Déclarations dans les débats
Now is another fine example of divide and conquer. Urban versus rural, committee versus process. Maybe the Premier, being such a maven when it comes to court space and experience, maybe you can explain why the existing courthouse, in its existing form, works and meets the needs of health and safety of our employees as well as, as I mentioned earlier, those accused, those victims and those witnesses when we’re working on their initiatives for the people.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the need for a new territorial courthouse. Needs have certainly changed, but the space has not. You can only reorganize the existing courthouse so many times before it becomes unpalatable. I just want to say two more things, which is, the courthouse as it exists now doesn’t flow nicely when you consider the responsibility and sensitivity needed towards sexual assault victims where sometimes accused, the victims and the witnesses are all huddled together in the same area. It just makes it unpalatable.
The last thing I want to...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fifteen years ago a study said that it was time to build a new courthouse in the NWT because the needs of the population had certainly increased. It would be cheaper, the study said, and more effective for the people who need the services, rather than continue to sink money into the existing building. The needs have not kept pace with modern times. Even Nunavut and Yukon have independent courthouses. When is it time that the Northwest Territories get its own independent courthouse?
If you don’t believe me, believe our Public Works. Two feasibility studies were led by our...
I was going to leave it but I think I heard a good question on the side here. Wouldn’t it be proprietary information for us?
What does the Minister have by way of information that he can share with Members, such as myself, with regard to the $2 million that would have been spent by this March 31st? I’m trying to see what project development, what’s guiding information, planning documents, trying to get a sense of it. At the same time, the other additional question is: Who is doing this work?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Where else would you do capital planning and discussion other than asking questions in the Assembly? What is the problem that’s holding this particular issue back? Is it because it’s an investment in the city of Yellowknife, or is it because the Premier has other ambitions or obligations that he is afraid to meet and cause conflict with this idea?
That’s one of the worst answers I’ve heard from Premier McLeod in a long time. The fact is, the 15-year-old study said we needed a new courthouse. The existing building was built in 1977 when we only had four judges and limited staff and processes. The territory has practically doubled in size. What will it take to get the courthouse situation reviewed by this government, weighed and balanced fairly, not an emotional decision? Because does this Premier have an issue with investing in Yellowknife or is he thinking that our needs in this territory don’t matter when it comes to a territorial...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use this occasion to recognize Kain Bezha, who is a St. Pat student and a Yellowknife Centre constituent. I would like to let him know, as well as everyone else who is a Page here, that I am greatly appreciative of their services, as Mr. Menicoche was saying. He is quite right. Several of us MLAs got our start as Pages in this Assembly. You never know where you can go next.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that committee reports progress.
---Carried
Mr. Speaker, I’m not the problem. The reality is the mine isn’t meeting its commitment. It barely meets 50 percent of northern Aboriginal workforce, just barely over 50 percent northern workforce, 64 percent of our workforce in total is coming from the South. You know, those tourists, just visiting, working here.
I have not heard anything on what concrete actions can he take to get Northerners working at this mine, because the way the commitments are written in the socio-economic agreement they’re not fulfilled, Section 10 is ignored, Section 9 is ignored, Section 8 is ignored. Who is...