Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber, colleagues, as we resume the sixth and next to last sitting of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
---Applause
Although this is a short sitting, I know there is a great deal of work that must be done before we adjourn next week and that you are eager to begin. However, I would like to take a few moments to acknowledge some special events in our Legislature since we last met.
I would like to comment on the recall notice which was originally issued on March 30, 2011, to reconvene the Sixth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly in early April 2011. I recalled the House, acting on the advice of Cabinet and Regular Members, who had indicated that a Territorial Leadership Committee meeting should be scheduled to fill the seat vacated when the Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee, resigned on March 26, 2011.
Formal recall of the House would have been necessary to ratify any decision of the Territorial Leadership Committee. At a meeting of full Caucus which took place on April 7, 2011, a decision was made by all Members not to fill the vacant position at this late date in the life of this Assembly. Accordingly, there was no need for the House to meet and I directed that the recall of the House for April 11, 2011, be rescinded.
Colleagues, I had the particular pleasure and pleasant duty last week when I hosted the 11th Youth Parliament of the Northwest Territories. Nineteen high school students from each electoral district in the NWT participated and received a firsthand look at the workings of our unique system of government. I applaud all 19 members of this year’s Youth Parliament for a job very well done. Those of you who were fortunate enough to be able to join me in the gallery last Thursday, or on the floor of the House for those two Members who
served as Pages, will, I am sure, agree with me that the future of the Northwest Territories appears to be in very good hands. The level of debate, the commitment shown by these young people, and the respect the youth parliamentarians demonstrated for each other and the Assembly was impressive and admirable.
Our young leaders debated and voted on five motions and a bill, sitting through to 6:00 p.m., thereby setting a record for the longest sitting of our Youth Parliament. They tackled subjects as diverse and complex as:
improving the quality of secondary schooling education;
promotion of sexual health among youth;
substance abuse programming for youth;
increased investment in youth programs;
zero tolerance for bullying; and
making the improper disposal of recyclable materials a punishable offence.
It is also worth noting that this is the first Youth Parliament without a member that smoked. Please join me in congratulating our youth parliamentarians on a job very well done.
---Applause
I would also like to take on this opportunity to pass on the condolences of this House to the families and communities who have lost loved ones since we last met. Please accept our sincere sympathy.
Now, colleagues, to the business before us. I look forward to a very productive session and remind you all of the standards that you have set to guide your deliberations within this House. It is now my duty to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories and it reads:
Dear Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of:
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 6, 2010-2011;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2011-2012; and
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2011-2012
during the Sixth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly. Yours truly, George Tuccaro, Commissioner.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to update Members and NWT residents on our territory’s economic and fiscal outlook.
April 1, 2011, marked the start of a new fiscal year. The measures included in our 2011-2012 budget are now being implemented, including over $1.3 billion in operating expenditures and more than $155 million in planned capital investments. These expenditures will be used to deliver needed public services and infrastructure to NWT residents and will continue to support our economy.
There is good news to report on the economy. In April the NWT employment rate rose to its highest level since 2008. Two thousand additional persons were employed in the NWT last month compared with one year ago. Preliminary estimates of 2010 Gross Domestic Product released earlier today indicate that the NWT economy grew by 5.8 percent last year, reflecting a recovery from the recession that began in late 2008. Our territory’s largest industry, diamond mining, increased by 6.3 percent as production levels increased in 2010 in response to rising diamond prices. Record levels of government stimulus spending, along with a rise in private sector investment, helped the construction industry grow by over 25 percent in 2010. Finally, earlier this week BHP Billiton announced plans to invest, together with its partners, $323 million in its Ekati Diamond Mine over the next few years.
As a territory we have managed our way through the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression. Two years ago we faced unprecedented economic turmoil that caused everyone, businesses, governments, and individuals, to review their assumptions and re-evaluate their plans. The NWT economy shrank almost 20 percent over 2008 and 2009 as financial markets tumbled and commodity prices fell. NWT businesses and industry made difficult decisions to ensure they remained viable over the longer term. It is reassuring, therefore, to see that the NWT economy has started to grow again and begun to recover lost ground.
