Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One objective of this 17th Legislative Assembly is to be accountable and informative. That means getting information of our public programs and services out to the communities and the residents. One way of doing that is using media; specifically, the Native Communications Society, which broadcasts to 32 different communities across the Northwest Territories and the three diamond mines. As well, during those programs, they were offering them in five different Aboriginal languages.
In February 2011, the Native Communications Society and the GNWT began producing a 10-minute radio program that aired every Friday at noon on CKLB Radio. The show was entitled “On the Air.” While the GNWT utilized CKLB’s recording facilities, the territorial government was to be solely responsible for providing content for this show.
Chronicling government initiatives and programs, the show is extremely informative and constructive. Because of this, the program quickly became extremely popular with the people of the Northwest Territories and particularly with GNWT employees. Due to the show’s popularity and effectiveness, the GNWT renewed the program, signing a contract that would keep the program on air until March of 2013.
Since December 2011, only five months into a 20-month agreement, the GNWT has ceased producing shows due to the inability to find a host for the program. The previous host moved to another position within the government and the GNWT Executive has yet to hire a replacement. Thus the show has been off the air for 10 months.
Earlier in October, Native Communications Society sent a proposal to the press secretary of the Legislative Assembly, outlining a plan to return the program to the air within a month. As the GNWT was not able to find an appropriate replacement host, NCS proposed to take over staffing of the position. While this person would be a member of NCS staff, the position’s salary would be paid through the GNWT through a contribution agreement. This would allow the information to be sent out to residents of the NWT and the host would work closely with territorial government staff to produce a product that reflects the communications needs and goals of the NWT.
We have to use the media and CKLB to get the programs and services that we run out to residents of the Northwest Territories.
I will have questions today for the Deputy Premier. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
