Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For some time now we’ve had an Official Languages Act which specifies that there shall be two languages boards, an Aboriginal Languages Board and a Languages Revitalization Board. Although these two boards and their membership is clearly laid out in the Official Languages Act, the GNWT is not following its own legislation, nor is the government, specifically the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, heeding the advice of the 16th Assembly Standing Committee on Government Operations, which did a thorough and comprehensive review of the Official Languages Act...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t need to comment much more than I already have. This motion is the result of the work of committee and the need that we felt to support the Information and Privacy Commissioner in her desire to get legislation for access to information and protection of privacy legislation for municipalities. This is the result of that work.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to take this opportunity, as well, to thank the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the work that she does and for her report.

I want to just highlight a couple of things. Some of them have already been highlighted by the chair in his remarks, but a couple of other things. I want to support Mr. Dolynny’s comment about using the Information and Privacy Commissioner at the front end of the development of legislation. I would recommend, as he does, that the government consult with the Information and Privacy Commissioner at the time that an LP is developed, and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As was stated by the Minister, this bill was a real collaborative effort. I noted in the Minister’s opening comments, he said it was a priority of the 17th Assembly. I’m very glad that it was and I’m very glad we’re to this point, because it has been some 10 years that NEBS has been trying to get legislation to govern their operations, and it’s very gratifying that we are finally to this point where we’re just about ready to see third reading for this bill.

I want to echo the comments that have already been made about the uniqueness of the process. It certainly was unusual...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

A number of other matters were raised by stakeholders. First, a community advocate asked the committee to ensure that amendments align with human rights legislation. Specifically, he sought to ensure that Aurora College students have the right to receive a copy of their tenancy agreement. Some students have been denied this request in the past, which prevented them from voting. He further recommended ensuring that landlords do not have the right to enter student premises without notice or a police warrant. The committee noted that the act exempts...

To the Minister: I have to express my surprise and my huge concern that the Minister is not aware that this stretch of road needs upgrading. It’s not an access road; this is a GNWT highway, a territorial highway. Albeit, it’s in the city of Yellowknife, but at the moment it’s a territorial highway, and if the Minister doesn’t know that it needs upgrading, it’s no surprise that we haven’t had any success.

To the Minister: he’s going to have this meeting. At this meeting is the Minister willing to commit to provide funds to get the repair work done that’s needed on this road? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on the questions asked by my colleague Mr. Bromley, and I have some questions for the Minister of Transportation with regards to the piece of road between Niven Gate and 49th near downtown.

You know, the Minister explained how difficult this problem is, how complicated it is. I have a very simple solution for the Minister. The city and the GNWT have been talking about this stretch of road for many years. So, my first comment to the Minister is that there’s a simple solution to this very complex problem: fix the road, which is what needs to be done...

I have to assume that there is no strategy; the Minister has not referenced it at all. I appreciate the work that Education, Culture and Employment has done in regards to languages, and I also, like the Minister, think Aboriginal languages and the preservation and advancement of Aboriginal languages is extremely important, and we are starting to work in that direction. But the Official Languages Act is a law, a piece of legislation, and the regulations that follow it require representation on our languages boards. It specifically asks for specific representation.

I’d like to ask the Minister...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement and ask a few questions about the Official Languages Act and our languages boards and the lack of movement on making changes.

In the wake of the report in the 16th Assembly by the Committee on Government Operations into the Official Languages Act, in response to that report, at some point, the Minister promised to table an official languages strategy and I’d like to ask the Minister, first off, was that strategy ever tabled? Thank you.

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

---Carried