Good afternoon, colleagues. Colleagues, before we begin today, I’d like to comment on the attire of some of our Members. Our guests in the gallery and those watching at home will notice that many of the Members are wearing pink today.
This is in recognition of Anti-Bullying Day, or Pink Shirt Day, which is designated as the last Friday in February.
Pink Shirt Day started as a protest against a bullying incident at a Nova Scotia high school. Wearing pink is one way to support this cause, but the best way is to teach our children that it is okay to be different and it is not okay to bully or to be bullied.
Members have chosen today to wear pink to symbolize that bullying will not be tolerated in our communities. Thank you, Members.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide an update on the Shelter Policy review which began during the last Legislative Assembly and is now almost finished. The Shelter Policy review was a broad-based examination of housing in the Northwest Territories and was intended to provide a long-term strategic framework for housing.
Improving housing conditions is one of the key priorities of the 17th Legislative Assembly, and completing and implementing the Shelter Policy review was identified as a key component of advancing this priority.
The Shelter Policy review included broad-based engagement with Northerners on housing, an independent evaluation of the existing home
ownership programs, a rent scale review for the Public Housing Program, an analysis of other elements of the housing continuum, and a review of best practices elsewhere.
The work on the Shelter Policy review has led to the development of a broad strategic framework, Building for the Future, which includes specific strategic priorities and actions that will guide the GNWT approach to housing over the next number of years.
We are all aware that housing involves a range of issues and the strategic plan we will be releasing will address all the various aspects of the housing continuum. The key strategic priorities for housing that are identified in Building for the Future include:
strengthening public housing;
improving home ownership supports;
increasing housing options in non-market communities;
improving housing services;
strengthening the approach to homelessness and transition housing;
addressing housing challenges for the working poor;
developing infrastructure solutions based on individual and community needs; and
addressing the declining federal funding.
Each of these strategic priorities has a number of actions associated with them. Our approach will be to build on the successes and progress over the last several years, to strengthen self-reliance and support for residents to meet their own shelter needs, and to recognize the difference between market and non-market communities in designing northern solutions.
While it will take a number of years to implement all of the elements of Building for the Future, residents can expect to see some immediate action on housing. In 2012-13 we plan to take the following steps:
We will implement new public housing rent scales to a simpler, more predictable and fairer system that helps address the disincentive to work. This new rent scale means that all tenants of public housing, including seniors, will be charged a fair rental rate that recognizes their economic and life circumstances.
We will make changes to the current home ownership repair programs to improve accessibility which will help reduce housing quality problems, particularly in non-market communities.
We will invest in a new emergency repair program to help lower-income homeowners address emergency situations like freeze-ups, furnace problems or emergency plumbing situations before problems get worse.
We will begin to address housing supply issues by expanding housing options in non-market and emerging market communities, with a particular focus on housing for critical staff.
We will develop and invest in a rent supplement program that will target the working poor and address affordability problems for those in market rentals.
As announced last week, we will finalize arrangements for a $2.3 million contribution to the Betty House initiative in Yellowknife to provide transitional housing for women.
As noted, new rent scales for public housing in the Northwest Territories are currently being finalized. The rent scales for public housing have long been identified as critically important, with residents clearly telling us that they want a simple, predictable and fair rent scale that addresses the problem of the disincentive to work. The new rent scales will be a major change for many tenants and we are planning considerable communication activities leading up to the planned July 1, 2012, implementation.
In designing the new rent scales, we were conscious of the need to address the concerns that residents have expressed about the role that public housing rents have played in creating barriers to residents wanting to improve their own and their family’s well-being. We were also very aware of the declining funding from the federal government to operate the Public Housing Program and the need to have a system of public housing that is sustainable in the future.
We have provided the final draft of the strategic plan and proposed new rent scales to the Standing Committee on Social Programs for their review and comment as a follow-up to the previous presentations we have provided on the work related to the Shelter Policy review. It is our intention, upon completion of the consultation with the Standing Committee on Social Programs, to release this material publically prior to the next session. The release of the strategic plan and the implementation of identified actions are the first steps in advancing the collective priority of the 17th Legislative Assembly to improve housing conditions. I look forward to working with all Members and committee as we continue to work on our priorities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to provide this House and Northerners with an update on the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk portion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway project.
The Government of Canada describes it as “a project of national significance.” We also appreciate that the Caucus of the 17th Assembly has identified it as a strategic infrastructure investment to help strengthen and diversify the Northwest Territories economy. Strategic investments in our infrastructure will be an important part of this government’s plans for growing our economy and realizing the vision of this Assembly.
