Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS Members of this Legislative Assembly recognize that bullying is a significant concern for Northwest Territories residents, and on February 16, 2012, passed Motion 5-17(2) on anti-bullying measures;

AND WHEREAS the use of social media, smartphones, and other information and communication technologies to bully, also known as cyberbullying, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with tragic consequences;

AND WHEREAS recent events in Canada including, most unfortunately, suicides of young people who were victims of cyberbullying, have brought this issue to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just would like to say to the Minister, he mentioned we’ve been lucky so far. We’ve been lucky to put teachers into housing, but it hasn’t been acceptable housing. It certainly hasn’t been housing that has been to the standard that we would expect if we were living in it.

The other possibility with the Housing Corporation is that, yes, they may provide an actual building, but it does not necessarily mean that the rents are going to be acceptable.

I’d like to ask the Minister, he’s talking about working with different partners and working closely with the Housing...

I’m not quite sure why these regulations would be so far-reaching and so widespread, but I’ll take him at his word and wait to see what comes of any discussions that go forward.

Another possibility that I didn’t mention but that could conceivably be out there – and it’s something that was previously done and then was dropped, but it has happened in the past – is that the NWT Housing Corporation has bequeathed property to education authorities and has maybe even set up mortgages with those authorities.

I’d like to ask the Minister whether or not he would consider discussing with the Minister for...

DEAs and DECs who are allowed to own property can then legally set about acquiring housing for their teaching staff. Education districts need many options to help them deal with housing. One solution will not work for every one of them. The GNWT needs to be flexible and supportive, and good, strong northern housing must be available, well maintained and reasonable in price when it comes to rent.

Teacher housing in the NWT is hampered by regulations which forbid educational authorities to own properties, and this is perhaps not a solution for all of our communities, but as ECE consults with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this motion. My comments are similar to those of my colleagues.

I haven’t been directly involved in the program. I don’t have many constituents who are directly involved in the program, but I am well aware of the deficiencies of the program. It’s been made known particularly through social media, Facebook, the printed and the electronic media and so on.

Since the change came in two years ago, I’ve heard nothing but negative comments about this new program. Those comments have come through social media, Facebook, the printed and the electronic media...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. My last question has to do with transportation, as he just mentioned. I appreciate that the transportation costs are rolled in. I appreciate that the living allowance has been rolled into salaries. It’s my understanding that transportation is weighted fairly heavily in the criteria that make up the methodology that determines northern allowance, so I’d like to know from the Minister why transportation is weighted so heavily compared to, say, living costs.

I want to thank the Minister for that explanation. I realize that this is a difficult topic to discuss, but I am a little concerned that Yellowknife employees may be at some kind of a disadvantage. So one of the things that the Minister referenced was a basket of living expenses, I guess you would call it. It struck me that this basket does not include transportation. Transportation is outside of this basket. The other thing that is outside of this basket is mortgages.

So can the Minister explain, from his experience in negotiating this particular issue, why transportation and mortgage expenses...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is about the Department of Education, Culture and Employment proposal for minimum wage adjustment, specifically to the committee that has been established by the Minister to review the NWT minimum wage.

Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Speaker. I’m very glad the Minister sees the need for a regular review for the minimum wage, but I can’t agree with the Minister’s suggestion to strike a committee to review and set regulations.

I feel it’s overly bureaucratic and, quite simply, unnecessary. I have concerns with both the makeup of the committee and the length of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, June 3, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that this Legislative Assembly supports the efforts of the federal, provincial and territorial Justice Ministers to better protect children by combatting cyberbullying, including changes to the Criminal Code of Canada that would make it a specific criminal offence to share intimate images without consent;

And further, that the Speaker transmit this motion to the Prime Minister, federal Opposition leaders, and federal...

I totally agree with the principle for equalizing rates for our employees across all of our communities.

The Minister mentions that the union has not asked to evaluate or do any kind of revisiting of this particular methodology. I’d like to know from the Minister when the last time was that this methodology was reviewed. When was the last time it was looked at across the territory and was there an evaluation to determine if the fact that Yellowknife is the base rate is actually appropriate still? Thank you.