Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I table a document of the land rovers that drove on the proposed CANOL Heritage Trail and the damage they have done by the use of their vehicle. Shame.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table the famous wildlife ordinance of 1978, better known as the Wildlife Act.
---Laughter
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Building on Our Foundation 2011-2016, A Strategic Plan for the NWT Health and Social Services System. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr, Speaker, I’d like to move, seconded by the Member for Frame Lake, a motion.
WHEREAS rates of mental illness in the Northwest Territories are disproportionately high in comparison with other Canadian jurisdictions;
AND WHEREAS a high proportion of persons involved in police incidents suffer from mental illnesses;
AND WHEREAS national research indicates that securing mental health services without resorting to the usual criminal justice system can greatly reduce the likelihood of further offences by helping individuals receive appropriate treatment;
AND WHEREAS introduction in other Canadian jurisdictions of mental health courts as diversion programs from the criminal justice system are proving successful in improving illness treatment success rates and providing cost benefits to the policing, court, and corrections services;
AND WHEREAS there are examples of provincial mental health courts developed through partnerships between existing programs and without the introduction of additional resources;
AND WHEREAS mental health court diversion programs have been designed to ensure that the rights of the accused and the public, and the integrity of the criminal justice system, are protected according to the principles of the Criminal Code;
AND WHEREAS mental health court diversions hold offenders accountable for their behaviour while promoting their access to effective treatment;
AND WHEREAS the highly successful model of mental health court diversion programs is adaptable to the NWT policing and criminal justice system;
AND WHEREAS the Department of Health and Social Services is in the process of reorganizing its mental health services based upon the Framework for Action for Mental Health and Addiction Services;
AND WHEREAS the recommendations of the Phase III Report of the Coalition Against Family Violence emphasize the need for diversion of offenders into treatment programs;
AND WHEREAS the Department of Justice has pioneered its Community Justice Program, providing progressive alternatives for rehabilitating offenders who accept responsibility for their actions, community input in solving problems, and reducing the need for incarceration in appropriate cases;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that the Government of the Northwest Territories begin research to examine options and potential benefits for introduction of a mental health court diversion program as an adjunct to the NWT court system;
AND FURTHER, that this government make note of this initiative as a recommendation included in the transition advice being offered to the 17th Legislative Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. A motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very briefly, the Minister of Justice and the department have shown very progressive leadership on diversion programs that support early intervention and prevention of correctional court and health costs. Secondly, the current review and reorganization of the mental health services underway is extending into the next Assembly. This coincidental and overlapping initiative is a good time to bring a mental health court forward.
I want to point out that in the experience to date in Canadian jurisdictions they have enjoyed very healthy savings. In fact, they found that 90 percent of the people diverted into the program completed the program and of that 90 percent, 85 percent did not re-offend again. This is a huge opportunity and I’d be very happy to see this government initiate the research, and claim the credit that can go along with doing that, and putting this before the 17th Assembly for their consideration.
I’d like to ask for a recorded vote.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. To the motion. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to say that I fully support this motion and I am very happy to second it on behalf of the MLA for Weledeh.
I think that anything we can do to keep our residents out of jail is a good thing.
We’ve had some recent court changes. The Family Violence Court is starting to prove, it’s fairly new, but it’s starting to prove extremely successful. We are far better off if we can keep people out of jail rather than putting them in, releasing them, and we find that once we release them, the recidivism rate is extremely high. Anyone that goes to jail once is quite likely to go back there again.
This motion really only asks the government to get things going. We’re asking that the government start looking at this program, to investigate it a bit, find out how valuable it’s been in other parts of the country, and make sure that we can afford it, that it is going to be positive for us.
I want to also say that it is specifically referring to people that are dealing with mental health issues. I think it’s probably pretty well known that we don’t make people better, we don’t make them healthier by putting them in jail. All people do not get better if we incarcerate them.
Apart from that, I really don’t have anything else to add. I would urge all Members to vote to support this motion. It’s going to only do good things for our residents.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion.
Question.
Mr. Bromley, Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Ramsay, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Jacobson, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Krutko.
All those opposed to the motion, please stand. All those abstaining from the motion, please stand.
Mr. Lafferty; Mr. Miltenberger; Mr. Roland; Mr. McLeod, Deh Cho; Mr. McLeod, Inuvik Twin Lakes; Mr. McLeod, Yellowknife South.
The results of the recorded vote: in favour, 10; opposed, zero; abstaining, six. The motion is carried.
---Carried
The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a motion on the appointment of two members to the Human Rights Adjudication Panel.