The Department of Transportation has accomplished a great deal of work since I last spoke about the project in December of 2011. The Environmental Impact Review Board has moved its assessment into the technical review phase.
During this stage, the information submitted in the draft environmental impact statement is subject to detailed scrutiny by the review board and interested parties. The assessment examines the impact of the proposed development, the significance of the impacts, proposed mitigation measures and follow-up and monitoring programs.
Responding with the appropriate level of detail will require the department to conduct geotechnical investigations, surveys, consultations, and studies into fisheries, vegetation, wildlife, archaeology and hydrology. Much of this work is currently underway.
I appreciate the support of the House in advancing the approval of $2.5 million for the department to conduct this work. I will come back to Members with more information as it becomes available.
While the environmental review process moves forward, the department is examining procurement options, assessing the project risks and determining how to achieve the best value for money. This information is being compiled into a business case study, which will be completed over the next month. The study includes a focused market sounding exercise to assess the P3 market’s appetite for the project. Department officials have held discussions with local contractors and operators in the Beaufort-Delta about their capacity and interest in this project.
The Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway will be 135 kilometres long. Of that, just over half will be on land belonging to the Inuvialuit. Initial positive discussions are underway with the Inuvialuit Land Administration to secure land tenure for the highway surface right-of-way and negotiate rates for granular royalties. Initial estimates indicate we will need approximately 4.5 million cubic metres of granular material to build the highway.
The department is preparing to conduct geotechnical investigations of granular sources along the proposed route, a required component of the environmental assessment process. This will confirm the quality, source and volume of granular material required to construct the highway. These results will refine the cost estimates, determine royalty payments and reduce project risk. Moving ahead with this work sends a strong message to Canada that the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to the project.
Negotiations are underway between the department and the Government of Canada toward a funding agreement for the $150 million committed in the June 2011 federal budget. The agreement will define the makeup of the funding and determine when the federal cash begins to flow.
Northerners are excited about the opportunities on the horizon. We are on the verge of constructing the northern-most section of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and advancing aspirations Northerners have held for generations: to build a highway connecting Canada to the Arctic coast.
The Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway Project fulfills every aspect of the vision this Assembly is committed to achieving: strong individuals, families, and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Colleagues, before we go on today, I’d like to welcome back a former Member for Range Lake, a former Minister and a Member of the 14th, 15th and 16th Legislative Assemblies, Ms. Sandy Lee. Welcome back, Sandy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we know, Wednesday, February 29th, is Pink Shirt Day across Canada. Since the House will not be in session on the 29th, Members are acknowledging the importance of that initiative today. And we’re not alone, Mr. Speaker. In the gallery today is Ms. Carrie Heldman and her Grade 5 class. They walked here from N.J. Macpherson School wearing their pink shirts to join us today and to highlight bullying along with us in the House.
I’ll use the words of one of my constituents, Michael Elms -- Michael is in the gallery today – to explain the importance of maintaining or starting anti-bullying initiatives in our schools. Michael said, “Bullying is a huge problem around all schools. I know this because I have friends in the other schools. There are a lot more types of bullying, there’s physical, hurtful and through Facebook and so on. My friends were being pushed and kicked by one of the girls, and his little sister had a bigger kid sending her mean messages on Facebook. When someone bullies someone, they want to know what it feels like, so someone bullies someone and it keeps on going. In the end, everybody’s feelings are hurt.” Michael goes on to say, “To stop bullying, we need to do things like how Pink Day started. In the end, the entire world ended up doing Pink Day, so there are almost four consecutive pink days. It shows that bullying is not okay. Bullying is mean and no one should ever bully anyone.”
We have to also consider the issue of bullying in the larger context. We must look at the work of schools, and district education authorities, and education councils and what they are doing to combat bullying, and use their strategies to combat family violence as well.
Minister Lafferty stated in the House on Monday that we needed to have a coordinated approach. Well, we don’t need to look far to find a coordinated approach to combat bullying and family violence. The Alberta government has committed to end family violence and bullying. They have developed websites for residents, they support a bullying hotline and they have enacted legislation to combat bullying and family violence. Nine government ministries are working collaboratively with communities and implementing a cross-ministry strategy that will provide coordinated responses to family violence and bullying that will help Albertans live violence free.