The GNWT was no different in needing to adjust our fiscal plans over the last few years to reflect changing economic conditions. Like all governments in Canada, during the downturn we made a conscious decision to support the economy by maintaining spending levels, deferring tax changes, and investing aggressively in infrastructure. Like all governments, as the economy strengthens and the private sector re-emerges, we now need to return to fiscal policies that are more sustainable over the long term.
Since I presented the budget last February, political unrest in some areas of the world and natural disasters in others have brought more uncertainty to the global economic recovery. Recent dramatic fluctuations in commodity prices remind us that we are not out of the economic woods yet. This makes continued vigilance and sticking to a well thought out fiscal strategy even more critical.
The fiscal strategy we have adopted has served the GNWT and NWT residents well:
We have maintained tight control on our operating costs. Our budget process has been more controlled, planned, and accountable. Annual operating spending, net of compensation and benefits, has grown at an average annual rate of only 2.8 percent over the life of this Assembly. We have set a cap of 3 percent on future spending growth and are committed to staying under that cap.
We have maintained a competitive tax regime for NWT individuals and businesses, and not introduced any major tax increases.
We have implemented changes to our government’s capital planning process to improve the planning, acquisition and delivery of infrastructure. Capital projects established through this new process are being delivered within budget.
We responded to the economic slowdown by aggressively increasing our expenditures on infrastructure. Including the 2011-2012 capital budget now being implemented, we have put in place a record three-year $1.1 billion capital program for roads, bridges, schools, health centres, houses, and other critical projects across the NWT.
This major investment in capital has not only helped to stabilize the territorial economy, it will also leave a legacy of badly needed public infrastructure. In doing this, we have been able to leverage an unprecedented amount of federal economic stimulus investment. However, once we complete the projects included in our current infrastructure investment plan, capital investment will return to its historical level of $75 million per year, starting in 2012-2013.
Our fiscal strategy has allowed us to manage through the uncertainties and unexpected events of the last few years. By sticking to our strategy, we have preserved a fiscal cushion of about $42 million at the end of this fiscal year against unexpected events like a bad fire season. The reality is that we will need to manage our way through more challenges ahead that will continue to squeeze that fiscal cushion.
The demands for government to introduce or expand programs are unrelenting, but our revenues cannot hope to keep pace with those demands. We need to maintain discipline on our spending growth.
Despite the record level of investment in the last two years, the need for public infrastructure -- in hospitals and health centres, in roads, and in housing -- is huge. Our capital resources are clearly insufficient. We need to find ways to finance these critical investments by finding partners in the private sector and by engaging Canada on the vast opportunities our territory holds.
The federal government is facing fiscal pressures of its own and we need to ensure that NWT interests are advanced and protected, whether the issue is the borrowing limit, territorial formula financing, funding for health care, federal program spending, or infrastructure investment. Now that the federal election is over, we need to work to get our priorities front and centre with Canada. An immediate fiscal priority will be getting certainty about our borrowing limit.
As a government, we have continued to provide quality programs and services to the residents of the NWT while making room for investments and policy changes in key areas that will benefit the NWT for years to come. We have made some tough fiscal choices over the past four years to allow us to make these investments. We know there will be more difficult decisions ahead.
The Members of the 17th Legislative Assembly elected this October will face those difficult decisions. As part of our transition planning, we are working to frame up many of the choices and options that will be open to them.
In the budget address I noted that as fiscal resources become more constrained, we all need to be clear more than ever on what our priorities are. NWT residents and businesses must be prepared to engage in a meaningful and frank debate on priorities, and balance that with their expectations of what the government can and should be doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to update the House on the Department of Justice’s work to improve policing services across the territory.
As we all know, encouraging, nurturing and building partnerships is the foundation on which the Northwest Territories was built. Throughout the life of the 16th Legislative Assembly, the Department of Justice has been working on a new model for policing in the North. This model, the Partnership Approach, acknowledges our uniqueness, builds on our strengths, and fosters stronger relationships with our communities. Effective planning for police services must recognize the challenges and issues in each of our communities and capitalize on local strengths. Community policing must be developed in a way that builds trust, collaboration, and local capacity. This will naturally lead to more involvement in policing by community leaders, which will assist in crime prevention and reduction.
