Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to speak about the alarming rates of crime being committed in the capital city of Yellowknife. Just today, the local media is reporting the latest statistics from the Yellowknife RCMP which shows that in comparison to the first quarter of last year, the number of personal offences, including assaults, were up from 158 cases to 213. This is an increase of 35 percent. The combined offences, including property theft and others, jumped from 1.251 cases to 1,737; a whopping 28 percent increase from 2002.

Mr. Speaker, this comes on the heels of a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that the Minister needs to bring this to committee for discussion. I do believe that the Minister is already aware that the previous Minister has been reviewing this policy for at least three years, at least three summers. The Minister already knows all of the issues pertaining to that policy. What I’m looking for from the Minister is, will he consider a tier system, a category system where priority is given to the visitors, but wherever there are vacancies the local people can take them and not have to drive by and look at empty spaces...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to address my question to the Minister of RWED, further to my Member’s statement earlier today. Mr. Speaker, may I ask the Minister whether or not he has had a chance to review this department’s policy or directive to the contractor and whether or not he has considered changing this policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m aware that I cannot speak for the committee and I understand that our committee Members would like to see changes to regulations brought to them first. What I’m saying is that my experience has been that when a Minister says he wants to consult and review, that is just an excuse for inaction.

I’m telling you that allowing for more than two weeks’ stay in shoulder seasons, between May and June when there is still snow on the ground or in August to September when all the kids are back in school, is no good to us. What I’m interested in knowing is what is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister’s answer. At the same time, I do believe this is a first test for the Minister. Often we have Members who cross the floor. They’re very well aware of the issues that we bring up and I know that the Minister is very well aware of this issue. So far, he’s answered in length without making any commitment at all.

---Laughter

I believe, Mr. Speaker, there is plenty of room for action that he could take immediately. I know he understands the need for extra space; this is not an unusual thing. But for right now, this summer, for many of our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to raise an issue that my constituent has asked me to bring to the attention of the Minister of RWED. This is a recurring issue that I have raised with the previous Minister of RWED and something that the current Minister of RWED -- who is also an MLA for Yellowknife -- is very familiar with. It has to do with the department’s policy or directive that the department has with the contractor that manages the territorial parks around the city which limits the time of overnight stays for any given family to a maximum of two...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS Rule 85 requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures: The Honourable Mr. Bell, Member for Yellowknife South; Mr. Braden, Member for Great Slave; Mr. Delorey, Member for Hay River North; Mr. Hawkins, Member for Yellowknife Centre; Mr. Villeneuve, Member for Tu Nedhe.

AND FURTHER that the following Members be named alternates to the Standing Committee on Rules and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, January 22, 2004, I will move the following motion: NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures: The Honourable Mr. Bell, Member for Yellowknife South; Mr. Braden, Member for Great Slave; Mr. Delorey, Member for Hay River North; Mr. Hawkins, Member for Yellowknife Centre; Mr. Villeneuve, Member for Tu Nedhe.

AND FURTHER that the following Members be named alternates to the Standing Committee on Rules and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer from the Minister. Could I have a commitment from the Minister that he will do everything in his power and exercise good will in doing everything he can to avoid a situation like the pay equity dispute that we had that was long and protracted and very expensive, and that he would do everything he can to shorten this process and get to the conclusion as soon as possible? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, I believe it is Mr. Roland. Mr. Speaker, my question has to do with a dispute that has existed between correctional officers in our facilities in the North and the GNWT as an employer. It is too complicated to go into, but this is something that a lot of my constituents have brought up and it has to do with the dispute between the government and the correctional officers on the pay scale. The dispute got to the stage where it got to the arbitration and, in the last...