What are we doing here? The good news is that we have a good start. We have what we need to make a difference. We have the will of our residents like Michael and his classmates. We have the anti-bullying strategies that are practised and promoted by educators across the NWT.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
We have the Coalition Against Family Violence which consistently raises the issue through initiatives like Family Violence Awareness Week. What we don’t have and do need is legislation to formulate and coordinate an approach across the GNWT and across the whole of our territory to address bullying and family violence in our schools and homes in our territory.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Respect, kindness, caring, love, peace, these are core values that we are taught as children. These values if learned and upheld become the fabric of our society values that binds people and nations together.
Bullying is a harmful and sometimes tragic and despicable act committed by a person upon another person, often a child or an elder. Bullying leaves wounds that are visible and painful injuries, and sometimes leads to the tragic ending of someone taking one’s own life. What is more disturbing is that bullying leads to internal and lasting pain, and mental and social problems.
Bullying should not be tolerated at home, schools, communities, or in society in general. Too often we hear of this tragic story: the scene in the schoolyard during recess of children bullying another helpless child. Bullying often results in the greatest pain of all, one to lose their own human spirit, the gift of life that we all greatly embrace and cherish.
Often bullying is an act of intimidation and teasing that causes both physical and mental pain. It causes one to feel inferior and threatened. I often wonder why some of my peers left school and quit. It disturbs me that some of them were victims of bullying. The greater question I have is, why? Why is bullying tolerated in today’s society? Bullying has to stop.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Parents in the Northwest Territories have a legitimate expectation that their children will be safe in our schools and neighbourhoods. Children should feel confident that no one will hurt them or threaten them and that no one will say demeaning or sarcastic things to them. Parents in my riding are deeply concerned about bullying and so are students. They recognize the seriousness of the issue.
When students in Jean Marie River had the chance to work with TV star Dakota House, they produced a play centred on bullying and gossip. In Fort Simpson we’ve seen lives damaged and families leave town because of bullying. Schools in Fort Simpson have tried to prevent schoolyard bullying by introducing new games that include everyone and by signing up parents to help with supervision, but it’s hard for school authorities to watch every moment.
Timothy Gargan-Lacasse, a student who represented Nahendeh in last year’s Youth Parliament, presented a motion demanding zero tolerance for bullying. He said, “So many kids are getting bullied these days and might drop out and never come back, and in extreme cases, commit suicide.” Suicide, Mr. Speaker. You can’t get more serious than that.
Mr. Jack Yeadon, a concerned parent, wrote in the Liard Times last April that bullying is a life and death issue that we ignore at great danger to our children, to ourselves, to the future of our community.
In the North and in my riding of Nahendeh, we may be even more sensitive to the issue of bullying than people elsewhere in Canada. One well-known impact of residential schooling was to make some students bullies and abusers, taking out their own pain and oppression on weaker children. That’s part of our history. As Mr. Yeadon says, it’s not enough just to identify and stop individual bullies; we have to look at how and why the bullying is happening, how a child becomes a bully or a target of a bully and what role bystanders play. Only then do we have a chance to stop the cycle of violence that for some began in their parents’ and their grandparents’ day. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It used to be that bullying was seen as a normal part of growing up. Kids who were bullied just needed to learn to stick up for themselves. Fortunately, our thinking has changed and we’ve become aware of how much bullying really does hurt. Even as adults, many people still carry emotional scars from what used to be thought of as just the ordinary rough and tumble of the schoolyard.
At its most basic, bullying is when someone keeps saying or doing things to have power over another person. It can take the form of name calling, threats, leaving a person out of activities, stealing or breaking their things, posting mean comments on Facebook or Twitter, or other tactics aimed at making a person feel scared or uncomfortable. It can also escalate into physical violence or even murder, as we’ve seen in a few high-profile cases in Canada.
The victims of bullying can feel lonely, unhappy, frightened and unsafe in their schools and communities. They may be sick from the stress. They may lose confidence in themselves. Or they may not want to go to school anymore.
I cannot tell you how sad it makes me that some young people have resorted to suicide because they saw this as their only escape from bullying. This is not something to be taken lightly.
As I understand it, we do not have a territory-wide policy on bullying, but leave it to individual schools to establish their own ways of handling it. I have heard some disturbing stories from concerned parents and I am not convinced that the approach we have now goes far enough to protect our youth. I want to be sure that we are taking this matter very seriously, that we are keeping up with the absolute best practices, policies and legislative tools available, and that we are sending a clear and consistent message: Bullying hurts and we will not tolerate it.
