Reports of standing and special committees. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Committee Report 2-16(2) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The motion is on the floor. The motion’s in order.
Motion carried.
Reports of Standing and Special Committees. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and that Committee Report 2-16(2) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole today.
The Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have Committee Report 2-16(2) moved into Committee of the Whole today.
Unanimous consent granted.
Committee Report 2-16(2) referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration today.
The report will be moved into Committee of the Whole for today. Reports of standing and special committees, the honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide a report from the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the 2006–2007 Annual Report from the Official Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations met on April 9, 2008, to review the 2006–2007 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner. The committee would like to thank Ms. Shannon Gullberg for appearing before us.
The committee is glad to see that the commission’s web site is now operational and information about the complaints process is available in all official languages. The committee looks forward to seeing the resolution of technical problems, the correction of translation errors and the timely posting of newly released commissioner reports in the near future.
During the 15th Assembly the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight encouraged the commissioner in this report to step up her efforts to publicize her office, particularly by undertaking community visits to meet with stakeholders and to raise public awareness about her role and mandate. The committee was therefore disappointed to hear that the commissioner’s plans to visit Rae, Inuvik and Fort Smith in early 2007 to conduct community and school meetings and to visit health centres were not realized. The committee is also concerned that none of the commissioner’s $28,000 travel budget was spent and that the number of inquiries decreased to 11 during the 2006–2007 fiscal year.
Members discussed these concerns with the commissioner, suggesting that the low numbers of inquiries and complaints demonstrate that the public is not well aware of the office and role of the Languages Commissioner. Most inquiries came from Yellowknife and were primarily private sector requests for information. The committee also noted that only one complaint was filed and that the commissioner did not conduct any investigations on her own initiative during the 2006–2007 reporting time frame.
The committee urges the commissioner to become more active in planning community visits to promote her role and office and looks forward to seeing the results of her plans to make community visits and promotion of her office the priority in 2008–2009.
Mr. Speaker, I will ask the committee’s deputy chair to continue delivering this report.
Mr. Speaker, the committee is disappointed that the two reports the commissioner had announced during the review of her last year’s annual report had not been received. During the review of the 2006–2007 annual report, the commissioner announced that the report on language services in health care facilities will be tabled during the May-June session of 2008. The commissioner provided no timelines or details relating to her previous announced report on advertising requirements.
As the committee discussed with the commissioner, the responsibility for the promotion of the official languages rests with the Minister. The committee urges the commissioner to exercise her powers and make full use of her mandate, which, as outlined in section 20 of the Official Languages Act, includes ensuring recognition of the rights, status and privileges of each of the official languages in compliance with the spirit and intent of the act in the administration of the affairs of government institutions in conducting investigations on her own initiative.
In the 2006–2007 annual report, the commissioner makes two recommendations.
Languages Commissioner recommendation 1: That the Legislative Assembly and GNWT adopt uniform policy in regard to the development of web sites, including the languages in which web site materials are available. The committee discussed this recommendation with interest but decided that the further considerations need to include existing government policies addressing visual identity, communication, web site protocols and official languages. Furthermore, cost implications and the availability of resources would need to be taken into account.
Committee recommendation: The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends the GNWT conduct a review on its web site policies and report back on whether the web site policy is in compliance with the official languages policies, guidelines and legislation.
Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to pass the report over to Mr. Abernethy.
Language Commissioner recommendation 2: That the government immediately take steps to ensure the appropriate training and certification of interpreters and translators and ensure that there’s a registry of interpreters and translators that is available to both the public and private sector.
With the closure of the aboriginal language section of the Language Bureau in the mid-1990s, the GNWT lost capacity in the areas of language standards, terminology development, training and accreditation. The precarious situation of our aboriginal languages combined with the declining numbers of mother-tongue speakers makes the need to actively address the revitalization of the aboriginal languages more urgent.
In recent years the former Language Commissioner and the Special Committee on the Review of the Official Languages Act spoke to the need for capacity building through the development of translation standards as well as training and certification standards for interpreters and translators.
The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight recommended in its “Report on the Review of the 2004–2005 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner” that “the GNWT work with Aurora College to deliver a basic interpreter-translator training program for aboriginal languages as well as specialized training for medical terminology.”
