Mr. Speaker, today I would like to update my colleagues on an important publication that has come out of the Northern Mining Workforce Initiative Memorandum of Understanding: the 2009 NWT Survey of Mining Employees. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will be tabling the document.
But before I speak about the survey, I would like to talk briefly about the memorandum of understanding itself, which was signed in 2008. This document is a platform for the Government of the Northwest Territories and our three diamond mines -- BHP Billiton Canada Inc., Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., and De Beers Canada Inc. -- to work together on issues regarding our mining workforce.
Mr. Speaker, two of the memorandum of understanding’s most important objectives are to improve the mining skills of Northwest Territories residents and to attract and retain our residents so that as many diamond mine employees as possible are from the Northwest Territories.
A steering committee, which includes leadership from the three diamond mines, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and myself, guide three working groups to achieve these objectives: one for training, one for transportation and one for residency. Industry, Tourism and Investment has been focused on the residency working group and how to attract and retain Northwest Territories resident employees at the diamond mines.
This survey is the first major step towards meeting this objective. Industry, Tourism and Investment and the diamond mines collaborated extensively with the Northwest Territories Bureau of Statistics to develop a questionnaire that would provide clear data on what motivates diamond mine employees on whether or not to live in our Territory.
Employees from all three diamond mines, and the employees of contractors for two of the mines, took part in the survey. In total, 1,705 people responded; a phenomenal response rate of 93.5.percent. The survey also broke the diamond mines’ workforce up into four groups: residents originally from the Northwest Territories; non-residents who have moved here; non-residents who once lived in the Northwest Territories but now live elsewhere; and non-residents who have never lived here.
Surveying these four different groups will help the Government of the Northwest Territories and the diamond mines understand the challenges of recruitment and retention of each group. It will also help us understand how to best direct our efforts to increase the size of the northern resident workforce.
The survey produced some very useful findings. It found that recreational opportunities, closeness to family and friends, competitive pay and benefits and cost of living are all key factors when diamond mine employees consider moving to or from the North.
Mr. Speaker, this is valuable work. The information in this survey has provided all the partners with useful data that we can use to help solve the challenges facing us as we try to increase the number of diamond mine employees that live in the Northwest Territories. It’s an example of how this memorandum of understanding is providing results that are beneficial to the Territory.
Industry, Tourism and Investment, Education, Culture and Employment and the diamond mines are now taking the survey’s findings and considering what steps can be taken to act on the valuable information provided in the report.
Mr. Speaker, there are some significant challenges to increasing our northern workforce at the diamond mines. But there are also significant opportunities. And it is work like the 2009 NWT Survey of Mining Employees that will be a starting point for the memorandum of understanding partners in coming up with creative ways to meet those challenges and embrace those opportunities so that we can continue to build a Territory with a diversified economy that provides all regions and communities with choices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to update the House on the Department of Justice’s work to improve policing services across the Territory.
I would first like to recognize the new commanding officer of the Northwest Territories “G” Division, Chief Superintendent Wade Blake. Chief Superintendent Blake has 29 years of experience in the RCMP. Residents of Fort Smith will recognize him from his posting there from 1989-1992. He is well known for his commitment to alternative justice approaches and community policing. He is very familiar with the needs of small aboriginal communities without on-site detachments and has spent significant amounts of time working on family violence issues and crime prevention. I am confident that he is the right person to lead our Territory’s police force right now.
I would also like to thank our outgoing commanding officer, Chief Superintendent Tom Middleton, who is also retiring.
---Applause
Under his leadership, we opened a new detachment in Sachs Harbour and added new officers to police Gameti and Wrigley. We created new positions to do enhanced patrols to communities without detachments. We also worked with leadership in the South Slave region to place a new police services dog and handler into Hay River. We very much appreciate Chief Superintendent Middleton’s services and wish him well in his retirement.