On a personal note, and judging by the statistics that we read in a CBC report today, I’m sure there are other people in this room that were bullied as a child. I was bullied as a child and I will briefly share the story of going to a girlfriend’s house to stay overnight and her parents came home drunk. I got very scared and I wanted to go home to the security of my own home where I’d never seen drunk people or I’d never seen alcohol. My dad had to come pick me up. Well, that girl whose father came home drunk was so offended that she made it her life’s career after that to make my life miserable in school. I didn’t like school very much to start with and I sure didn’t like it after that.
It does leave scars and it does change the way you interact with people. I will say one interesting thing…
I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
A very strong support network of your family comes in at these times, and I think it’s very important that our children do feel the security and acceptance of their own family when these kinds of things happen in the world out there at large.
I think it’s a good message to parents that we can’t always control everything that happens to our children. I know that in my foray into politics, people have asked me, how can you stand people saying things about you? How are you thick-skinned enough to go out there and do it? And in a strange kind of a way, maybe it was because I did develop that ability to kind of shield some of that. That’s a bit on a reaction that’s been positive. But for the most part, bullying does hurt. It’s completely not tolerable in our society and we should do everything we can to stop it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Most of us have our own memories of bullying. Some of us probably have been bullied. I’m sure a few of us have helped defend someone against bullying. I’m guessing none of us have actually been bullies. The victims of bullying feel hurt, stress, humiliation, fear and even depression. Some attacks that pass as bullying might more accurately be called assault. It really saddens me to think that this still goes on in our schools and our schoolyards, not to mention cyberspace.
I know that since 2001, the Department of Education has had some sources to help schools and school boards that decide to implement their own programs against bullying. Diamond Jenness School in Hay River started down this road in 2009, as outlined in its education plan. But this voluntary system is not the solution to the problem.
I think that we need to adopt strong measures. The Education Minister has heard about bullying problems in every region, as he acknowledged in his Aboriginal Student Achievement Education Plan.
Bullying is also a factor in poor student school attendance. So the Minister has heard from students, teachers and parents. I do not know what is standing in the way of a territorial-wide policy against bullying and implementing a system to discipline the bullies.
It is very basic, Mr. Speaker. When are we going to stand up next to our courageous young people who help protect each other from bullies? When are we going to shoulder our share of the responsibility to provide a healthy school environment? We cannot leave these brave students and teachers alone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In one time or other, a lot of us have been bullied. In some cases, some of us may have been the bully. Today we come into the House talking about bullying as a major topic within our schools, but it doesn’t only happen within the schools. It happens within our communities. Kids get bullied but more on top of that, adults get bullied. Elders get bullied. Co-workers get bullied. People in the work force also get bullied. This is not a problem that is only in the schools, but I am really glad that the schools have addressed it.
We did have a presentation in the House in the Great Hall one day about My Voice, My Choice. It seems that this government is getting a lot of direction and encouragement, a lot of motivation from our youth, which is really amazing and something that should be looked upon in a very positive way.
We all have a voice. Let’s use it. We have to stand up, take a stand against all the bullies in our communities. We have to stand up and talk to our counsellors, talk to our teachers, talk to the RCMP officers, our leaders, the adults in the communities that can help us. We can’t sit back and let it continue to happen. We have to take action on this.
We want to let the people across the Northwest Territories know that they are not alone, whether they are getting bullied by coworkers or other people in their schools or even in some cases our biggest bullies out there are the drug dealers, which I will have a few questions about that later to the Minister of Justice.
As I said, Mr. Speaker, we are behind everybody. They are not alone. Use your voice, stand up and let’s address the issue and tackle this issue of bullying so that it does stop. People who do get bullied face depression. They face isolation. They bully themselves, like one of the Members said, just to see how it feels. The worst-case scenario is suicide. We can’t give in to that action, let that happen. We have to address the issue before it even gets there.
There was a news report on CBC the other day about one in two people being bullied. That is not acceptable, Mr. Speaker. I believe this government can make a change, take a stand against this and help the people of the Northwest Territories by creating policies and legislation to support our people in the Northwest Territories so that they can live a life, and our children can be children and play and have fun and learn how to be a child. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this week I had the opportunity to talk about anti-bullying and cyber-bullying and my commending the Quebec government for introducing new measures to counter bullying in schools. Questions earlier this week posed to our own Minister of Education also asked about the Northwest Territories embarking on a journey of creating better sound legislation to combat bullying. We have heard some promise, but we need these measures now.
