Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a personal matter under Rule 20(1). Yesterday our Member of Parliament, the MP for the Western Arctic, testified before the federal Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. The committee is considering Bill C-530. The MP’s private member’s bill is to amend the NWT Act to change the GNWT borrowing limit.
I am concerned his comments did not reflect all of the information that I conveyed to him. For the record, Mr. Speaker, in a letter dated October 20, 2010, I told the Member of Parliament the GNWT would await the outcome of the federal review of territorial borrowing limits before determining what further actions might be necessary with respect to our borrowing limit.
Mr. Speaker, that was and is still the position of the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Mr. Speaker, I know that all Members share my interest in doing everything we can to prevent needless deaths and injuries from occurring on our streets and highways. Every injury or loss of life is especially hard on our communities, especially when there is so much we can do to reduce the risks associated with the use of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV), and vehicles on our roads and trails.
Two thousand and eleven is the Year of Road Safety in Canada, Mr. Speaker. It is the first year of Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2015 as well as the
international decade of Road Safety 2020. This is a good time to take stock of what we are doing to increase road safety in the Northwest Territories, and to decrease the number of needless collisions, injuries and fatalities.
Increased safety and security is one of the action areas under this government’s strategic plan. Through the Building our Future strategic initiative, we have invested in the Drive Alive Program which has a number of initiatives and partnerships to make our roads and highways safer.
Recently, Mr. Speaker, Members were asked to assist the Drive Alive “Be Visible, Be Safe” program by distributing retro-reflective armbands to their constituents, and the response from Members was enthusiastic. I thank each of you for your assistance, which enabled us to deliver this program in every part of the Territory.
Mr. Speaker, I would also ask for everyone’s assistance for our Buckle Up NWT initiative which will be ramping up over the next few months. We recently learned that at 40 percent, seatbelt usage in communities outside Yellowknife is the lowest in Canada. We know from collision statistics that a person who is not wearing a seatbelt is 17 times more likely to die than those who do.
Over the next two years, the Drive Alive Program will have a special focus on seatbelt usage in our communities. Drive Alive will partner with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, municipal enforcement, regional leaders and the other organizations to make people aware of the danger they put themselves and others in when they do not wear a seatbelt. I would like Members of this Assembly to be among the leaders who help us achieve the Buckle Up NWT goal of bringing the use of seatbelts in the NWT up to the national average of 95 percent. Mr. Speaker, I will have more to announce on this important initiative in the next few weeks.
Other initiatives for 2011 the Year of Road Safety under our Drive Alive Program include:
the current pledge campaign to reduce the number of people who use their cell phone while driving;
an impaired driving awareness campaign, including impairment caused by driver fatigue; and
a campaign to address speed as a contributing factor in collisions, particularly in bison country.
As part of our campaign on speeding, we will be informing residents that the penalties for violating the speed limit in construction and school zones have doubled. We will also be reminding drivers that when they are passing stopped emergency vehicles, they must slow to half the posted speed limit. We need to protect our police and municipal enforcement officers and our firefighters as they do their jobs.
Mr. Speaker, when trying to change the behaviour of drivers and others using our transportation system, our preference is always to inform and raise awareness of the better choices that each one of us can make. Voluntary changes like this are usually the most effective and are changes that last for life.
Our efforts to make our streets and highways safer are continuing. The support of Members to help make that happen continues to be appreciated. Every step we take towards preventing injuries and deaths help us deliver on this Assembly’s goals of healthy, educated people and sustainable, vibrant, safe communities. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 2011 National Student Debating Seminar of the Canadian Student Debating Federation is taking place in Hay River from March 9th to 13th. There are 78 delegates participating in formal debates representing 10 provinces, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. This is considered to be one of their largest debates and it is the first of its kind to take place in the North since 1975.
