place. As far as I’m aware, the employees impacted have learned about their job loss through the mainstream media. So I’m gathering that the Minister and his officials met with these employees after the fact. Now, I think that is a problem and I’d like to know if the Minister could make a commitment to send someone to meet with these people and have more information about what is going on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome all the distinguished guests in the gallery. I don’t think I’d be allowed to repeat all the names, but if I may just mention a couple of names; Mr. Ed Jeske, a distinguished elder in our community…

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…and Katherine Youngblut who is sitting next to Mr. Jeske. Also I’d like to recognize two people who work a lot to make my job easier everyday; Cathy Olson, my constituency assistant, and my mother, Taejeong Lee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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