Frame Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

TAKE THE LEAST INTRUSIVE AND MOST EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO DELIVER CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES

The legacy of the residential school system and the historically poor relationship between the communities and the department responsible for child protection continue to colour people’s present-day experience with child and family services. Their relationship is marred by lack of confidence and trust in the staff, the policy and procedures, and the administration of the Department of Health and Social Services.

In every community visited by the Social Programs committee during the...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Premier. I’d like to play a bit of a devil’s advocate, as I am wont to do sometimes, and if, as we get to the point of possibly signing this agreement-in-principle and we don’t have all of our partners on side and with us, or in terms of what the federal government is willing to offer us, they’re not offering us what we think we need and the amount of money that we need to go forward and manage ourselves from within, should we play hardball with the federal government in particular? Should we basically throw our hands up and walk away from the table...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 21)

Thanks to the Premier. The other comment that was made in the interview this morning was the dollar value of the agreement, and I believe the former Premier mentioned $85 million and that the agreement contains a figure of $65.5 million. The former Premier seemed to indicate that we should be holding off on this agreement-in-principle because we’re not making up that $20 million difference. I’d like to ask the Premier if he could comment on that comment.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 20)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to return to the orders of the day, item 7, oral questions.

---Unanimous consent granted

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 20)

Thanks to the Minister for that little summary. That was about what I had understood, that the facility is in extremely poor conditions and it really needs to be replaced yesterday, not a couple of years from now. I was somewhat surprised that there is no indication of any kind of money for the replacement of this facility, the women’s facility, in this particular budget. I appreciate that there is planning that’s ongoing at the moment, but when does the Minister expect that there will be some money in the capital plan to actually start the construction of a new women’s facility? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 20)

I understand, I understood the statement the first time, but I guess I have to encourage you to change your intent, which you’re not willing to do. So I will agree to disagree with you. Thank you, that’s just a comment.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 20)

Just a quick follow-up. I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not there is any possibility that the review could be started and could actually be done between now and the end of March of 2011, which would be the end of this fiscal year, so there could be an evaluation of the current infrastructure contributions to communities, that there perhaps could be an amendment to those contributions, an increase, hopefully, and that we could maybe fund that by way of a supp in the next capital year. So basically I’m asking if we can increase the $28 million that’s showing in this capital budget...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 20)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a general question in regard to the infrastructure funding for communities. I think it’s well known, I don’t think it’s anything new to the Minister, that communities suffer an infrastructure deficit. Every community in the NWT, every community across Canada is suffering from a lack of infrastructure or aging infrastructure or infrastructure that needs upgrading and/or renovations. It’s my understanding that the amounts of infrastructure contributions to communities have been the same amount for about five years. There hasn’t been any increase for quite some...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 20)

I appreciate the commitment on the part of the Minister and I look forward to that, hopefully a little sooner than from May to October.

Members have often spoken about it, I know I’ve often spoken about it, but there is a real need for this government to provide adequate and consistent funding to our NGOs. One of the things that the government has done, that I think has been received positively with our NGOs, is to establish an NGO Stabilization Fund, and the applications, I guess, have recently been finished for that fund. It’s based on awards that are determined by our GNWT staff and I don’t...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 20)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask some questions to the Premier, who is also the Minister for the Executive, and I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement. I think these questions probably fall under his duties as Minister for the Executive. I mentioned in my statement that there was a program manual that was published, I think it was last year, a program manual for managers who deal with NGOs. I’d like to know what work has been undertaken by the GNWT as a result of that program manual for managers to deal with contracts more efficiently than what seems to be happening. Thank you.