R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like there are a lot of people involved in this. We have Aboriginal groups. We have Education Councils. We have District Education Authorities. We have ECE. It seems like there must be a simpler way, but I guess that's the way it is right now. Most students in Hay River can't take the bus to school because they live too close. Basically, if you live anywhere between the bridge and the "Welcome to Hay River" sign, you can't take the bus, so there are only a handful of students in DJ who actually take the bus, and now, they hear that bus service may end...

The buck has to stop somewhere. As far as I am concerned, it stops here, in the Legislative Assembly, with the Members of the Legislative Assembly and the Ministers of the respective departments. That's why I want to ask the Minister of Education: other than talking to the Education Council, what can be done to expand the course selection at Hay River and other schools across the territory?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am the second-youngest member of this 18th Legislative Assembly, but that is not saying much. In fact, my days of being considered a youth are long gone. However, Mr. Speaker, I was elected to represent all of the constituents of Hay River North, not just those who can vote, so, while I may be old, I cannot afford to be out of touch.

That is why this past Monday, over the lunch hour, I held a constituency meeting at Diamond Jenness Secondary School that was exclusively for students. Fourteen students attended, mostly from grades 8 to 10. I was a little worried that...

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. There is a motion to report progress. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

The motion is carried. I will rise and report progress. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister said the DFO is looking at a fisherman cooperative to possibly take over Freshwater. If that happens, will that have any effect on the plans to build a plant? There is a Freshwater plant in Hay River; it's just sort of the shell of one right now. If a cooperative takes it over, they might own that infrastructure. Will that affect the plant in Hay River that the GNWT plans to build? Thank you.

It's good to hear that they are paying attention to these changes. Next, I would like an update on this fish processing plant that has been talked about for a few years now in Hay River, and I am looking for any information we can find. Are there blueprints? Is there an estimated cost? Do we know when they will break ground? The last I heard, it was supposed to be this spring.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you are well aware, the life of an MLA can get quite busy. That is true if you are a Regular Member or a Minister or even Speaker. There is a never-ending supply of constituency issues, policy issues, legislative issues, meetings, appearances, travel, and so on, and with so much going on we always run the risk of losing focus on why we are here. That is why it is important that, once in a while, we take a step back and reflect on what our role really is.

Despite the diversity of our responsibilities and the complexity of many of the issues we deal with...

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 1-18(3), North Slave Correctional Complex Inmate Concerns. I would like to report progress and Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

That is an expensive piece of infrastructure. I would like to ask about the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. Last year, the feds commissioned a report on possibilities for the future of the corporation, and I was wondering: can the Minister give us an update on what that report said and how the conclusions of that report may affect the industry in the Northwest Territories?