Yesterday the Department of Justice and the RCMP presented the details of this new partnership approach to the Standing Committee on Social Programs. The presentation outlined the collaborative work that is underway between the RCMP and the communities. This work is resulting in communities setting priorities with the RCMP to support community safety. This is how we are taking action to ensure police services are responsive to the needs of each individual community.
As an example of the success of the partnership approach, I had the honour of attending the graduation of Steven Beck of Hay River, who completed the Aboriginal Community Constable Program at the RCMP Depot in Regina last month.
---Applause
Mr. Speaker, Special Constable Beck has joined the RCMP detachment in his home community. His performance at Depot was superior. Constable Beck excelled academically in applied police sciences and teamwork, and he has attained the coveted title of expert marksman. His role with the Hay River RCMP is based on the partnership approach. He has been assigned to engage with community members and leaders, and acts as the RCMP liaison for young people. Constable Beck’s passion for community policing has turned his dream of becoming a Mountie into a reality. I am proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his valuable contributions to community policing in the Northwest Territories.
As the 16th Legislative Assembly comes to an end, I am confident that our new Partnership Approach to policing will continue to further our goals of supporting communities to be sustainable, vibrant and safe. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, in 2007 the newly elected 16th Legislative Assembly identified a vision of “Strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories.” Today I would like to provide an update on a critical project that supports this goal: the Mackenzie Gas Project. This basin opening project and nation building endeavour will be a key economic driver for our future. Constructed and operated in an environmentally and socially responsible way, the pipeline will provide a secure supply of natural gas to southern markets.
Construction and operations of the project will require over 208,000 person years of employment. It is estimated that the Mackenzie Gas Project could contribute $68 billion to the Northwest Territories economy and over $86 billion to the Canadian economy.
But the benefits of the project are not only economic. One of the greatest benefits of the project will be the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The Mackenzie Gas Project will significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in North America.
The impacts of global warming are being felt all over the world, and especially in Canada’s North. The delivery of natural gas to the North American market will mean displacement of dirtier, coal-powered electricity generation. Natural gas will be the transition fuel to a lower-carbon economy.
Mr. Speaker, in March of this year the federal government granted its approval for the National Energy Board’s Reasons of Decision. As a result, the board issued the Mackenzie Gas Project a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
Now the project proponents have the necessary authorization to start building the pipeline. The board stipulated that the project proponents must report on their decision to construct by December 2013, and that construction on the Mackenzie Gas Project must begin no later than 2015.
We welcome the opportunity to work with the newly elected federal government to address the items necessary to see this project become a reality.
One of these items is ensuring a fiscal framework agreement is in place between the proponents and the federal government. This is the one element which the proponents have underlined as being absolutely essential in their decision-making process.
Mr. Speaker, last month, while on a campaign visit in Yellowknife, Prime Minister Stephen Harper reiterated his Cabinet’s commitment to support the Mackenzie Gas Project. He stated that the federal government would make a package available to deal with infrastructure issues and other challenges that arise with the Mackenzie Gas Project.
The Government of the Northwest Territories would also like to see the newly formed Conservative government follow up on previous commitments regarding the $500 million Mackenzie Gas Project Impact Fund. This fund is aimed at mitigating socio-economic impacts on all northern residents along the pipeline route. Since these resources are to be delivered to a territorial Crown corporation, we are urging the federal government to establish the fund as soon as possible. Plans must be finalized with the organizations responsible for administrating the fund at the regional levels.
Last but not least, we would like the federal government to renew its financial support for the Aboriginal Pipeline Group. The Aboriginal Pipeline Group has set the bar for a new model of Aboriginal participation in the economy through its shared ownership in the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.
The Government of the Northwest Territories has provided continuous support for the Aboriginal Pipeline Group since its inception. The Aboriginal Pipeline Group will play a major long-term role in enabling a higher level of economic independence and self-reliance for the communities of the Mackenzie Valley.
