Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I never get tired of saying, although I don’t have to say it very often. Would the Minister commit to meeting with this constituent organization in my riding, because YACL is a downtown organization? Would she commit to opening up a meeting so we can have this type of bridging conversation with any member who is interested in being involved and finding a solution together? We don’t want to miss a real opportunity here to make sure that these families are supported, and I can guarantee, undoubtedly, that there are many Members in this Assembly who would like to be involved in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague Mr. Ramsay raised the issue today regarding the potential loss of respite care through the Yellowknife Association for Community Living. Of course, like many Members in Yellowknife, I too have constituents who do receive this care. It is a significant priority to them. I have received their e-mails of concern. No less passionate is my concern about the funding, as highlighted by Mr. Ramsay. I would like to maybe see if the Minister can explain what is happening with their funding agreement, to ensure that there is some stability through this fiscal year...

I thank the Minister for that clarification of who they actually report to, but, Mr. Speaker, part of my question was overlooked, which is who gave them the mandate to go review the almost 400 pages of regulations under the occupational health and safety regs? Who gave them the marching orders? Was it the Governance Council or was it the Minister’s office? Thank you.

I want to recognize the fact that the Minister has worked hard to make sure that artists do receive both their due and financial support from this government and certainly by his department. This Arts Professions Act, which I’ll table later today, is a very small act. It basically defines what artists are, and how they’re recognized and certainly how they can be supported by the government. Again, it’s by the Government of Saskatchewan protecting Saskatchewan artists.

Does the Minister see any chance that once he has a copy of this, does he foresee any chance that perhaps he can task his...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the government and how they can support a very important part of our northern business economy, that being our NWT artists. By way of fact, approximately 18 percent of the NWT population considers themselves an artist in one form or another. That’s almost one in five, which is an amazing population in our Territory. That could be your friends, your neighbours or whoever, but when you look around, one in five is a lot of people who consider themselves in a special area.

These artists are involved in carving, sewing, needlecraft, drawing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Menicoche.

The Auditor General expressed concern that there was no detailed territory-wide plan to improve student performance.

A key finding of the OAG’s report is the lack of improvement in student performance between the school years ending 2005 and 2008. One bright light is an increase in the number of students of secondary school graduates; however, the results on Alberta Achievement Tests and diploma examinations, and the number of students working at their functional grade levels, show little or no improvement. The OAG questioned ECE as to how this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we have all seen quite clearly, this is an important issue. It sounds as if the Minister can appreciate that it is a significant issue for many families. The point being here is that timing is everything. We need a meeting as soon as possible. Can the Minister ensure that she will commit to having a meeting before Christmas? That way, Members will have time to get down, help source out some solutions and we can get this process moving as fast as possible. Otherwise, if we leave this open without a focus to challenge ourselves, it may sit and drag on forever. The...

Mr. Speaker, I have gotten to know many of these families and they certainly depend on this respite care very highly. It is an important break through the system. It is not a holiday. It is a way to organize their life and give them the chance to be part of a program that allows them to do more. If anyone knows anyone who has a family in this situation, although there are certainly challenges before them and my heart goes out to how hard they work to get through these things. Mr. Speaker, my question being to the Minister now, is the fact is what is the department doing to advocate further...

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister responsible for the WSCC let me know when that mandate was given and specifically what that mandate was to do? If he could clarify the instructions given specifically to the Safety Advisory Committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recently asked some questions regarding the WSCC and my concerns regarding the occupational health and safety regs that are being reviewed and certainly ensuring that they will be fairly reviewed by the public, such as businesses. The Minister did respond in a good way and certainly said that he would make sure that did happen. After that, I did approach the Minister with some concerns regarding this situation with the Safety Advisory Committee. Specifically, where do they get their mandate to do this review that’s approximately 400 pages of regulations? In discussing...