Good afternoon, colleagues. I want to take this opportunity to welcome you all back to the Chamber after our summer recess. I hope that you return committed and eager to continue our work for the people of the Northwest Territories.
---Applause
Commissioner Tuccaro was sworn into office on May 28, 2010, and one of his first official duties was to accompany me on a Speaker’s Mace Tour. Everywhere we went, it was evident that the Commissioner was well known, well liked, and well respected. Again, on behalf of all Members, I wish the Commissioner much success in his new position and we look forward to welcoming him into the Chamber.
Another timely fall change is the installation and start-up of our biomass heating system for the Legislative Assembly building. The Assembly continues to be a leader in green initiatives and I look forward to the formal ribbon cutting for the wood pellet boiler which will take place on Friday, October 29th, at 2:00 p.m. I invite all Members to join me for this event.
Another innovative project supported by this House is the implementation of an On-line Petition Pilot Program. As directed by a motion of the House, and in an effort to increase the opportunities for participation for all citizens in the NWT, the Assembly is launching an e-Petition Pilot Program to run from October 2010 to June 2011. This program will allow residents to set up and to sign petitions on-line, in addition to the current practice of signing personally. In June 2011 the Assembly will evaluate the pilot program. The on-line petition
site can be accessed from the Assembly’s website and will go live on Friday, October 22, 2010.
I would also like to welcome the Pages who have joined us this session. We will have young people from Yellowknife, Tu Nedhe, Inuvik Twin Lakes, Hay River North, Nunakput, Monfwi and the Sahtu. It is always a great pleasure to have our young people join us.
On a more sombre note, colleagues, I would like to extend the sympathies of the House to the families and communities who have lost loved ones since last we met. The North has lost several respected elders, and while we mourn their passing, we celebrate the wisdom and knowledge they have left behind.
Colleagues, it is now my duty to advise the House that I’ve received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. It reads:
Dear Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of:
Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2011-2012;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2009-2010;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2009-2010;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2010-2011; and
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2010-2011
during the Fifth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly. Yours truly, George Tuccaro, Commissioner.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spent a great deal of time this summer talking with NWT residents and organizations about their vision and priorities in the future of our Territory. I was pleased and challenged by the many conversations that I had in various Creating Our Future Together roundtables, but even more so by the passion and commitment that NWT residents have demonstrated by their participation.
I have been particularly inspired and rejuvenated by the discussions I enjoyed with our Territory’s youth.
Today’s youth are ready and eager to meet the challenges of the future. They do not back down from tough issues, they state their positions clearly, they listen respectfully to each other, and they always work hard to find common ground. I can assure Members that our future is in good hands.
Since our election three years ago this government has remained focused on the future; a future articulated by the goals set by this Assembly:
healthy, educated people;
a diversified economy;
sustainable, vibrant and safe communities;
effective and efficient government;
strength and independence, built on partnerships; and
an environment that will sustain present and future generations.
For three years the work that we have done and the initiatives that we have put in place have been firmly focused on serving and benefitting our Territory and its residents long past the term of the 16th Assembly.
We have ensured our capacity to face the future, taking a hard line on managing what’s in our means and maintaining a tight control on costs.
We have made unprecedented investments on key infrastructure projects for the future, making capital spending a priority, expected to exceed $1 billion in the life of this Assembly, building not only bridges, roads, and facilities, but capacity in our communities, businesses and people.
We have invested heavily in alternative energy options that will help mitigate the impacts of climate change going forward and help reduce the cost of living.
We have invested in education and training programs to support an expanded labour market, providing skill development, literacy programs, and increased support for apprentices to ensure that our residents will be able to take advantage of the opportunities and choices that will come their way in the years to come.
We have moved forward with pivotal initiatives such as the Water Strategy, the Land Use Framework, and the Species at Risk Act to guide future decision-making and sustain our environment into the future.
We have increased the profile of our Territory on the national and international stage, promoting the NWT as a great place to live, work and invest, through the highly successful NWT presence at the 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Games, and building on that effort through our national marketing campaign.
All along we are invested in the long-term well-being of our people, expanding programming for children and youth, encouraging healthy choices with health and physical activity programs, improving our continuum of care for seniors with the development of the Territorial Assisted Living Facility in Hay River and the Territorial Dementia Centre in Yellowknife, and addressing the unfortunate realities of issues like addictions and family violence that threaten the well-being and health of our families and communities.
We have made considerable investments to support policing in smaller communities, implementing the new backup policy, and instituting programs aimed at reducing alcohol and drug related crimes.