We will continue to engage with the federal government on these items and others to move this important project forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Floyd Roland will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Nuuk, Greenland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to wish all the mother’s a belated happy Mother’s Day.
I heard on the radio about the Norman Wells issue and I want to talk about it. So I wrote about it and what I wrote is saying the well is running dry and now the pipe is leaking. The wells in Norman Wells are running out of gas. There will be no more gas for the town of Norman Wells. Now we know the pipeline is broken. What more could happen?
Imperial Oil will be shutting off its gas pumps by 2013 for the residents of Norman Wells and the gas line will be shut down for businesses by 2014. Here is what we know so far:
Imperial Oil, the largest oil and gas producer in Western Canada, has gone dry, unless there’s another significant discovery or we build the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline today.
People are faced with the enormous task of changing over to a new heating source. The people have limited choices: to convert to propane or diesel. A study was done and propane came out as the best solution. The town has approached the GNWT and requested assistance from the GNWT to invest and to involve in the gas committee. The town has received past financial and technical assistance and also received support from Imperial Oil in purchasing electric stoves for the residents in Norman Wells. As we speak, these stoves are being installed in the houses.
The GNWT undertook a study some years ago on their own facilities and started the conversion process with the Department of Transportation. Several businesses have already changed over to propane and others will require it soon.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Who would have thought in 1921, with millions or billions of barrels of oil flowing out of Norman Wells, this well would dry? People are left holding the bag, or should I say holding an empty jerry can, to fend for themselves. We need to find a workable solution with the people of Norman Wells.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take the opportunity in my Member’s statement to congratulate Dennis Bevington on his decisive win, re-elected as our Member of Parliament for what will probably be another four years.
I would also like to congratulate and thank the other candidates who brought their names forward: Ms. Lee and Mr. Handley, both former colleagues of ours in this Legislature; very credible candidates. Also Ms. Bonnie Dawson and Mr. Eli Purchase, who represented the Animal Rights Alliance and the Green Party.
I would like to particularly thank Ms. Lee today. She had what was a rather quick departure from our midst and she had served with us for 12 years. I wanted to publicly today thank her for those 12 years of service in this Legislature to the people of the Northwest Territories.
---Applause
Of course, my male colleagues this morning asked me if she gave me this jacket and, no, she did not.
---Laughter
The political landscape in Canada has changed as of the election day. We now have a majority Conservative government. It is now incumbent on us as an Assembly and those who return to the 17th Assembly to work together with that majority Conservative government in Ottawa and also to forge a stronger and closer working relationship with our Member of Parliament that may not have existed to the extent that it should have in the past.
Partisan politics is what it is. It is a reality in southern Canada; it exists. When you look at a map of Canada now, you see Conservative representation in every jurisdiction except for ours. That does not mean that we cannot still work with a governing party and with the Government of Canada in all the parties that it represents. I think this is an opportunity for us to look at the aspirations and needs of our territory, our goals, and to be very proactive in taking this opportunity to work closely going forward.
Before the federal election, Hunter Tootoo, one of our colleagues from Nunavut, and I were on a cross-country “The Current,” talking about consensus government. I guess you can be obstructionist and uncooperative in any setting and in any government, and it’s my hope that going forward in the next four years that we will see more working together in our federal Parliament and more accomplished.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has come to my attention that we have a Human Rights Act in place which clearly does not allow for discrimination on the basis of race, age, gender, disability, sex, political beliefs, social conditions. It’s still apparent that the word has not gotten out, especially to our front-line workers who are discriminating on the basis that the individuals who are coming forward to pick up an application to apply to the housing authorities are refused simply because they do not want those individuals to be tenants.
The Human Rights Act is very clear that you cannot discriminate solely on the basis of the person in front of you being someone you do not want as a tenant. It is very clear that the law protects you against discrimination in certain areas of your life; for example, in your workplace, in your ability to rent a place to live.
The Human Rights Act has been in effect for several years. The message does not seem to have gotten out, not only to the public but also to the public service, that we’re responsible for ensuring that we as a government and Legislature and provider of programs and services understand that we do have a Human Rights Act in the Northwest Territories.
