Wendy Bisaro

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Two questions that I believe we discussed when we were reviewing the business plans but I’m not sure, so I’d like to raise them. I forgot to raise them in my general comments. With the rental office, we now have a rental officer and a deputy or an assistant rental officer. We have seen over the last couple of years that the number of inquiries and the needs within that rental office have increased considerably. I would like to know whether or not having the two officers in the office is enough or is there consideration by the department to add a third person to handle the...

So, to the Minister: What’s the expected date of construction and when might the facility be open? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’d like to continue with TD 188-17(5), continuing with the Department of Justice and, time permitting, start on the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do have a couple of comments here. First and foremost I would like to comment on the Wellness Court. It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad that we are getting there. When we reviewed business plans, Members expressed some concerns about the resources which may or may not be available for the Wellness Court. We had concerns about whether or not the services and the programs were going to be available to make the program succeed. I think there was going to be an update ready for us somewhere around this time, so I guess I would like to know from the Minister and from...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m sure we want to continue with Tabled Document 188-17(5), NWT Main Estimates 2015-16. We’d like to continue with the NWT Housing Corporation and, time permitting, do the Department of Justice. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for his Member’s statement. I have no qualms with increasing mining in the territory. I know we need the economic development. However, when we have economic development, the offshoot and the results have an effect on our social conditions. I think it is extremely important that we have a cross-section, not just people who are experts in mining but people who are experts on the impact of mining.

Can the Minister provide me and Members on this side of the House with a terms of reference for this committee? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I would like to follow up on an announcement that the Minister made on January 28th when he was in Vancouver. The Minister announced a Mining Industry Advisory Board. Since that time, there’s been some comment by my colleague in the Assembly raising some questions. We’ve had questions from two organizations concerned about the environment that are also raising questions.

I would like to ask questions to the Minister around what he is intending with this advisory board. First of all, the...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I do have some comments. Thank you for the opportunity. I have a couple of questions. One of them comes from the Minister’s comments yesterday when he opened the department. I was struck on page 3 where he said that, “NWT Housing Corp activities are just part of the overall support as homelessness is addressed through the activities within a number of departments in the GNWT.” I thought that we had consolidated homelessness within the NWT Housing Corporation. That struck me as a little strange. I would appreciate an explanation of what that means.

Right after that, the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I need to say to the Minister that industry itself is concerned with the impacts it has on the social conditions in communities that they’re close to. So I guess there are no terms of reference. I would like to ask the Minister, that as terms of reference are developed, as this project goes forward, if he will involve committee in providing some feedback to this board as it is developed. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. So a wide-ranging experience in the mining industry. How are these people going to be chosen? Are they simply going to be representatives of mining companies? Are they going to be representatives of chambers of mines? Will there be any representation from social interests? As the Minister stated in his press release, “something that will encourage economic growth while maintaining high regulatory, environmental and social standards.” So that’s a concern that has been expressed. What will the representation be on this five or seven?