I can’t tell you the vast number of parents, teachers and students that contacted me since my Member’s statement earlier in the week in support of stopping the violence against bullying. This just reinforces that this issue is well overdue. On top of that, I have to commend that we have some visitors here today from N.J. McPherson. Thank you guys for coming out today and supporting us.
Mr. Speaker, all of this should tell the government that the people of the Northwest Territories are concerned about our youth and that we, as legislators, need to rally together to stop bullying in its tracks.
I want to take a moment just to talk about victims of bullying. Shockingly, recent reports that we heard today that 50 percent of all Canadians have been bullied at one time or another in their lives, that a small minority were victimized regularly and repeatedly. Research has also shown that this minority is not very likely to outgrow the problems caused by such victimization. Without the proper help or intervention, these chronic victims very often are lonely, unhappy or depressed for many years after the bullying started. Admittedly and regrettably, some had no recourse and chose suicide as a means to escape their violence, and my heart goes out to those families.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot let this happen. We have to stop this pattern of behaviour. We cannot let this minority suffer anymore. In fact, we need to look at our very own Mental Health Strategy and open our doors to these people and give them the hope they so desperately deserve. We need to realize that we have the responsibility to both protect and help these victims who need us on their darkest days and hours, and this responsibility starts with us drawing a line in the sand to bullies everywhere in saying no more.
I wish to thank my colleagues here today, addressing in their own way and from their own point of view their support for anti-bullying. As I said the other day, together we can change behaviour and I think today, Mr. Speaker, we are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a parent and a community member, I am disturbed by the bullying that I see going on in our society. When I hear about something that’s happening at our school, I ask myself whether it’s just a mirror of the rest of the world that we live in. Where are the kids getting the idea that it’s okay to push each other around or to say mean things to each other or to try to get power over others?
Bullying isn’t just happening in our schools; it’s happening at Aurora Colleges, it’s happening in workplaces, it’s happening in homes, it’s happening on sports teams. Some leaders are bullies. Some countries are bullies. The Roman Empire was a bully. Hitler was a bully. This is not a new problem, it’s just gotten bigger.
The question I asked my wife, how do we fight bullying, her first response was, well, take karate lessons. I think we need to look at the cultural values and the family values. Really we came to the conclusion that it comes down to respect of others. Respect has been taught to us either at home or in residential schools. Respect is highly valued in our traditional culture. Above all, that’s what keeps the culture alive and strong. If you go against respect, the culture weakens. But today I’m seeing a lot of disrespect of parents, institutions, governments and even our elders. Is it a coincidence that there’s so much bullying happening today?
Bullying is not okay. Enough is enough. There’s a saying that goes something like this: hurt people, hurt people. I hope as legislators we can all stand up and help each other to prevent bullying in our society. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the House considers the issue of bullying, I want to ensure we consider the postnatal, the preschool and early childhood development aspects of prevention. Based on evolving studies, educators strongly urge that bullying and peer-directed aggression be tackled early in the child’s life. The suggestions make sense. Home life, child care and preschool set the tone to a child’s future perception of school and community, one that can persist throughout the child’s entire school career and life.
Bullying can be aggravated if a disconnection occurs between home and school. Some caregivers report that children come to their programs with difficult behaviours. That’s where the help of postnatal support and nurse-family programs can pay off. Positive support and modeling of appropriate skills at home encourage children to acquire and maintain friendships, a critical foundation for social, emotional and educational success. Sorting out mixed messages is key.
Early childhood experts provide basic recommendations that qualified support workers are needed to deliver the infant and toddler programs that assist positive relationships within families. New mothers and families benefit from understanding what “normal conflict” is, so parents understand what behaviours are developmentally appropriate for their children.
A major issue in parenting is the need to control screen time. That’s child viewing of TV and computer images. Studies show that exposure to media, aggression and the glamorization of crime desensitizes children to violence and creates a perception that bullying behaviours are normal, and can even affect brain development. Postnatal nurse family advisors can warn parents that children under two years of age should watch no media, and other preschoolers no more than one to two hours. A challenging task in today’s world, but vital knowledge to have.