Policing service to small communities is a priority for this government. This year we’ve invested $32 million into the RCMP. Later in 2010, we’ll have a new kind of support for detachments; or you might call it a traditional kind of support. The former Special Constable, now Community Officer, program is coming back. The program is being updated and training starts this fall for the one-year pilot project. We have three seats in the first troop to go through Depot. These officers will enhance our detachments, help our patrols and work on restorative justice initiatives. They’ll also strengthen the role of communities in prevention and enforcement. I can’t wait to shake the hands of the first graduates.
The Community Officer Program is an example of how we can pursue and support northern approaches to policing. With the other northern Ministers of Justice, I have repeatedly emphasized the need for a territorial policing policy framework. The three territories have decided to work together for a new model for policing in the North, one that acknowledges our uniqueness, builds on our strengths and fosters stronger relationships with our communities. We want to increase resources to support victims and develop new partnerships to combine our efforts at the community level and build community capacity. Our new commanding officer has significant experience in all of these issues and will be key to that work. I welcome him and his family back to the Northwest Territories and look forward to working with him. Mahsi.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I want to take the occasion today to speak about Education Week, and we draw attention to the people at the heart of our education system, our teachers. While the Weledeh riding can’t claim to have a monopoly on teaching excellence, we do boast some of the very best and I’ll name just a few.
Amanda Mallon’s career is a catalogue of achievement: 22 years as a teacher, past president of the NWT Teachers’ Association, four time Canadian Teachers’ Association vice-president, winner of the NWTTA’s Cliff King Award, YK Education District No. 1 executive and committee memberships. There isn’t time to mention them all.
Angela James, the principal of the K’alemi Dene School in Ndilo has been repeatedly recognized for her superb contributions to education: Canadian Association Principal of the Year in 2009, named one of that association’s outstanding principals the previous year and truly the driving force of K’alemi Dene’s remarkable success story.
Eileen Erasmus, also at K’alemi Dene School, is a winner of this year’s Prime Minister’s Certificate of Excellence in Education. Her devotion to improving the lives and education of at-risk students and in enriching the vitality of Weledeh culture make her a model of dedicated community leadership.
Mindy Willett has lived and taught across the North, shared her rich experience through educational consulting and contributed to the literature of the North through her authorship and community engagement. Her leadership role in Canadian Youth Abroad and the Arctic Youth Abroad programs is exemplary.
Mary Rose Sundberg is an honoured pioneer in interpreting/translating skills development and certification and has recently expanded the community-based delivery of aboriginal language education through the creation of the Goyatiko Language Society based in Ndilo. A local advocate for aboriginal language enrichment, she was a key participant in the recently developed Languages Strategy.
Mr. Speaker, Helen Balanoff, heading up the NWT Literacy Council; Scott Willoughby leading the On-the-Land Program at Sir John; Barb Cameron at Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. These are just a few of the people who, one by one, build our future by building the education of our youth. I ask you to join with them in saluting their achievements and those of all educators in Weledeh riding and across the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Yesterday, we had the Minister of Justice in front of us during Committee of the Whole and I wanted to expand on a couple of items related to the Department of Justice that I brought to his attention.
The first is an issue that I’ve discussed with him previously and that is the fact that there are a number of aging penitentiaries across this country that sooner or later the federal government will have to replace and look at building a new federal penal institution somewhere in this country. My belief and desire is for that facility to be located here in the Northwest Territories. Imagine for a moment what a federal penitentiary built in one of our larger communities, like Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Hay River, or Inuvik, would mean to that community. Between 300 and 400 jobs, spin-off business opportunities and contracts for local businesses, a marked increase in our population, which would translate directly into a larger revenue stream through the Territorial Formula Financing Agreement.
I was very surprised when the Justice Minister yesterday stated on page 75 of unedited Hansard, “We haven’t really raised that issue at the federal level as of yet because we were dealing with the courthouse a while back and we had to set our priorities.” The Minister’s comments are very disconcerting. Firstly, he has not raised the issue of a penitentiary here in the Northwest Territories at the federal level in the past year when we know that the issue of a courthouse has fallen off the government’s radar.