We have to do everything we can to not only educate the public but to educate the public service of the Northwest Territories, the front-line workers and public housing authorities, to ensure that landlords and other people who have a responsibility to provide housing to residents of the Northwest Territories, that they do not discriminate simply because they do not want those individuals to be tenants.
At the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister of housing questions on exactly why this practice is still continued today.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recently held a constituency meeting in advance of session, something I’ve made a habit of doing since I was elected. It was a very successful meeting and I heard a number of valid concerns from those who were in attendance and I would like to share those with you in the House.
In regard to legislation, two things came up. First, there was a need expressed for the NWT to have a building standards act. When any government in the NWT, whether it be local, territorial, or regional, approves the construction of a building, what governs how it is built? Who inspects or approves it to ensure that it is safe for those who will use it? Where does the responsibility lie within the GNWT to make sure that the National Building Code is followed? I was advised of a building recently built without any fire protection system because the community didn’t think they needed it. This was in a building which will be used by children.
Second, we discussed at some length the proposed Heritage Fund Act. Frame Lake constituents feel strongly that the Heritage Fund Act must provide for community input into the operation of the fund and that it should be overseen or governed by an arm’s length body, not by the Financial Management Board as the act currently states. The act also lacks any statement about the ethics of the Heritage Fund investments, and that’s important to my residents. They also told me that the act should identify the expected or intended sources of revenue for the fund. As the act reads now, revenue for the fund could come from GNWT operational funds, and that’s not acceptable.
On another note, I heard from my constituents about the actions and words of Members of this House. They agreed that the decorum in our House is far better than that in Ottawa, but they expressed disappointment with the lack of respect shown for our federal Member of Parliament in statements made in this House during the last session and during the recent federal election. Whether or not an MLA or the government supports the party or the individual who is the NWT MP -- our MP -- he has been elected by all NWT residents and deserves to be respected for that.
Lastly, I was asked to consider a novel -- novel for me anyway -- approach to how the next Premier would be chosen. Should our system not change and should I be in the House in October, my constituents want to be able to give me input on my vote for the Premier in advance of the MLAs voting for the Premier. I gladly accepted that challenge and will give Frame Lake constituents that opportunity if it comes about.
MLAs are blessed with residents who are concerned about our territory and our people and who want to make the NWT the best place it can be.
Ms. Bisaro, your time for Member’s statement has expired.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I almost got it all in. We as MLAs would be well advised to listen to what our residents were telling us.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to three elders in Fort Resolution who have recently passed away.
Mr. James Fabien passed away Saturday, May 7, 2011, at the age of 71. James spent many years in the hospital in Hay River before his passing. James was known to have a very good singing voice, and entertained his friends and family for years. My condolences go out to the Fabien family. Mr. Fabien will be buried today, in fact, May 11, 2011. Mr. Fabien lived in Yellowknife for many years and worked at Giant Mine. He still has two sisters living in southern Canada and has a lot of family in the North, especially Fort Resolution.
Mr. Johnny Simon passed away on April 18, 2011. He was 86 years old. Johnny was the husband of the late Emily Simon and the father to Alexie, Raymond, Irene, Wilfred, Richard and Patrick. Johnny had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Johnny was very close to his great-grandchildren and grandchildren and they spent a lot of time with him. Johnny’s house was a place where the youth were always welcome. I myself would visit the household with my friends almost on a daily basis when I was a teenager growing up in Fort Resolution. Now when you drive to Fort Resolution or drive around Res, you see a whole bunch of kids at his son Wilfred’s house. I guess Wilfred is now filling the role to have a home for all of the youth that want to go visit.
On November 20, 2010, Rudolphe Frank Delorme passed away at the age of 90. Rudolphe was 14 years old when he and his siblings became orphans. Being the oldest, Rudy and his late sister Elsie raised their younger siblings. Rudy left Rocher River in his early twenties and moved to Edmonton. After living in Edmonton for 50 years he returned to the North. Rudy’s niece relocated him back in 1987. He moved back to Fort Resolution, where he was reunited with the remainder of his family. Rudy lived in Fort Resolution, in the care of his niece, and great-nieces and nephews, until his last days of life.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on some previous statements and questions that I’ve had in this House to the former Minister of Health and Social Services pertaining to the provision of medevac services that medevac patients from the Northwest Territories receive when arriving in Edmonton for care.
