Wendy Bisaro

Thanks to the Minister. I realize it’s a double-edged sword. I totally understand if we cut taxes, we’re also going to be cutting our own revenue. I thank the Minister for that response.

With regard to the red tape, it is something which CFIB is on about, not just in the North but I think right across the country, and I appreciate the Minister’s explanation of all the things we do provide. But I believe it was over a year ago that this government, I think, through the Premier, made a statement that we were going to do something about cutting red tape. I didn’t hear from the Minister that we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Finance, who is going to be up on his feet again. Strange how that works out some days; one Minister gets them all.

My statement talked about Small Business Week and I mentioned a number of recommendations from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business to the Government of the Northwest Territories to try and help small business get ahead and to try and lessen some of the imposition on their bottom line. The first one was that our small business tax rate is one of the highest in northern and western Canada and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to Mr. Moses.

The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted an active and thorough review of this bill. For the first time in the history of the Northwest Territories, the committee held hearings in schools to solicit the views of students. To facilitate discussion and openness, the format was much less formal than a typical public hearing on a bill.

These sessions took place at the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River, Ecole Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells, and the East Three Secondary School...

Mr. Chair, I move that we report progress.

Okay, I didn’t really hear from the Minister when or if – I hope it’s when – there will be an increase to this infrastructure budget for communities. Is that in the future anywhere? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have a few comments and questions and I’d like to reiterate Mr. Dolynny’s comments about the work that the department has been doing. I should say the corporation. The corporation has been doing a very good job of staying ahead of many of the problems that have existed for quite some time and they’re working very hard at trying to solve them. So it’s nice to see. Of course, I do have some concerns.

Mr. Dolynny mentioned the 168-people-long waiting list. My concern, and I’ve expressed it to the Minister many times before, is with transition housing, particularly in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for the commitment to look into it. I would certainly hope that there would not be anything except perhaps a legal requirement that stands in the way of this kind of consultation. We are a consensus government. We share the responsibility with the federal government and we as Members share the responsibility with our Minister on this particular response. I think it is imperative that the Minister do everything he can to allow Members on this side of the House to have some input into what we’re saying to the feds. I’d like to know from the...

Thanks to the Minister. That’s unfortunately what I was expecting. I appreciate this is a federal response, but I also know that we as a government are sitting at a table and we are presenting a position. I think it is a responsibility of this government to allow Members to have some input into that position.

So I would like to know from the Minister, my question is whether or not I, as a Yellowknife Member, other Yellowknife Members, other Regular Members who want to, why can we not, or can we not have an opportunity to sit down with yourself, as Minister, or with other Members or staff of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to carry on from my statement yesterday and address another provision that I feel is lacking in the Residential Tenancies Act. Sections 30(1)(b), 37, 38 and 40 of the act reference the landlord’s responsibility for tenant safety. I agree with my constituents, who believe that the act does not go far enough towards ensuring tenant protection.

Landlords should have to make sure their buildings are safe and secure from crime. This will mean patrolling their parking lots, laundry rooms and hallways on a regular basis. This means educating their tenants about...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we report progress.