Robert Hawkins

That will be all for now. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that the GNWT work with Aurora College to deliver a basic interpreter/translator training program for aboriginal languages, as well as specialized training in medical terminology. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s my opinion that buildings are far more than bricks and mortar. They can breathe life into our community and certainly a policy like this will breathe life into the institutions we know as government.

Mr. Speaker, a public art scale of this mass will change the culture and the way we do business and although it looks like a little piece of paper, I think it goes far beyond that. It will define us for generations to come.

From my time being a Member here for the last three years, the Leg is truly an example of doing things right and doing them upfront as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the Minister is dithering over these explanations because there is no intelligent transit system in the Northwest Territories. Again, there is no bike lane system in the Northwest Territories. Is he suggesting now that we are going to start funding bike paths on this transit money? Maybe we should get some clarification from the Minister on his context of what transit system means. I think that is the issue. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be clear on what transit system means, because we seem to mean everything under the sun? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has been well aware, since the initial announcement in June of last year, that this transit money was coming. The Minister is also aware, because he just pointed out, that in November, seven months ago, that the deal was being processed. So now we are talking about March of this year and who knows what else is going to be the next stumbling block. So obviously the Minister is probably glad to see him here to help straighten him up. We have three problems. The first one is Yellowknife has the only transit system; the second is the federal money was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although mentioned a couple times already, I’d also like to recognize Daryl Dolynny, a well-known community supporter in the city of Yellowknife and he goes a long way to helping a lot of good causes. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Commissioner recommends that a link be provided from the Legislative Assembly web site to the directory of ATIPP coordinators as it is currently difficult to find on the Justice and GNWT web sites. She further recommends that a paper directory be made available throughout the NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As in previous reports, the Commissioner recommends the GNWT take the initiative to raise information and privacy issues in devolution discussions and with aboriginal governments in order to encourage them to include some form of regulation within their governance structures. She states that although there are likely to be cultural differences on many information and privacy issues, all peoples have the right to an open government, which requires access to records, and the right to expect a certain level of privacy.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the sixth year in a row, the Commissioner’s report speaks to the lack of information and privacy legislation for municipal governments.

The GNWT has identified concerns about the impact on day-to-day municipal operations and administration, costs, training and capacity as reasons why municipal information and privacy legislation cannot proceed at this time.

Municipal governments collect a substantial amount of personal information from residents and hold a great deal of information of interest to the public. The need for openness and transparency applies as much to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My apologies. I move that committee recommends that the Premier, Ministers and Financial Management Board make public statements supporting the principles of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and send clear messages to the public service about the importance of open and transparent government and the need to grant access to information unless there is a clear and compelling reason to do so.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.