The participating delegates are accomplished students chosen by provincial and territorial debating organizations through a competitive process. The seminar theme has been appropriately chosen to be northern issues and the debates will be parliamentary, cross-examination and consensus styles. The resolutions for debate are: should cultural preservation be a top government priority; resource development is more important than environmental protection; and Canada should take more active measures to assert sovereignty over the Arctic. Those are their topics.
The seminar will be a unique northern experience for these competitors. On the debating side, the seminar will feature two rounds of debate modelled on the NWT’s consensus style of government. Each delegate will debate a topic twice; once for, once against the issue being debated.
The group of delegates will be kept very busy during their stay in Hay River. Some of the planned activities for each day are pond hockey, curling, dog mushing, ice fishing, a tour of Buffalo Airways, a variety of arts and cultural activities including beading, fiddling, drumming, storytelling and more.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our visiting delegates to the Northwest Territories and to wish all of them luck in their debating challenges. I would also like to congratulate and thank the people of Hay River who were involved in organizing this event. Gatherings like this don’t just happen. It takes extraordinary volunteers. People who commit to working long hours, making arrangements for travel and accommodations, selecting venues, recruiting judges, programming entertainment and various other details and then pulling it all together. Many thanks to Geoff Buerger, the principal at the Princess Alexandra School in Hay River who accepted the challenge of organizing this major event. Thanks to his volunteer committee, all the volunteer judges and, of course, all the folks at the Princess Alexandra School who I’m sure will all be recruited to help out. I thank them all for their effort, commitment and hard work to have contributed to make such an exciting event possible. Best wishes to everyone involved for a successful weekend and we will see you down there at the debate.
I want to say that I think things like debating organizations are extremely important. In surveys it has been determined that fear of public speaking is right up there with the fear of death. These are the kind of things that give people confidence to speak in public and I challenge our colleagues today with this crowd here to do us proud and answer our questions today.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to try to do as much of my Member’s statement in Chipewyan today as possible for the elders in Tu Nedhe.
[English translation not provided.]
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During this term as MLA I always start my Member’s statements at the beginning of session to honour our loved ones that have passed away. At the end of each session I honour the accomplishments of our loved ones, especially our youth.
All across the Territories schools and families in communities will be beginning to gather to celebrate the academic accomplishments of their graduates. In our small and remote communities graduates are celebrated by everyone.
In the community of Ulukhaktok the following graduates will be honoured on June 8, 2011: Ms. Gail Ogina, Jerry Akoaksion Jr., Zachary Kudlak, David Roy Ekpakohak, Jasmine Klengenberg, Troy Kataoyak and Kassandra Ekpakohak. In 2009 the YELS Program -- Youth Entry Level Skills Program -- outstanding student was Kassandra Ekpakohak.
The community of Sachs Harbour Inuvik graduates will be honoured on Saturday, June 4, 2011, in Inuvik. Potential graduates are: John Keogak, Jacob Kudlak, Kyle Wolki.
For the community of Paulatuk the graduates will be honoured on June 19, 2011. Potential graduates are: Bessie Lennie -- who is a past youth parliamentarian here -- Bernadette Green, Lauren Ruben, Rosalie Krengnektak, Georgina Wolki, Stephanie Illasiak and Tanya Ruben.
For the community of Tuktoyaktuk the graduates will be honoured on August 5, 2011. Potential graduates for Mangilaluk School are: Kelsey Lucas, Leeanne Pokiak, Caitlin Walker, Morris Nogasak, Shane Gruben, Chelsea Raddi and Darcie Bernhardt. In addition to the above-mentioned Mangilaluk School students there are Terri Lee Kuptana and Germaine Voudrach who are currently working towards their graduation and have indicated they would like to participate in the graduation ceremonies at Mangilaluk School.
Mr. Speaker, lastly, I wish to express my admiration and appreciation for all the hard work and dedication of our staff of this government, the Legislative Assembly and also my colleagues during this long session. We put in long hours and dealt with some very difficult issues that will affect the people of the Northwest Territories for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, enjoy your community carnivals this year and have a safe spring harvesting season. Quanami, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. This week in Fort Simpson people have been participating in our ever popular Beaver Tail Jamboree. Celebrations began last Sunday. I wish to say special congratulations to the Beaver Tail Jamboree organizing committee and the sponsors and host organizations who have been making this event come alive every year for the past 34 years.