Above all, we need to start early to bully-proof each child. Children need to be empowered early and encouraged to know what bullying is, when they are being bullied, and that it’s okay to share their feelings. Young people look to parents and caregivers for authority, so those with authority need to encourage little people and tell them the rules. Here again it’s a vital need for effective early childhood development that will grow our next generation of healthy, fun-loving and functional citizens.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wish to talk about bullying as well. I want to highlight and celebrate the great work being done at Mildred Hall School. Mildred Hall has been working hard to develop anti-bullying policies and procedures because they believe strongly in early intervention. At Mildred Hall they recognize that bullying doesn’t just happen at school, it also happens outside on the school grounds and on Facebook, cyber world, on the streets and in our community. They also see that the fact is they have a role to play and to provide positive support.
They are taking many important steps and prevention measures. They proactively do outreach through educational sessions with their staff and their students. They teach kids to act. Even as bystanders, they need to report bullying to help stop and break the cycle to prevent future actions. They work hard to teach students that standing up for themselves and recognizing that self-esteem is an issue they need to be supported with. It’s not just the victim who needs self-esteem and support, the bully sometimes has self-esteem and support issues as well.
Mildred Hall works to support their students and to teach them to report their problems. They teach them that reporting a bullying incident is not being a tattle-tale or ratting out their good friend, it’s about taking real responsibility for actions that should stop.
Over a number of years at Mildred Hall, Wendy Wile should be credited for being the leader in the Peacemaker Program where she involves Grade 6, 7, and 8 students to help with their peers. They provide support for students on the playground during recess. They wear yellow vests so they can be identified. These Peacemaker students receive training. They even do presentations and skits in classrooms, because Mildred Hall recognizes peer-to-peer discussions are extremely effective.
Mildred Hall is working also with Aurora College through a partnership to identify some anti-bullying research and program class prevention, and I’d be remiss if I overlooked the fact that the community liaison officer Constable McGillivry provides great support. Mildred Hall recognizes that bullying is more than just being annoyed or bugged one day. They recognize that this is about people providing repetitive and unwanted behaviour and action. It goes on from there, but power, control and intimidation seem to always be one of the underlying issues. They work hard with their motto, which is: Responsible, Respectful, Safe.
In closing, I want to say that YK1 is working hard with its other partners such as YCS, and they view bullying as a community issue and that they are taking steps and a proactive approach, because they don’t want their students affected and they care very deeply.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address the anti-bullying campaign. I fully support the initiatives that our schools have taken on and our communities’ support. We must remind ourselves time and time again to keep up our work to stop bullying. It will not stop itself.
Some victims take out their pain by turning to alcohol and drugs. It can be a vicious cycle.
The more we educate our children and let them know that there’s help for them, the more they will not be afraid to step forward. When our children do step forward, they have to know that action will be taken so the bullying stops.
I recommend to my colleagues that we start talking publicly about this. We require the full support of community leaders, who must also step forward to help us in this campaign.
This is a touchy subject for many people. Many of our very own people have been bullied for most of their lives. Some were victims of bullying in residential schools. Today we will support each other and make this subject easy to talk about and easier to address.
Bullying is not just an issue in schools. We have elders who are also bullied by their own children and by community members who take from them and return nothing. Abuse of our elders is a serious issue. There have been posters, workshops and meetings about this. Awareness is building in our communities. Helplines are another way to help our children and ourselves.
We need an NWT-wide policy against bullying. All departments should be involved. I want to add that bullying is a widespread problem across the country. Half of Canadian adults say that they were bullied as children or teenagers, according to a recent poll. The NWT must be a leader in stopping bullies in their tracks.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my very great pleasure to recognize and welcome the Grade 5 class from N.J. Macpherson School. You guys look great in your pink. Thank you so much for coming.
I have some Frame Lake constituents that I would like to recognize specifically. Maybe you guys could stand up when your name is called so we know who you are. Diana Rockwell; Elaine Cronk, and mom Carolyn Cronk is also here; Michael Elms, instigator of this event today – way to go, Michael – and his mom, Megan Holsapple; Liala Noksana; and their teacher, Carrie Heldman, also a wonderful Frame Lake resident; and last but not least I’d like to recognize my CA, Amanda Mallon, who is hiding in the back and did lots of work to get this organized. Thank you and welcome.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is indeed a great pleasure to have young people in the House today. An extra energy to enjoy here. I’d like to recognize a couple of Weledeh residents. Miss Aurora Nind – Aurora, if you could stand up – and Miss Thea Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the young people in our gallery this afternoon. I’d also like to recognize the former MLA for Range Lake, Sandy Lee. Also I’d like to recognize a former leader, still a leader, Charlie Furlong from the Mackenzie Delta.