WHEREAS Section 48(1) of the Human Rights Act provides for the establishment of an adjudication panel composed of at least three persons appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly;
AND WHEREAS Section 48(5) of the Human Rights Act provides that the members of the panel hold office, during good behaviour, for a term of four years, with the exception of the first members appointed;
AND WHEREAS the appointments of two of the adjudication panel members will expire on November 30, 2011;
AND WHEREAS the Board of Management is tasked with recommending individuals to the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Assembly is prepared to make a recommendation to the Commissioner;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories for re-appointment as members of the Human Rights Adjudication Panel effective on December 1, 2011, for a term of four years: Ms. Joan Mercredi of Fort Smith and Mr. Adrian Wright of Yellowknife.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. A motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 9, Wildlife Act; Committee Report 7-16(6), Report on the Review of Bill 9, Wildlife Act; with Mr. Krutko in the chair.
I call Committee of the Whole to order. We have Bill 9, Wildlife Act, and Committee Report 7-16(6), Report on the Review of Bill 9, Wildlife Act. What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.
---Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
Before I do that I would just like to thank the Members of the Legislative Assembly for giving me the opportunity to serve as your Deputy Speaker for the last four years. It’s been an honour and privilege, and I wish you all the best in wherever life takes you. Thanks again.
---Applause
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 9, Wildlife Act, and Committee Report 7-16(6), Report on the Review of Bill 9, Wildlife Act, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The motion is on the floor. Do we have a seconder? The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.
---Applause
---Carried
Colleagues, before we proceed with prorogation, I would like to make a few comments. First of all, I’m sorry to inform Mr. Michael McLeod that I have saved the best for the last right now.
---Laughter
Also, a couple of changes that I want to highlight. First of all, the suit that I’m wearing today is the suit that I wore the very first day in the Assembly 12 years ago.
---Applause
But there is a difference. When I wore it 12 years ago I had it buttoned up and now I wear it open.
---Laughter
Also, when I checked in the mirror this morning, I noticed that I have almost as much hair as I had 12 years ago, but the color has changed considerably.
Colleagues, I am sure that you are all acutely aware that this is the last time we will meet formally as the 16th Legislative Assembly. As we leave the Chamber today, we go in many different directions. The Members of the Executive Council will continue to guide the Government of the Northwest Territories, many of you will begin campaigning for a fall election, and some of us have taken this as an opportunity to begin another chapter in our lives.
I would like to take this occasion, colleagues, to thank you all for the privilege of serving as your Speaker during the 16th Legislative Assembly.
---Applause
I realize that I have had the honour of sitting in this chair for the last seven years and the time seems to have flown by, as some Members have mentioned already today. However, if I dwell on certain question periods, I can make time move an awful lot slower.
It has been both a great honour and a great privilege to guide this House over the last seven years. I have taken very seriously the duties and obligations of Speaker, to protect the privileges of the House collectively and of each individual Member. I have always attempted to preside over this House in a manner which ensures that the rights and privileges of all Members are upheld, while respecting the rules and procedures which this House has adopted. My goal has been to allow and assist each of you to carry out your duties to the very best of your ability, and to collectively serve the people of the Northwest Territories.
I have often thought that we were very fortunate to have such a unique perspective in our Assembly. We maintain a delicate balance between traditional parliamentary processes, and adapting to the ever-changing political landscape that is unique to the Northwest Territories.
I would like to highlight just a few of my greatest pleasures. Firstly, representing the Legislative Assembly and visiting as many communities as possible with the Speaker’s Outreach Program has been an extremely rewarding experience. Visiting both large and small communities, we were greeted with the legendary northern hospitality and warmth everywhere we travelled.
My participation in both the Youth and Elders parliaments have been equally rewarding. Working with the youth of our territory gives me a great hope for our future. I think that we may see some of our young youth parliamentarians back in this House someday.
Our Elders Parliament was also a resounding success. Elders generously shared their wisdom, humour, and fine insight. These events have provided opportunities to inform and educate all Northerners about the structure, role, and function of our government, and to encourage the participation by youth and old alike in our democratic processes.
As some of you are aware, I have been a great supporter of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and through this organization I have taken every opportunity to inform, share, and promote both our unique system of government and this wonderful territory we call home. I have done this with great pride at provincial, national, and international levels. I have also worked very closely with all the Speakers from across this great country. Over the last seven years we have become like family, with many great and lasting friendships.
I would like at this time to acknowledge the Speakers from across Canada who, as I, have chosen to end their political careers this year: Peter Milliken, House of Commons; Bill Barrisoff, British Columbia; Roger Fitzgerald, Newfoundland and Labrador; Ted Staffen, Yukon; George Hicks, Manitoba; and Steve Peters, Ontario. I want to thank them for their support and guidance, and wish them well in their future endeavours.