The committee members who worked so hard to make this year’s Jamboree successful are: Ms. Cindy Browning, Ms. Cheryl Sibbeston, Mr. Nathan McPherson, Mr. Gerry Antoine, Mr. Troy Bradbury, Mr. Aaron McNabb, Mr. Jonas Antoine, Mr. Mike Squirrel, Ms. Ria Letcher and Ms. Celine Antoine. They all deserve honourable mention, ladies and gentlemen all, Mr. Speaker.
The community and Nahendeh region look forward to this event that is time to celebrate together that we have completed another long winter. There are activities for our youth and for folks of all ages. Events have changed over the years. Some old favourites are back like dog racing. There’s much fun to be had. Today they crown the Jamboree prince and princesses. Friday is the best, firstly, because there is a half-a-day holiday. There is a free luncheon, corporate challenge competitions, youth talent show and a dance. Saturday has just as many activities including the premier event: the adult talent show.
I encourage everyone in Fort Simpson to come out and enjoy all that this jamboree has to offer. The best part of it all is that it gets families and friends together for the whole week. I hope that the weather is great and that everybody has a safe, happy and enjoyable weekend. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the Auditor General’s report on the health programs and services. I also want to note here that the Auditor General did not look at social services during her review, just health.
The health report findings are similar to those of the findings in the Auditor General’s report last year on education. The report indicates a lack of evaluation, monitoring and data collection on the part of the Department of Health. The Auditor General gives credit to Health for its strategic plan, described by Ms. Fraser as a clear direction to improve the system. But Ms. Fraser also says that the department needs to follow through with the health authorities. By that she means monitor their activities to ensure that the priorities of the department and of the system as a whole are achieved by the regional authorities.
When the Auditor General examined the relationship between the Department of Health and the health authorities, she found that the department lacks performance agreements with those health authorities. As a result, there are no performance indicators on which the success or the failure of an authority can be measured.
Any devolution of programs and services from the government to a subsidiary organization should have as a basic component assessment, monitoring and evaluation structure. The Health department and its authorities do not. There are contribution agreements, Mr. Speaker, between the parties, but those contribution agreements do not address monitoring of the actions or the work of the authorities. There is no mechanism to gauge how the authorities are doing to determine whether they are successfully delivering programs and services to the residents in their region as is required by the department.
We give almost $225 million annually to health authorities. I think we really ought to know what they are doing with our money. As a government, the GNWT has a poor track record when it comes to assessment, monitoring and evaluation of our programs and services. We’re quick to decide on new initiatives and to put new programs in place, but we do not at the same time establish how we will evaluate them in both the short and the long term. That is the message from the Auditor General in her report, Mr. Speaker. The government as a whole and particularly Cabinet must change its mindset, its approach, if you will, to the implementation of new initiatives. When approval is given to fund a new program or initiative, that decision must be based on a proposal which includes a comprehensive evaluation plan.
I will have questions for the Minister of Health at a later time. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak about the unbelievable costs of not having a highway in the Sahtu. Mr. Speaker, we did have a highway at one time built in 1943. It went from Norman Wells to the Yukon Territory. It took about 13 months to build, Mr. Speaker, no problem. The U.S. government said go, and away it went. Mr. Speaker, that is the problem of freedom.
Mr. Speaker, we have witnessed and heard about the high cost of store bought foods and the expensive housing costs, just the basics to continue to be a major issue for our people in the Sahtu. In November, INAC updated statistics on the northern food basket for a family of four between 2005 and 2009. Not to my surprise, Norman Wells went up more by 17 percent. That is because we don’t have a highway into our communities. We are paying the increase in price of isolation, Mr. Speaker. How can a family find the money to cover the food, clothing and shelter, let alone find money for vacation trips? We don’t have a highway, so families are taking advantage of the two-month window of opportunity in the winter, drive out, do their shopping and possibly take a little vacation. Then they load up their trucks with a year’s supply, drive back into the Sahtu.