In its response to the report, the government indicated that while it generally supported the idea, it “delegated” the responsibility for action to Aurora College and further made any action dependent on “sufficient demand and program funding.” The government’s response did not indicate any specific steps towards such an undertaking.
A year later the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight recommended in its “Report on the Review of the 2005–2006 Annual Report of the Language Commissioner” that “the GNWT implement a plan for the training and certification of interpreters and translators.”
During the review of the 2006–2007 annual report, the Standing Committee on Government Operations discussed with the commissioner the fact that, despite repeated recommendations by the Languages Commissioner and by standing committees of the Legislative Assembly, the GNWT has not made any progress on training programs and certification of interpreter-translators in aboriginal languages.
During this discussion the committee also encouraged the commissioner to follow up on her recommendations in accordance with her mandate and powers under the act. The committee suggested that the commissioner include a status section on previous recommendations in future annual reports.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask my colleague from Nunakput to continue the report.
The committee also wishes to point out that the re-establishment of training and certification for aboriginal languages interpreter-translator programs would be an important step towards language terminology standardization, which is a vital aspect of language revitalization.
Committee recommendation: The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the GNWT implement and plan training and certification of interpreters and translators and establish a registry of interpreters and translators for all official languages.
The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight tabled its “Report on the Review of 2005–2006 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner” on March 12, 2007. The report concluded with Motion 58-15(5), requiring the government to table a comprehensive response to the report within 120 days. The government did not table that response.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the GNWT respond to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight’s “Report and Review of the 2005–2006 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner” by addressing all recommendations from the commissioner and the committee in its reply to the present report.
Mr. Speaker, I’ll ask the committee chair to conclude the delivery of this report.
I’d like to thank Members of committee for reading the report.
In conclusion, the Standing Committee on Government Operations encourages the commissioner to make the promotion of her role and office her priority and to exercise her power to make full use of her mandate in accordance with the Official Languages Act to ensure the GNWT complies with the spirit and intent of the act.
Committee recommendation: The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends the GNWT table a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days.
That concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the review of the 2006–2007 Annual Report of the Official Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.
Therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Committee Report 3-16(2) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration.
Motion carried.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and that Committee Report 3-16(2) be moved into Committee of the Whole today.
Unanimous consent granted.
Committee Report 3-16(2) referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration today.
Item 14, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 15, tabling of documents. Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled Northwest Territories Coroner’s Service 2006 Annual Report, Annual Report on the Activities of the Rental Office, January 1 – December 31, 2007, and 2008 Report of the Northwest Territories Judicial Remuneration Commission.
Document 44-16(2), Northwest Territories Coroner’s Service 2006 Annual Report, tabled.
Document 45-16(2), Annual Report on the Activities of the Rental Office, January 1 – December 31, 2007, tabled.
Document 46-16(2), 2008 Report of the NWT Judicial Remuneration Commission, tabled.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 16, notices of motion. Item 17, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 18, motions. Item 19, first reading of bills. Item 20, second reading of bills. Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 4, Bill 7, Committee Report 2-16(2) and Committee Report 3-16(2) with Mr. Krutko in the chair.
I’d like to call the committee to order.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Bill 4, Bill 7, Committee Report 2-16(2), Committee Report 3-16(2). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I move that we report progress.
May I have the report of Committee of the Whole, please.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 4, Bill 7, Committee Report 2-16(2) and Committee Report 3-16(2) and would like to report progress.
I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Do we have a seconder for the motion? The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Motion carried.
Mr. Speaker, Orders of the Day for Monday, May 26, 2008, 1:30 p.m.
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Replies to Budget Address (Day 3 of 7)
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
Motion 9-16(2): Referral of Main Estimates for 2008–09 to Committee of the Whole
First Reading of Bills
Bill 8: Appropriation Act, 2008–2009
Bill 9: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 4: Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2008
Bill 7: Securities Act
Committee Report 2-16(2): Report on the Review of the Auditor General on the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Public Housing and Homeownership Programs
Committee Report 3-16(2): Report on the Review of the 2006–2007 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Monday, May 26, at 1:30 p.m.
The House adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