As Speaker, my duties also include chairing the Board of Management, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the board that I have had the pleasure of working with over the last seven years. Being a member of the Board of Management is often an unenviable position for members. They are regularly called upon to make tough decisions, always keeping in mind the principles of fairness and equity while acting in the best interests of the institution. The board members of the 16th Assembly -- Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Robert C. McLeod, Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Ramsay, Mr. Beaulieu and Mr. Jacobson -- have worked diligently and with the utmost integrity, and I would like to thank each of them for their valuable contribution.
---Applause
To the Clerk and his staff that serve us here at the Assembly, Tim Mercer, I don’t know how any of us would do our jobs without your guidance and counsel. Your ability to walk a tightrope as you deal with the many issues that come before you each and every day is amazing. Many of the decisions you make when dealing with Members’ issues are oftentimes met with frustration and questions from Members. I know firsthand that some situations have led to accusations that in my view were unfounded. Working very closely with you over the last seven years, seven and a half years, have given me great appreciation for the job that you do and a great admiration for the way you carry out your duties on behalf of all Members.
To the staff of the Legislative Assembly, the important contribution each of you make on a daily basis. When it comes to the staff, I am mindful of the old rule that if you can’t name every person you wish to thank, don’t name any.
Each and every employee of the Legislative Assembly serves an important and vital function. Some work more closely with the Members than others, but I can tell you that they are dedicated to the mission of this institution and to your success as Members. To each of you I express my thanks and gratitude. You can be proud of the work you do.
---Applause
So, Tim, to you and your staff, thank you. You are truly a group of professional individuals, and it has been a pleasure working with you.
To my executive assistant, Sue Tkachuk, I am extremely grateful to her commitment and dedication to the Office of the Speaker. She has been with me for my entire term as Speaker and I truly appreciate the work she had done, not only for me but for all Members of this Assembly.
---Applause
Her ability to separate issues concerning my role as Speaker and as MLA was amazing. Keeping track of her in the building was another matter. I know if the steps on the main staircase ever wear out, Sue will be to blame for that. I don’t think there is anyone in the building that makes as many trips up and down that staircase as Sue.
I would like to make special mention of the Pages who were here to assist us during each sitting of the 16th Legislative Assembly. I can’t say often enough how important it is for all of us to share this Chamber with the future of the Northwest Territories. Thank you to all the Pages of the 16th Assembly for your services.
---Applause
To the contract staff, PIDO Productions, SecureCheck, Hansard, Thien Huynh Janitorial, and the Ledge Cafe, thank you for your excellent services and your dedication. Your work is appreciated and valued, and allows us as Members to do our job much more efficiently.
---Applause
Members, I leave the largest debt we owe for last: to our families and friends who support us while we do our work in the Assembly, who look after our homes and families while we travel, and who encourage and support us by their very presence. We cannot thank them enough for their love and support.
I wish you all good health and good fortune wherever your lives lead you. My hope is that as you leave this Assembly, you leave proud of what you have accomplished and confident that you have left the Northwest Territories a little better than when you began.
Colleagues, I have very seldom, if ever, spoken from this chair as the MLA for Hay River North, either for or directly to the residents of Hay River North. However, today, with your indulgence or not, I am going to break with tradition and pass on a few personal remarks and thank yous.
First of all I want to thank the residents of Hay River North who have put their confidence and support in me to represent them in this Legislature as their MLA for the past 12 years. It has been an extreme pleasure and honour for me to work on their behalf, and I can say, without hesitation, that the past 12 years have been the most rewarding years of my working life.
To my supporters, nominators, campaign managers, official agents and workers, I want to say thank you for being there for me and for your resounding support and guidance. I know that it is not always easy to openly support someone running for public office, so I want to truly acknowledge your confidence in me.
To my constituency assistants, Deb Mageean, Stephanie Fisher, Diana Yeager -- now Diana Smith -- and Danielle Gillespie, thank you for your hard work and your dedication to the office and to the residents of Hay River North.
---Applause
To Premier Roland all the Cabinet Ministers, I want to express my sincere appreciation for your understanding of this unique position I have been in as Speaker. Your open-door policy and timely responses to my requests and concerns on the many issues I have had to deal with on behalf of my constituents has made my job possible.
I can honestly say that I have never felt that my ability to represent the residents of Hay River North was hampered in any way by my position as Speaker. You are a big reason for that and I thank all of you for it.