The Health Quality Council of Alberta has concluded its report and come up with 18 recommendations to mitigate the loss of medevac flights to the City Centre Airport. The report finds that the move would transform hospital transport times in Edmonton from the shortest in the country to the longest in the country. Council CEO John Cowell was quoted at a news conference as saying the point we’re making is there’s a huge potential for an adverse event occurring to a patient who is caught up in a delay.
Mr. Speaker, I do look forward to the Government of Alberta and other stakeholders acting upon these recommendations, but the fact remains that the runway at the City Centre Airport that had instrumentation which allowed for flights to land in bad weather has been closed. Medevac flights are being diverted to the International Airport without any of the recommendations being acted upon. The safety of our residents is being jeopardized every time a medevac gets diverted to the International Airport. To date, 44 medevac flights have been diverted to the International Airport. Although we’ve not had a bad outcome, the reality is, it’s only a matter of time, Mr. Speaker.
The sooner a solution is found and the recommendations are acted upon, the better. In an ideal world, the City Centre Airport would stay operational; however, that does not seem to be the direction that the City of Edmonton is taking. In March the former Minister stated that she had officials that were directly part of the Quality Council review. I’d like to know how we were involved in that review, in the development of that report, and who was protecting the interests of our residents, and in going forward, who is going to be working with the Government of Alberta to ensure our concerns are adequately addressed, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Thursday, March 3, 2011, the Regular Members of this House unanimously passed a motion requesting that the Minister of Health and Social Services immediately order an independent external investigation covering all aspects of the Leishman incident with recommendations as necessary to improve the safety and security for all patients and staff, and improve the overall quality of care for all patients receiving care with the Stanton Territorial Hospital.
Recently, I was pleased to receive correspondence from the Minister of Health and Social Services indicating that he has directed Stanton Territorial Health Authority to establish an external review committee to conduct this independent review that Ms. Leishman and the Regular Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly have asked for. I applaud the Minister for that decision.
Mr. Speaker, given that this review will be subject to the Evidence Act, I understand that it will not be made public. However, I also understand that any recommendations coming from this external review will be shared with Ms. Leishman and this government. Ultimately, the intent of the motion was to ensure that we and the health care system learn something from this horrible incident so that a similar incident is never repeated. I am hopeful that the findings of the external review will provide some closure for Ms. Leishman and allow her to focus her attention to what needs to be done now as opposed to what has happened in the past, to focus in on her son’s ongoing treatment and care.
Mr. Speaker, I do have some questions regarding this external investigation. I will be seeking some clarity and answers from the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services later today. Specifically, I will be looking for some details on the nature of the external review committee; specifically who is on it and what are their qualifications to conduct an investigation of this nature. In addition, I would like some clarity on what will be shared with Ms. Leishman and the Regular Members of this Assembly.
I do understand the importance of the protection offered to health care professionals under the Evidence Act; however, as indicated in my comments to the motion, I don’t believe that human or professional errors occurred in the Leishman incident. Rather, I feel the authority’s policies and procedures may not have been comprehensive enough to deal with the situation that occurred. The report may demonstrate this. If the concerns raised are based on the policies and procedures, I don’t believe that the protection of the professionals offered by the Evidence Act will apply, as their conduct and actions would not be in question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My condolences to the residents who have passed away in my riding of Nunakput. I wish to take a moment to reflect on the constituents who passed away, the elders in my riding, since the beginning of my term. Constituents such as Andy Carpenter Sr., George Okheena, Jimmy Memogana, Margaret Egoytak, and Phillip Kataoyak.
The remembrance of our elders as opening a special event or discussion is an Inuvialuit tradition which I am especially proud of. I always start my Member’s statements with paying respects to the people who have passed away and their family and friends.