Mr. Speaker, a few years ago Cece McCauley wrote an article in the News/North called “The Cost of No Highway.” She has some good points. A highway could save the Sahtu residents their hard-earned money by reducing the cost of freight of groceries and dry goods. Fuel and building supplies would also likely decrease, Mr. Speaker.
In the meantime, something needs to be done. Disparity in the Sahtu doesn’t reflect very well on the federal government. Build a highway, Mr. Harper. As the saying goes as in the movie, go west, young man, go west. Maybe we should open up the CANOL road again, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, ENR has now formally presented and proceeded with the new Wildlife Act. As we have all heard, there are many concerns from mining, outfitting and tourism industries. For the sake of observation, Section 87 of the new Wildlife Act states, “no person shall, without a licence or permit authorizing it, establish, offer or provide an organized activity for profit in which big game or other prescribed wildlife is the object of interaction, manipulation or close observation...” Therefore, Mr. Speaker, by way of example, if an Aurora Village tour bus happened to pull over loaded full of those much needed Japanese tourists just to take a few pictures of ptarmigan, they would be in violation of the act because they would be breaking the letter of the law. Close observation is not permitted without a permit, Mr. Speaker.
Now, under Section 88, the superintendent may, by written notice, exempt a person from the requirement of a licence or permit under those sections I just highlighted. Mr. Speaker, the point being here is the superintendent now is going to have to be writing exemptions daily. In fairness, ENR has agreed that they will work with ITI as a matter of accommodation to where ITI regulations, conditions and guidelines will help mitigate this issue that ENR has identified. However, accommodation is only a policy outside the act. Mr. Speaker, this needs to be in the act and regulations need to be drawn up to draw and create certainty. While accommodation will be appreciated, again, it does create interpretations and, to be honest, Mr. Speaker, industry sees it as a leap of faith.
So in short, more red tape and needless administrative policing. To keep in mind, Mr. Speaker, even if you were an entomologist and you wanted to harvest dragon flies, you would be in violation of the act and charged as well.
Mr. Speaker, the mining industry will tell you the Wildlife Act is putting undue pressure and probably turning the NWT into a park or game reserve. Mr. Speaker, more pressure on these types of industries will help identify the Northwest Territories as a place not open for business. Mr. Speaker, we need those much needed tax dollars and by scaring away or discouraging investment in the North does nothing for our Territory, and at the end perhaps Environment and Natural Resources will get what their asking for, which is nothing from everybody. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the fundamental principles of a free, transparent government is the ability for our residents to vote freely with regard to expressing their views on particular issues, voting people into public office and voting for things such as the division of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, there was a plebiscite held in 1992 to divide the Northwest Territories. At that time it was done through a plebiscite with the simple wording, “do you think the Northwest Territories should be divided.” Mr. Speaker, since that time, division has come and gone. Yet, Mr. Speaker, there is still a lot of political manoeuvring regarding taking on federal powers and responsibilities to the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I think we also have to allow the public and the people of the Northwest Territories to also have a say with regard to what’s happening in the Northwest Territories with the transfer of powers from Ottawa to the Northwest Territories through similar means, regardless of whether it’s a plebiscite, freedom to vote, a general election. The public has the right to be heard.
Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of what’s going on with devolution in this House and elsewhere. A lot of full-page ads are being put out there with regard to people’s views on particular issues. Mr. Speaker, how do we get feedback from the general public once their views have been expressed? Mr. Speaker, one of those ways is through a plebiscite.
Mr. Speaker, the Plebiscite Act allows a plebiscite to take place during a general election. I feel it’s critical that this government and this Legislative Assembly allow the public that opportunity to have their voice in a very important issue such as devolution from Ottawa to the Northwest Territories by way of a plebiscite.
