Debates of March 8, 2005 (day 51)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just with respect to Mr. Zoe’s comments and translators for us, I believe that as well. Far before we hire any translators for people from outside our country, we should be hiring translators for ourselves. I would just like the Speaker to keep that in mind. I know that the one time they hired a translator on my behalf, I was able to use them and it helped me stimulate the use of my own language, and written-wise, too. I just wanted to make that comment in support of Mr. Zoe’s efforts. You have to remember, too, that Mr. Zoe brought our Legislative Assembly to a standstill in the 13th Assembly. I believe he is getting frustrated enough that he will probably do it again. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Zoe.

I was just going to remind the Speaker on what my colleague said about when we debated the Official Languages Act in Norman Wells. I spoke my language, and we had to shut down the whole House for the whole day before they got the interpreter. So the point I wanted to point out to the Speaker; I am sure he is aware of the rules that we have in place. He knows them better than I do, I think. If someone objects in a formal sitting on a point of order, we have to shut down the House in order for them to have that service available. I just wanted to note that, because it could happen. Although he indicated that there are people up in the gallery that can speak my own language, but it won’t be translated. If other Members don’t know what I am talking about, if they raise a point of order, they could literally shut us down or even ask a Minister a question during question period. The Minister would rise on a point of order and say, I don’t know what he is saying. I just wanted to note that, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Zoe. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just on that, the Member is right. If he is asking the Minister a question in his language and the Minister doesn’t understand and we don’t have interpreters in the House that day, he wouldn’t be able to answer the question. But the new Official Languages Act does allow any Member to speak in their own language in the House on any day whether or not we have translators. He is still allowed to use his language in the House. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Yakeleya.

Just one question there, Mr. Chairman. Does what we’re saying get translated in our language back to the communities or is this straight English? I don’t follow APTN too much. Is this translated into North Slavey?

Mahsi, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The proceedings on a daily basis in the House do get broadcasted in official languages by ATPN on a rotating basis and there’s a schedule out of what days each language is being used. They just rotate the languages and ATPN does carry it, but not in every language on every day. It’s on a rotating basis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. I guess just a point that Mr. Zoe makes a good point in terms of the question in our language. I believe The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment made a statement earlier today in terms of the official languages of the Northwest Territories and ourselves to promote it. Somewhere it talks about the Members taking a lead here in terms of the Legislative Assembly. I just ask the office to consider more uses of translation in terms of Mr. Zoe’s point, because that’s the first language and that needs to be really honoured and respected, I guess, in the best way we can do it. With the limited amount of funding we have in the budget, I know we’re in tight constraint and things need to be looked at again and given some consideration in terms of putting your plans forward. Because I guess Mr. Speaker is right that if we want to use our language we could use it, whatever, but the other side won’t understand. They’ll shake their head. I guess it’s going to be interesting if it ever comes to that point, Mr. Chairman. I ask if Mr. Speaker and his staff would give some consideration to accommodating some of the needs of Mr. Zoe. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mahsi, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We can certainly look at it again. I know it would be a fairly substantial expenditure that would have to be looked at by the whole Assembly and a considerable budget set up for it, but we can always look at it and maybe go back and see what that program cost before and what it would cost to set it up again. We can always look at it, that’s for sure. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will do some work on that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Just with respect to affirmative action goals, written goals in the Legislative Assembly, because that’s something the Speaker was looking at. What are the target goals for the office as of today? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We used the affirmative action policy quite regularly whenever we’re hiring positions. The numbers are not certainly where we would like to have them and a number of issues come into that. It’s not that we don’t look at those, they’re even to the point where we had some candidates picked out for jobs and then they decided they weren’t interested in them. So we do participate in the Management Assignment Program. We have one member here who works as a table officer who takes part in that under the affirmative action policy. We do offer work experience opportunities for the Native Women’s Society. We will be having a Sergeant-at-Arms training position to provide some young aboriginal person with some experience in the proceedings in the House, with the intention of making the advancement opportunities available to them. We also continue to hire summer students and intern positions here with research and public affairs that we do use the affirmative action policy for. We’re trying to meet our goals in there and increase our numbers within the Legislative Assembly staff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Once again we have another department with no written targets or goals and I’ll maintain again that they’re not goals or targets if they’re not written down. We need something written that we can measure against. It will help the department. So that’s what I’d like to see when it comes to the Legislative Assembly, I want to see it written down there. We spoke about it several times this week and last week that we should have a reflective northern workforce, especially when we do have tourists coming through those doors. They should see a workforce reflective of the North. With that again, I would urge the speaker to ensure that these targets and goals are written down, perhaps by the next business plan or even starting today. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mahsi. (English not provided) Mahsi.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Zoe. Committee, we’re on general comments. Mr. Zoe.

Mr. Chairman, I just had to make that point in terms of the comments of my colleague the Member for Sahtu raised with our Speaker. As you’re well aware, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Dent has made a statement today on our official languages. This month is the month to celebrate that; the whole month of March. What I said is I agree with my colleague that it’s imperative that we try to provide those services back again. I think it’s warranted so the people of the Territories know that we’re enhancing our own aboriginal languages, especially here in this institution. I think they have to see us taking the lead. Other departments are doing certain things. Different groups are doing different things in terms of promoting languages and I think our institution here should be the number one they look at because we’re televised and it’s in all homes across the Territories. Mahsi.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Zoe. I’d like to draw committee’s attention to page 1-10, revenue summary.

Agreed.

Page 1-13, activities summary, office of the Clerk, operations expenditure summary, $7.525 million.

Agreed.

Pages 1-14 and 1-15, office of the Clerk, active positions.

Agreed.

Page 1-17, office of the Speaker, operations expenditure summary, $157,000.

Agreed.

Pages 1-18 and 1-19, office of the Speaker, active positions.

Agreed.

Page 1-21, expenditures on behalf of Members, operations expenditure summary, $5.335 million.

Agreed.

Page 1-23, office of the chief electoral officer, operations expenditure summary, $360,000.

Agreed.

Pages 1-24 and 1-25, office of the Chief Electoral Officer, active positions.

Agreed.

Page 1-27, statutory officers, operations expenditure summary, $1.1 million.

Agreed.

Page 1-29, statutory officers, grants and contributions, contributions, $330,000.

Agreed.

Pages 1-30 and 1-31, statutory officers, active positions.

Agreed.

Page 1-32, work performed on behalf of others, $20,000.

Agreed.

Thank you. Please return to page 1-7, department summary, operations expenditure summary, $14.477 million.

Agreed.