Which brings me to the courthouse issue. My inclination is to say we are making a big mistake by not pursuing a new courthouse facility. The reality is that part of the maturation process our government is still undergoing will require us to build a public institution for the judiciary. The legislative, executive, and judicial branches are the very building blocks of a parliamentary democracy. As a government, we cannot continue to ignore the needs of our judiciary. As a government, we have spent millions of dollars and probably paid for the current facility at least 10 times over.
This facility that 20 years ago may have been adequate today is just not meeting the growing needs and demands of our judiciary. There are serious concerns over space constraints, space utilization, and security. Eventually a new courthouse will have to be built. There seems to be no end in sight to the escalating construction costs to build infrastructure in this Territory. We need to find a way to get this project back on our capital plan.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use my Member’s statement today to comment on a recent experience: the opportunity I had to travel to Vancouver to represent the NWT last Friday, NWT Day at the Olympics, and to take in the marvellous Olympic atmosphere in that city over the weekend.
A couple of weeks ago I stated that the money expended by our government for participation in the Olympics has been money well spent. Now, more than ever, I believe that to be correct. Friday morning, attending MLAs were given a tour of our Northern House and, as Members have heard before, it’s an impressive venue. The quality of the exhibits is top notch and the layout, the artistic quality, just works. Several times as we wandered around Northern House I found myself thinking this is home. This feels like home, it looks like home.
Northern House represents the NWT very well. Visitors get a good sense of our Territory. I have to give huge credit to those whose vision developed Northern House, to those who had the courage to think beyond the ordinary to build Northern House into the striking venue that it is. I have to add that I think government would do well to think the same way on many occasions.
Capping off a very vibrant day of activities was the NWT Day performance at B.C. Place prior to the medal ceremonies that night. Titled The Drum: The Heartbeat of the North, it was a real treat for those of us who were there to see it live. I found it to be a varied, passionate, professional performance; an excellent showcase for our home-grown northern talent and culture. I want to congratulate all the participants in the medal ceremonies show on their quality work and on putting on a great show.
While I was in Vancouver I found the city to be a bit of a zoo. There were quite literally thousands of people roaming the streets at all hours of the day and half the night. It seemed rather like one big happy party, a celebration of Canada and our athletes. I’ve never seen so many red Canada shirts in one place at one time. At any sporting event when Team Canada was competing, there was nothing but a sea of red. I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder to be Canadian and seeing the pride in everyone around me made me proud.
After I arrived home yesterday people kept asking me about the trip. How was it, they say. I can only answer, it was great. Truly enjoyable, if tiring, but a chance to take in a unique event, a chance we don’t all get and I’m grateful for my chance.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
My thanks go to the GNWT staff who set up all the details for my trip. My thanks go to VANOC, the Olympic Committee, for hosting us so well, for welcoming and pampering us as they did. I hope that I and the NWT will get the chance to return the favour sometime in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a lot of times Member’s stand up raising issues and questions from their ridings and not getting the answers that they’d like. Mr. Speaker, we cannot hide behind the authorities of boards, regardless if it’s a health board or an education board, as a reason the Minister can’t do anything.
Mr. Speaker, it’s clear in the NWT Health Act that the Minister can do something by way of directives to the Department of Health, the service boards, regardless if it’s the Inuvik Health Board, and also instruct them to carry out certain activities. It’s in the legislation by the directive and with other written instructions issued by a Minister that they can move on some of these issues.
I know I’ve raised issues in this House, like the Minister stated yesterday, day after day, year after year, in regard to getting a nurse for Tsiigehtchic. Yet, the Minister’s response yesterday: “well, we do provide services.” It’s clear in the legislation that they do have to have functional facilities in regard to how we carry out our programs. Mr. Speaker, it’s also been in the directive that the Minister may, to ensure that the Territories, to ensure that adequate standards are maintained for the facilities, which means it has to be a functional facility. You can’t have a functional facility if you don’t have anybody in it to provide the services. And, again, it’s in the legislation.