I, for one, agree that regardless what the outcome of the devolution process is, we all have to live with the decision. Is it the right decision or it is the wrong decision? The only way we can measure it, Mr. Speaker, is by means of a vote for all residents of the Northwest Territories to express their views and position on this important matter.
I feel that we do have to look at some options and alternatives such as a public plebiscite on the devolution agreement, which was signed by the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government, on how it will affect the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Budget sessions are always the most demanding and we’ve covered much ground over the past few several weeks. A review of these issues before breaking will serve us well.
We’ve made progress in law. We have set in motion the critical actions in the review of the Child and Family Services Act. There have been important revisions to the Dog Act. There have been modest improvements in our controls over Members’ post-term activities and we’ve started on the Heritage Fund.
The debate on the social ills has dominated this session and with good reason. The issues of family violence, elder abuse, victim services and corrections, justice and rehabilitation were particularly stressed. We have spoken to our approach to solutions, expanding the Healthy Families Prevention Program, preservation of nurse practitioner training and service capacity, expansion of midwifery services, integration and improvement of mental health services, the desperate need for more and better housing with affordable rents, the vital importance of school nutrition programs and emphasis on early childhood development. Common elements in confronting all these issues is the need for a cross-program integrated approach, renewed emphasis on gathering hard data that is lacking and meaningful action towards an Anti-Poverty Strategy.
On the environmental front we have highlighted key tools as essential components of a new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy in order to take the government’s substantial progress on renewable energy out into society at large. Examples include NWT-wide building standards and carbon pricing, with the latter at least getting good discussion. Our electrical utility and its very expensive rate review simply churned the old issues with little progress on renewables or the price stability and low carbon output we must achieve. Caribou populations, of course, remain a concern.
In many areas, however, the government ignores the will of the Assembly. Putting food in children’s mouths is the best worst example. Successive business plans, motions for milk subsidies, motions on school lunch programs, resolution of public housing rent subsidies, Members insist, government ignores.
Two keynotes of this government and session: insistence on a devolution agreement without our Aboriginal partners and the long, sad story of the bridge are subjects of public lament. I look forward to working with my colleagues to break through the barriers and gain new ground on these areas, clearly of the greatest importance to our public and our future.
This government isn’t over yet...
Mr. Bromley, your time for your Member’s statement has expired. Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last October I made a statement in this House and asked the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment a number of questions regarding the possibility of facilitating curated art and/or craft shows and exhibits here in the Northwest Territories. A curated show is usually one where a collection of items, such as paintings, are pulled together by a professional body who has an interest in displaying this certain body of work in order to highlight the cultural and historic value. The body of work is usually researched and its significance is outlined as part of the presentation of the collection as a whole. This is not something done by a retail outfit but, rather, a museum or fine art gallery.
The Minister at the time indicated that he would be willing to meet with representatives of the NWT arts community to discuss the option of curated shows and how they could benefit both territorial artists as well as the population as a whole. I put together a meeting between the past-president of the Aurora Arts Society on behalf of the territorial artists and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, his staff, as well as the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment and his staff, which took place in December. It was a very informative meeting with a lot of shared information and opinions.
Since that, I have had some follow-up conversations with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and have received correspondence from the Minister indicating that they would be working towards the delivery of curated shows highlighting the work of northern artists over the coming fiscal year and ongoing. This is great news for both the NWT artists as well as the population of the Northwest Territories. Highlighting our northern artists will both promote the artist as well as the North. In addition, once our artists have been presented officially in curated shows, great opportunities for Canadian Council funding will open up to them.
I understand that this may not happen immediately, that the department has to figure out the best ways to do it, the most cost-effective method to facilitate these shows and conduct research into the extent that they can be done and shared both in the North and the South. Regardless, I appreciate the Minister’s consideration on this topic and commitment to working with northern artists. I look forward to curated shows highlighting our northern artists and their great works.
