Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize our good friend and former Speaker of this House, Mr. Tony Whitford. I just wanted to let him know that it’s good to see him here and I miss him very much, too. Not disrespecting the current incumbent from Kam Lake.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to recognize Mr. Lougheed. I believe we all miss him. I’ve watched him as I was growing up and I admire him very much. I welcome him to the North. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a short comment on my position on this motion. I have supported the introduction of this motion in this House because I do believe it is a topic worthy of discussion and my honourable colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes has been working diligently to advance this item. I thought it was a good idea to have it out here and to get feedback from the Members and to get our position known to the people and parties outside of this assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I will not be supporting this motion as it is written in terms of what it is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister brings up a few valid points. I guess if some of these positions are going to be grandfathered, there are no further issues with respect to those incumbents who could benefit from that. But as the Minister indicated, those people who are under community wellness worker training, that’s one of the examples where it’s working. My point is there is no training available to implement this program currently in place, and the suggestion being proposed by authorities that are responsible for implementing this is if you had someone who could do this job but doesn...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a new question for the Minister of Health and Social Services. It has to do with my Member’s statement earlier today with regard to the new program that the government has to put more mental health and addictions workers in communities. As I indicated earlier, the qualifications being asked under the contribution agreements are such that it really is sure to exclude most local people from taking on these positions. This raises two questions. One is not being able to provide employment opportunities that are available, but secondly these are important positions...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to the coverage for drug benefits for seniors. Mr. Speaker, recently there was a change in insurance companies. I believe it went from Sunlife to Alberta Blue Cross, I am not sure exactly. The new insurer is Alberta Blue Cross. In the process of changing this insurance coverage, many seniors are finding that their pharmaceutical products that used to be covered under the old benefits are no longer covered under the new one. Part of it is just transitional problems where the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today on the way the mental health and addictions program is being rolled out in communities. Mr. Speaker, this is a program that I have supported and I believe it’s a very good thing that the government has allocated new money and more money to put resources in this area. I believe, also, Mr. Speaker, that it is important that we do it in a way that meets the needs of our local communities and at the same time maximizes the local employment opportunities wherever possible.

Mr. Speaker, the information I have is that the GNWT...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Continuing on with the participants: Kelvin Redvers in TV video productions from Diamond Jenness High School; Justin Shelley in culinary arts from Sir John Franklin High School; Mara Smith for worksite safety from Sir John Franklin High School; Jeremy Studney in aircraft maintenance from Buffalo Airways; Stephen Walsh in welding from Kingland Ford; Kyle Wheaton in small powered equipment from Sir John Franklin High School; Allen Christiansen in heavy duty equipment mechanical from Finning; Duncan Hamre in IT PC network support from Sir John...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope the seniors of the community will forgive me if I speak about something that is not related to seniors this day.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend the good luck send off for the Skills Canada NWT/Nunavut team that are currently, as we speak, competing for the NWT in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, this year, the team consisted of 20 gold medal winners from the NWT and six from Nunavut. I have, over the years, enjoyed observing and partaking in some of the events that they have held. I have watched a lot of territorial games, and I hope...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me just get back to the basics here. As I sit here, I can’t help but notice we are engaged in a very well-known dance, a dance that happens in families when you have a family member in trouble. Somebody does something wrong and they say I am sorry, I won’t do it again. I don’t think that should be enough. I think we have to, as a body responsible for public interest and public integrity and the high standard that we must uphold, the Premier has to have that X-factor, that information that tells him that goes beyond I am sorry, I won’t do it again. So I need to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier also. As I was listening to the questions and answer to the statement made by Mr. Zoe, I think the Premier is getting very close to giving misleading information if it’s not inaccurate.