Mr. Speaker, it’s frustrating for Members on this side of the House to do our job for the people we represent to bring their issues to the table of this House and ask the important questions, especially when it comes to the health and well-being of our communities. Again, Mr. Speaker, it is frustrating for the people back home hearing no from Ministers that they think have some powers. I think it’s critical that the Ministers carry out their ministerial responsibilities through a ministerial directive, a written response to the health boards or education boards to do exactly what’s been directed of them so that they can act on the situation.
We spend over a billion dollars a year, but we cannot act from that side of the House to do a simple thing like get a nurse in the community, but we can spend $2 million to operate facilities that we just built. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister questions on the powers that she has under the NWT Health Act.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk again about the camping area near Fort Resolution on the Slave River referred to as Big Eddy. In the past few days I have heard many of my colleagues and the Minister of ITI stand up in the House and talk about the importance of tourism in the NWT. This is good to hear, Mr. Speaker, but at the same time I have to wonder about this, because in my riding there is only one territorial park even though there are many areas that can be easily designated as parks.
So we need to start looking at extending some of this support for tourism into the areas in Tu Nedhe. Mr. Speaker, the traditional area known as Big Eddy is one such area. Listening to the community as MLA, the community would like to see this area become a territorial park. I have stood in this House on numerous occasions and talked about the limited opportunities in both Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. Mr. Speaker, establishing a territorial park at Big Eddy will enhance the economic pictures in Fort Resolution and it will provide for immediate and long-term job opportunities for residents, and will also mean more money for the community businesses from visiting tourism and also some short-term employment during construction.
Mr. Speaker, just as important, if not more important, is the protection of certain areas because of its cultural importance and preserving its ecological integrity. Mr. Speaker, the World Conservation Union defines a protected area as an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated for the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of the natural and associated culture resources and managed through legal or other affective means. Based on this, I would say that the Big Eddy on the Slave River is one such area.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, the development of this area as an overnight territorial park will provide many boating and fishing opportunities for the residents of Fort Res.
Later today I will have questions on how the community can realize its goal of getting Big Eddy designated as a territorial park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, in the Sahtu region we have many young people under the age of 25 years old. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, 45 percent of the entire population of the Sahtu is under 25 years old. That’s an amazing fact, Mr. Speaker.
We need to develop and implement a solid plan for training so that our young people get the best training for the future. Our young people are eagerly waiting to contribute to our communities and to the North. Many young people are making their best efforts to participate in upgrading and employment training programs, and we need to have a regional training centre called the Sahtu Tech. We’re at the very edge of opening the North Slave agenda to mega projects such as the Mackenzie Gas Project and the extension of the Mackenzie Valley Highway.
What are we waiting for, Mr. Speaker? Let’s get those training programs in place for our young people so that in a year or so we can see a decrease in the unemployment rate and an increase in the skill building and the trades development. The best investment to our young people is to give them the tools to help themselves.
Our children look up and follow the examples of their parents, brothers and sisters, and family members. As leaders, we want to make sure that the resources are in place and we can be sure that our young people will work hard with those resources and put them to good use. We can help them to overcome life’s challenges and know that nothing can stand in their way if they are determined. We learned that kind of attitude from our parents and elders and it’s time to pass that along to the next generation of emerging leaders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier, the Cabinet and the Ordinary Members of this House have all been working hard to bring economic development into the Northwest Territories. One of the best possibilities in many decades to improve the economy of the South Slave is the potential of the value-added processing of rare earths at Pine Point, and it’s up to $500 million of investment.
Mr. Speaker, in July of last year the GNWT lost the investment of Fortune Minerals Hydromet plant and 80 value-added jobs when they were courted by the Saskatchewan government with their low power rates and incentives.
Unlike some previous mines, Avalon has started early and worked hard with aboriginal governments and the GNWT to try to find ways to retain value-added in the NWT. Recently, the Premier responded positively to requests from Avalon Rare Metals and the standing committee, that the GNWT would work constructively to pursue the possibility of the availability of competitively priced power and transportation infrastructure.