Since our last sitting of the Assembly we have had one death in the community of Tuktoyaktuk and a real good friend of mine growing up in the community was Thomas Kimiksana, passing on March 6th of this year.
Mr. Speaker, Thomas Kimiksana had five children: Tempess, Thomas Jr., Tory, Thaylene and Pamela. His wife, Shannon Kimiksana, and their two grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, Thomas’s brothers and sisters: Roy, Joy and Brenda Kimiksana of Tuk, Fred Kimiksana, Andy Kimiksana, Anna Cockney, Margaret and Joey Carpenter from Sachs Harbour, Laverna Kimiksana, and Beverly Ford.
Mr. Speaker, our communities are small and everyone knows everybody. In the community of Nunakput we are close knit and the loss of one person deeply impacts us all.
Mr. Speaker, lastly, I wish to give my condolences to the people of the Northwest Territories who lost loved ones in the past few months. Our prayers to them and their families are with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk to you in regard to the condition of our highways in the Deh Cho. It’s a sad comment on the state of highways in the Northwest Territories. Once again, last week the Liard Highway was closed to all traffic until further notice from Kilometre 254 at Checkpoint all the way to Kilometre 38, which is the Fort Liard access road. Once again the communities of the Nahendeh region are cut off from much needed highway access. Highway No. 7 is broken and needs fixing.
Over the years I have consistently spoken on the need for work on Highway No. 1 and 7. Later on today I will be tabling a petition from 462 northern residents who are willing to sign a petition for Highway No. 7 investment.
The North is a challenging place to build roads, but with a strong commitment to regular maintenance and upkeep, our highway system will be proven to be reliable. The Government of the Northwest Territories should make this commitment and hold the newly elected federal government to its campaign promises to invest in transportation and infrastructure nationwide and to our North.
The Conservative Party promised to take action on the concerns of residents in rural and remote communities, and pledged better infrastructure for First Nation communities, and resources to help develop skills among Aboriginal people in connection with infrastructure projects. Northerners should expect dollars to travel northward, not just to build new roads but maintain existing ones, and improve the standard of living for people in remote communities across the Northwest Territories.
The GNWT needs to ensure the federal government understands our real infrastructure needs. As the new federal government prepares its budget, this government must ensure that the Northwest Territories doesn’t get stuck in the muskeg and miss the bus. I urge the Premier and our government to begin discussions and request funding for all our northern highway infrastructure. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. [English not provided]
Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support for the Coalition Against Family Violence’s recent recommendations for the Phase III Action Plan.
Since the 2003 creation of this government-NGO partnership with 21 key participants, impressive efforts have been made towards reducing family violence, the phase 1 and 2 action plans that provided the roadmap for coordinated work across governments and society. The approach is applauded as inclusive and effective. Yet, Mr. Speaker, still the problem grows worse.
With the phase 2 action plan coming to an end in March 2012, the coalition partners have assessed achievements to date and developed recommendations for government and public review in the development of the phase 3 action plan. Three major recommendations for phase 3 are familiar appeals, and I emphasize them for this government’s action.
We need improved funding for four family violence centres outside Yellowknife. We need funding for outreach, advocacy and prevention in non-shelter regions. We need more ambitious delivery of programs to heal men who use violence.
Sixteen further recommendations stress the areas of training, partnership and coordination, policy and legislation, and education and awareness. Together they make a strong case for multi-year core funding of critical programs.
All recommendations reflect the core need in reducing family violence. We must take an integrated cross-government approach if we are to stop battling symptoms and start drawing up causes. Without education and awareness, our efforts at prevention are handcuffed. Without effective legislation and policy, we can’t help victims escape violence or deal effectively with offenders. Without adequate safe havens throughout our communities, our costs of policing, justice and corrections will continue to drain funds from prevention.
As the announcement accompanying the release of the recommendations said, they are “critical actions that will help us toward our goal of addressing gaps, shifting attitudes and enhancing services.” Mr. Speaker, the Coalition Against Family Violence continues to do its excellent work, for which I am grateful, and, Mr. Speaker, the job of this Assembly is to listen and to act. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
