Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to say a few thank yous as well. First and foremost I want to thank the constituents of Frame Lake who re-elected me. Merci pour votre confidance; thank you for your confidence that you exhibited in me as your MLA and in the job that I’ve done on your behalf for the last four years.

My thanks to the other two Frame Lake candidates: Mr. Duff Spence and Mr. Bernard LeBlanc. Members of this House are well aware of the sacrifices that must be made by anyone who runs for elected office. We give up our lives for some four to six weeks in August and September...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we’re going to have to call Great Slave the DM riding. I have one DM I’d like to recognize, constituent Dan Daniels, deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Constituent Lyda Fuller, who is the executive director of the Yellowknife YWCA. I’d also like to recognize a good old – not in age – friend, Ms. Debbie DeLancey. It’s good to have you back, Debbie. Lorraine Phaneuf and Annemieke Mulders from the Status of Women Council of the NWT. I’d also like to recognize Al Shortt, chair of Yellowknife Education District No. 1. Welcome all.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Caucus chair I’m very pleased to table a key results and accomplishments report for the 16th Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, one of the unique features of consensus government is the way in which all Members are able to participate in and execute the strategic plan for an Assembly. I mentioned yesterday how much I enjoyed taking part in this exercise at the commencement of this Assembly. This report provides a succinct record of the many good things that were achieved by both the executive and legislative branches in the last four years and by all 19 Members...

Thanks to the Minister. He leads me right into my next question. Thank you for that.

It’s hard to believe, but I’m sure that staff are soon going to be developing the 2013 operations budget, and I mentioned there are 19 recommendations in this report. I’d like to know, specific to three recommendations in the report which ask for core funding from the government, will these be considered by GNWT staff as the budget is developed, these three recommendations which ask for core funding.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier, the Minister responsible for the Executive. They are relative to the final report of the Coalition Against Family Violence, which was published on March 31st of this year. It was a result of about eight years of work.

The coalition was begun in 2003 and has been doing great work on behalf of our residents since then. They’re a group of 21 bodies, both NGOs and government.

There have been two action plans to date with regard to family violence, and the second phase will end in March of 2012. Phase three, a continuation of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A full review of the act resulted in 71 practical recommendations for improving the system. Most were accepted, or accepted in principle, and await funding allocations to complete. Some initial steps were taken in the 2011-2012 budget, notably to establish child and family service committees in at least five more communities, and to expand the Healthy Families Program.

A number of other recommendations are advanced in the department’s strategic plan 2011-2015. The committee held public meetings in 10 communities. Expectations are high that changes will take place over...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to say that I fully support this motion and I am very happy to second it on behalf of the MLA for Weledeh.

I think that anything we can do to keep our residents out of jail is a good thing.

We’ve had some recent court changes. The Family Violence Court is starting to prove, it’s fairly new, but it’s starting to prove extremely successful. We are far better off if we can keep people out of jail rather than putting them in, releasing them, and we find that once we release them, the recidivism rate is extremely high. Anyone that goes to jail once is quite...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From my perspective as a Member, if I’m not presented with options to fund these three specific recommendations with core funding, then I can’t vote on them. So I would ask the Minister to seriously consider adding core funding for those programs in the business plan.

Part of the report states the coalition has made great strides to shift attitudes and enhance services to reduce family violence and abuse, and I think it’s been an extremely valuable program. I’d like to know if the Minister can advise, at this point -- and I suspect I’ll get an answer that it’s up to the...

I didn’t hear the Minister say anything in the past tense. It sounded like it was all in the future. I’d like to ask the Minister, since that report was published on March 31, 2011, has there been any action on the part of the government to start dealing with the 19 recommendations which are included in that report. Thank you.