Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The committee has nothing to add at this time and look forward to the clause-by-clause review of Bill 5. However, other Members may wish to have comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Development has reviewed Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act, and wish to report that the bill is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister. I understand we can go around and around in circles. What I am trying to do is come up with a plan that we can move forward for the residents of Fort Liard. The problem is that somebody made a promise to them and now, no fault of their own, they made a decision that they were not going to pay their taxes, so what we are trying to do is come up with a plan to do it. Previously, the Minister talked about the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, and, if I understand him correctly, outstanding interest charges on property taxes are considered part of the taxation outstanding...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was talking earlier today in my Member's statement about taxation, and I asked the Minister some questions. I would like to follow up with more questions to the Minister of Finance: can the Minister advise, of that $9.6 million, how much is owed in taxes by the residents of the hamlet of Fort Liard and have a breakdown of principle and interest? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for that answer. In my Member's statement, you heard me say that the interest rate is coming out at 15 per cent, and it seems to be very high. Was the community consulted or engaged in coming up with this rate?

I thank the Minister for that answer. When looking at the requirements of all these positions, you need a Master's of Social Work degree. We are looking at 49 positions, so that has a huge impact on it. It also has caused a huge issue for staff presently in these counselling positions who have years of experience, know the youth, but they don't have a Master's degree. Then I'm hearing rumors through the grapevine that, you know, that they're not even going to be looking at these positions here. So, can the Minister ensure that these people are getting a fair opportunity to do the job? I'm not...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the last budget process, we talked about new positions called the children and youth council position, and we are very excited about it. However, there seems to be some confusion about a person's qualifications. Can the Minister briefly describe what qualifications these positions need to do the job? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Al Browning came into this world like a sheep on July 10, 1963, and departed like a lion on March 19, 2018, much too soon for all of us to comprehend or believe. He has left a great void in the lives of those who loved him deeply.

Allan is the second oldest child of Rose and Tommy Browning. He is a descendant of a great family who has a rich history around Fort Simpson and the Deh Cho. The Browning family is part of northern history, and his grandfather ran a sawmill that provided much of the lumber for the community's early infrastructure. Allan and the great members of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer because we can reassure our staff out there and the people that are doing a great job. I mean, I know in my riding and my colleague's riding from Deh Cho, we have two really good people out there that are doing a great job and doing really good work with our youth, and so I appreciate that. Can the Minister explain, though, we have a Master's degree for both the supervisor and the counsellor's position. What's the difference? I would have assumed that, you know, you'd have a social work degree and then you'd have the Master's degree...

I thank the Minister for that answer. It's great to hear all these things. Good things are happening, but can he please explain how they come up with the requirement of having a Master's degree for these positions?