On Monday, February 22nd, the chair of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation states that Avalon Rare Metals is not going to get a deal on power. He is quoted in News/North as saying, “Avalon is not going to get cheaper power than anybody else in the South Slave system. What Saskatchewan sells power for is really not relevant to us, simply because we have to recover our costs of service.”
I was shocked, Mr. Speaker, seeing the comments of the chair of NTPC contradicting our Premier, the will of its shareholder and this Legislature. In short, the chair of NTPC threw ice water on the hopes of using the surplus energy from the Taltson dam to leverage this once in a lifetime opportunity to develop the economy in the South Slave.
Mr. Speaker, the reverberations of this unauthorized communication and action go far beyond the borders of the Northwest Territories. You have to believe that the Premier of Saskatchewan and the chair of SaskPower were delighted to hear this comment. What are the investors at Avalon to think when they read that all of Avalon’s efforts to find ways to retain value added in the NWT are publicly dismissed by the NTPC board chair?
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
In his response that was shared with Members, the Premier asked Avalon to work with the GNWT to develop a plan that would allow Avalon to locate its processing plant in the NWT. Initial discussions have occurred. The Premier also suggested that the proposal to the federal government might be another way to ensure this project was to proceed. The comments in this article also have a damaging effect on public perception as it seems like Mr. Voytilla is also the spokesperson for the PUB, who is talking about blended rates and the cost of power to the public if this should go ahead.
I think there is a possible solution. I support the Avalon project and I know other Members support it as well. We need to see this attitude reflected by the people who are taking it upon themselves to be our spokespersons.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is Education Week. This world requires many resources. Even through the buildings and books or basic supplies all schools need in today’s world, much more is needed. Our kids are increasingly left behind. In the Beaufort-Delta communities everything, our adequate, reliable housing, living programs contribute to community successful graduation rate.
Several weeks ago I mentioned in the House currently there are eight students in the Nunakput community of Sachs Harbour who, for various reasons, have left high school in Inuvik and moved back home. Reasons include nowhere to live, not enough resources and support. Support from this government and the Beaufort-Delta education is lacking.
In other Member’s statements I’ve highlighted problems with some school buildings. The schools are not big enough for the number of students they have, from the size of the gymnasium to the size of the library. At Mangilaluk School, for instance, there is a lack of space in the whole building that needs to be redone to bring it up to standards. We’re far below the territorial standards. Ulukhaktok, a Nunakput community, schools have old, outdated, second-hand, broken down computers that are often incompatible with modern software and e-ware. According to the school principal, most computers are even incompatible with the satellite linkup for the telehealth in Ulukhaktok.
According to Karen Kitekudlak, the chairperson of the district education authority in Ulukhaktok, the condition of Helen Kalvak School is worsening. This school was once the pride of Nunakput and was designed to have been built so beautifully. Now I ask this government what happened.
Sachs seriously lacks adequate accommodation for teachers and this coming school year the recruitment and retention of good teachers in the small communities such as the Nunakput community of Sachs are very dependent on providing adequate housing for teachers.
Over the years, schools have come a long way and have grown from one-room shacks to multi-functional facilities and more, as needed. Compared to national standards, our students are far below average in everything.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Our students are far below average in everything from adequate textbooks to square footage per student. Nunakput communities are experiencing very unique educational challenges for our youth. How much longer will this government take before they recognize some of these things that have to be done? This government must implement measures and recommendations made by numerous organizations and community governments.
We’re going to truly educate our youth to be competitive nationally, commit to supply our schools with adequate resources required for today’s educational challenges needs. I urge this government to implement per student calculation standards that students in tax-based communities receive, factoring in northern costs associated in small, remote communities. I will have questions for the Minister of Education at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You may have heard a report on the radio this morning about how there will be no nurse in the community of Wrigley this year. I had spoken earlier saying that there would be a return of the service to Wrigley and it gave me no pleasure to correct this publicly.