To my colleague from Hay River South, Jane Groenewegen, thank you for all the work you have done in helping me do my job. It has been a great 12 years and I leave with the knowledge and confidence that the residents of Hay River collectively have been well represented with government departments, both inside and outside of this Chamber.
To the outgoing Members, I am sure you have been struggling with the same questions as I have over the last few months, but I hope that you are now as comfortable with your decision as I am. It has been a great honour to serve with each one of you, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Finally, colleagues, I could not leave here without acknowledging my wonderful wife, Davida. Boy, I didn’t think this was going to happen. To my wonderful wife, Davida, who is with us here today, and our four children, Michelle, Monique, D’arcy and Katrina, for their love, inspiration, support and understanding. They have joined me in celebrating the highs of this job, and they have been there for me at the low point when I sometimes questioned, though not often, my ability to give 100 percent at the cost of missing some important family functions and events. Every one of them was there to do whatever it took to help me accomplish the things I have.
To my daughter Monique, I credit you to a great extent for having won the election of December 1999 when I faced stiff competition from six other candidates. Monique composed and recorded a song entitled “The Election Train.” This song was heard many times during the last week of the campaign. It was so popular that kids were singing it at school, and there were even requests for it on the Request Line after the election was over.
I wish I could tell you that my family had a lot to do with my decision not to run, but the best I could get out of any of them is that they would respect whatever decision I made and that they would continue to be there for me.
So, Davida, to you, Michelle, Monique, D’arcy and Katrina, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all and I look forward to spending more time with you.
To our 10 grandchildren, you are definitely a big reason for my decision, but only in a good way. I look forward to playing a bigger role in your lives, and although I reluctantly give up the title of Honourable Paul Delorey, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, I am fully prepared to respond to my much simpler title of Papa Paul.
Good afternoon, everyone. It is once again a pleasure and honour for me to be in your presence and to prorogue this session of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
Using this time for a few personal comments before I begin my formal duties, I would like to acknowledge and offer my sincere condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues who have been impacted by the tragic air crash in Nunavut last weekend.
We have also lost a great Canadian this week. I had the pleasure of meeting Jack Layton in July 2010 during Her Majesty’s royal tour in Canada.
Mr. Layton and I were waiting together in a receiving line to greet Her Majesty on the lawns at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. I introduced myself to him, and we talked about the North and his visits to the Northwest Territories.
I found Mr. Layton -- or Jack, as he was known -- to be very cordial and friendly. He struck me as a person who reached out and who was not afraid to share his dream with people, with everyone.
Mr. Layton was always interested in hearing from people about their thoughts and hopes for their future, and for a better country.
What I will remember most about Mr. Layton is that he portrayed positive change for Canada in everything he did. He will be missed greatly by countless Canadians.
Now to the business at hand, I want to say what a pleasure it has been to watch the important work of this government coming together through your diligence, passion, and hard work.
As Members of this Legislative Assembly, each of you has become an instrument of change and you have acted on the wishes of the people of our vast territory during your elected term. For that, we owe each of you a great deal.
Being in politics is a difficult task not just for the Members, but for their families as well, as your Speaker so eloquently spoke about just a few minutes ago. Without the support of your families, your jobs here would be even more difficult, if not impossible.
To your families we owe a great deal and I extend my admiration and gratitude to them, on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories.
I know now that some of you have already announced your intention to seek re-election. I want to wish you every success in your campaigns.
Some of you have also announced your intention to step down, to pursue other challenges instead. I want to extend our appreciation for your service to your constituents and all people of the Northwest Territories, and I would like also to wish each and every one of you success in your future endeavours. It has been an honour to have served and worked with you.
To conclude my personal comments to the Members, I also want to let you know that I have had the pleasure of visiting most of your ridings during my first 15 months as Commissioner. I always say time really flies when you don’t know what you’re doing.
---Laughter
I look forward to visiting all 33 communities during my tenure, as well, in the next few years.
It has been a pleasure to be in your service during this 16th Assembly and I look forward to working with Members of the 17th Assembly, after the territorial election in October.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, as Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I am pleased to assent to the following bills:
Bill 7, Community Planning and Development Act;
Bill 10, Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act;
Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Deh Cho Bridge Act;
Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act;
Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Territorial Parks Act;
Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act;
Bill 19, Cost of Credit Disclosure Act;
Bill 20, Vital Statistics Act;
Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act;
Bill 22, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act;
Bill 23, Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act;
Bill 24, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2011-2012;
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2011-2012.
I hereby prorogue the Sixth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
Thank you, merci beaucoup, quanami, mahsi cho.
---PROROGATION
The House prorogued at 4:52 p.m.