I will be asking the Minister a couple of questions on this topic at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about Bill C-530.The bill and our MP, Mr. Bevington, were in front of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on Tuesday, March the 8th, in Ottawa. I found that most of what our MP had to say about consultation with people here in the Northwest Territories and our government to lack, quite frankly, any semblance in reality.
In his opening comments to the committee Mr. Bevington used the word “legitimate” spending without actually defining what he meant by “legitimate.” Does our MP actually believe that sending a letter then selecting parts of the response you like is consultation with our government? He states quite clearly that, in his opinion, consultation has taken place. He said he discussed it directly with our Finance Minister, who happens to be his next door neighbour, but he does not say if this just happened over the fence over a glass of lemonade or in a formal meeting. The fact is, this consultation has not taken place in a meaningful way.
As Member’s well know, we have had numerous discussions with the Premier and our Finance Minister about our borrowing ability. What is most important to me is letting the review currently underway to look at the borrowing limits of the three territories continue to conclusion. What good would our MP’s solution do us if we continue to be required to treat all debt the same? We need to take the self-liquidating debt out of the equation. This is the way forward.
The review that’s currently under review, yes, needs flexibility; this is just not the right approach by our MP. I appreciate that our MP means well, but on this effort he is completely off base and we should let the federal government know that he has not consulted us nor does he have the blessing of all Members of this Legislature.
I would like to concur with committee member of that Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Greg Rickford’s, MP for Kenora, take that with the review of borrowing limits underway for the three territories, Bill C-530 is a redundant exercise.
I was glad to hear the Premier set the record straight and later on today I’d like to follow up with some questions to the Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Spring is just around the corner, though you’d never know it by looking outside. I’m sure if the groundhog came out today he’d probably freeze. With spring -- and my colleague for Nunakput mentioned it before -- the carnival seasons are starting up and it’s always an excellent time of year for folks in the Beaufort-Delta to gather and check out their new racing machines and check out their new dog teams and go up against each other. It’s always an excellent time for folks to get together. They have their old-time dances. It’s just a great time to celebrate.
Inuvik has their Muskrat Jamboree they’ll be starting in a couple of weeks. Beluga Jamboree is always a big success up in Tuk, and they have the Peel River Jamboree in Fort McPherson, and Tsiigehtchic has their spring carnival. They try staggering them every weekend so you can pretty well make the loop and be going for five weekends in a row and after that you’re played out and you gotta rest up until next year.
A lot of work goes into these carnivals. There are a lot of folks who started fundraising this year and a lot of good corporate support. We’re really pleased to see that. Aklavik has their Mad Trapper Rendezvous. They always have it Easter weekend. It’s a bit of a tradition. We look forward to the carnival season. We always look forward to the carnival season.
With spring also comes an age-old tradition up in the Beaufort-Delta, the muskrat trapping season. Folks have been doing this for years and it’s always a good opportunity for them to go out and take part in something that they’ve done for many years. I hear the prices this year are fairly good, so people will be getting out there and setting their traps.
I just want to ask all those that go out there to be safe. Those that take part in the carnivals, be sober, be safe, enjoy your time and don’t waste it going out and getting smashed or anything like that.
With that, I’m going to ask all those folks out there to enjoy all the festivities and if you’re out enjoying being on the land, I just ask that you respect the gift that was given to us.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a pleasure to recognize in our gallery, as Mrs. Groenewegen has stated, the 2011 National Debating Seminar. We’ve got a group of them, not the full group but we’ve got a group of them that have travelled here to Yellowknife and taken a little bit of our consensus style government at this point. I wish them much success in their debates and enjoy the Northwest Territories as the true beauty and emerald in Canada.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a constituent, Sophie Call, who is accompanying our group of young debaters today.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize a Page from Range Lake. Her name is Kathleen Gordon and she’s been here for a number of days and I’d like to thank her for her wonderful work.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Ms. Margaret Peterson.