The road to returning nursing service to Wrigley is a challenging one. When I was first elected I was told that there would be no nurse for Wrigley until there is policing. So I worked hard in the last term to ensure the return of policing to Wrigley. The Minister of Justice then, Cabinet, and our Assembly approved two RCMP positions in 2007 and a commitment for a detachment by 2011.
The next piece of the puzzle should have been easy: re-establish nursing to Wrigley. Yet for the past two and a half years I’ve continued to raise this issue. In November 2009 I understood from the Minister of Health and Social Services that there was a proposal to return nursing services to Wrigley. In December I did indeed advise the new chief of Wrigley, Tim Lennie, that there would be a position for Wrigley in 2010.
However, yesterday I was advised by Deh Cho Health and Social Services that there was no dedicated nursing position in their budget. Although the Government of the Northwest Territories approves funding for boards, it does not make detailed decisions on how the money is spent. I think the priority of our government should be the priority of our boards.
Myself and the community of Wrigley need the Minister of Health and Social Services and our government to pay attention to our needs. How will they provide for the needs of Wrigley and the residents of Nahendeh. I will be following up on this during question period.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Time and time again you hear issues raised from this side of the House and they continue to be pushed away. As said quite clearly by my colleague Mr. Menicoche, we raise issues because they are of community interest and they are important. The relentless pursuit of these community and constituency issues will continue regardless of the deaf ears on the Cabinet side of this House.
When we speak about health board issues, education board issues, Power Corporation board issues, Liquor Board issues, municipal issues, or even housing board issues, we’re not speaking just for our own voices. We’re speaking for the people, the community, the constituency, and sometimes even up to six communities we’re speaking for. Where are the Ministers listening on this issue? Are they standing behind the boards and using them as the defence to doing something? I don’t know.
I ask the Ministers across this House to take a good look. More than 50 percent of the voices of this Territory are sitting on this side of the House. So wake up from your still stare. We’re here speaking. May I remind Cabinet...
---Interjection
We know the money is chopped up at the Cabinet table but we will not stand for this. We need Cabinet to realize we have priorities that represent our communities and constituencies and they’re very important. When an MLA brings forward an issue, quite often you’ll hear from the Ministers a relentless defence of it and you’ll hear the Five-D Approaches, as I like to call it: the Minister will defend, defer, delay, and sometimes deflect and defy the issue over and over. I had to add another one because they divide the House on the issue. The Ds just keep rolling.
When do you hear from the Cabinet side of this how can we help unite the Territory on the specific issues raised by Regular Members. That’s when Cabinet’s listening. We hear that very little. I’d like to hear from Cabinet, “How can we help?”, as opposed to, “Sorry, we’re busy, maybe it’s the board’s problem.”
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 65 years is more than any age of any of us sitting in this august Assembly. It’s decades longer than any warranty we’ll ever get. It’s the age of retirement, something to look forward to. In some parts of the world it’s the age of life expectancy, but today 65 years is a milestone that I’d like us to honour and recognize. We have with us in the gallery Mr. Al and Febula Bohnet, and today they’re celebrating a lifetime together of commitment, love and sharing going back 65 years today.
---Applause
This is an enormous accomplishment in this day and age. They’re surrounded by some of their family, children, grandchildren, who I’ll recognize later, but today I just wanted to take this time to honour them and thank them for being here and for their whole life together and what they’ve done for the North. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Bohnet, Wanda Powder, Darrell Bohnet Jr., Shirley Bohnet, Sevn Bohnet, Seth Bohnet, Kelly Kubic, and Bonita Bohnet. Not with us, of course, are some of the other folks: Darrell Bohnet, Gary Bohnet and Gordon Bohnet. Welcome to the Assembly. I’m glad you’re here.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize the new Commanding Officer, Mr. Wade Blake, who is fulfilling a new role as commanding officer. I’d like to thank Mr. Middleton for all these years of commitment and dedication and wish him all the luck in his retirement. I also recognize Bronwyn Watters, my deputy minister of the Justice department.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Al and Feb Bohnet on their 65th wedding anniversary, and all their extended family of Bohnets who are here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