Along the way, Mr. Speaker, we have encountered challenges and issues that threatened our government’s capacity and ability to look to the future.
In these cases, we have also acted decisively and effectively to protect the future we think is possible for our Territory.
In the early days of our term our immediate challenge was the reality of our fiscal situation and the need to find more efficient and effective ways to do business.
Later it was the reality of worldwide economic recession and the need to support our businesses and economy through a period of decline.
The proactive and immediate actions that we took, as a government, to secure and distribute H1N1 vaccinations last year proved to be an example for all of Canada. We achieved the extension of critical health care funding at a time of broad government fiscal restraint across the country.
We took timely but essential steps to protect our caribou for the generations that will follow ours.
Earlier this year circumstances surrounding the Deh Cho Bridge required us to take extraordinary measures to carry this debt in the interest of protecting this project for the future.
Earlier this year we announced that responsibility for public housing rent assessments would be returned to local housing organizations. Investments in affordable housing are among the most significant actions taken by this government during the 16th Assembly, expected to exceed $155 million by the end of this Assembly.
Meanwhile, our proposed electricity rate changes represent the biggest single effort to reduce cost of living in rural and remote NWT communities that has been undertaken in recent history.
Mr. Speaker, the vision, mission and goals of the 16th Assembly, the strategic initiatives of this government, the work that we have done, the decisions we have made and the over 142 initiatives and investments that we have put in place with the support of this House, together they offer a strong track record focused on building a stronger Northwest Territories, a foundation that will serve us all well long past the term of this government.
As important as the work itself has been the manner in which it has been undertaken, our collaborative approach with Members of this Assembly, our work with Canada and the relationships that we continue to build with our Territory’s aboriginal and regional leaders and governments, demonstrates our continued and firm commitment to proactively working with these partners to build the new Northwest Territories, the Northwest Territories of the future.
That said, some very serious and immediate challenges are still before us, as is the case across the country, and indeed across the globe.
Escalating health care costs threaten our capacity to invest in other priority areas.
The supply of adequate housing continues to be a concern.
High energy costs remain a challenge to the affordability and viability of living and doing business in our Territory.
Our complex regulatory environment creates very real challenges for industry and investors, which must be balanced with the need to ensure adequate environmental protection for our lands and waters.
We all know that this work of creating a strong foundation for the future is not easy. But we have all worked to put in place the resources, tools and processes that will allow us to realize the unprecedented opportunities that are still before us.
Mr. Speaker, in this last year of our government we must build on what we have done and finish what we started:
Secure the fiscal foundation that we have protected and put in place.
Advance the benefits of our resource sector and the nation-building potential of infrastructure projects.
Further advance our relationship with aboriginal governments established under the regional leadership table.
Secure the authorities and resources from Ottawa with which future governments and leaders will shape and continue to realize our future.
I would like to thank my Cabinet and Members of this House for your hard work, collective vision and commitment to the future of the Northwest Territories. I look forward to making further progress toward our future during the coming months. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jackson Lafferty will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend the federal/provincial/territorial Ministers of Justice meeting in Vancouver.
I would also wish to advise Members that the Honourable Bob McLeod will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend the federal/provincial/territorial Ministers of Tourism meeting in Vancouver. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Colleagues, before we go on, I would like to draw your attention to the gallery to the presence of Mr. Sam Gargan, former MLA and former Speaker of the House.
Also, the presence of our Conflict of Interest Commissioner, Mr. Gerry Gerrand.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just two short summer months ago, Highway No. 7 was described by the media and local drivers as a bog with the consistency of clam chowder. To my dismay, this summer Highway No. 7 was described as a war zone by tourists, local drivers and the media.
I know that the engineers would offer this more technical description of Highway No. 7, the road is composed primarily of frost susceptible soils, structurally weak and most vulnerable to load-induced damage during spring thaw. The roadway becomes saturated, causing extensive pot holing, slick running surfaces and major running. This makes driving conditions unfavourable for the general public.
However, I think “war zone” is the best description.
After two years of the largest capital budget ever, I hoped that the Department of Transportation would be able to achieve great things for Highway No. 7. The only good news was that the Government of British Columbia has paved their portion of the highway from the BC/NWT border south. The tourists who actually made it to Liard could be told that the worst is over, it is only 38 more kilometres to the border.
The Legislative Assembly approved a large multi-million-dollar budget for repairs on the highway in both 2009 and 2010. I know that we had a rainy season this summer, Mr. Speaker, however, I am discouraged that the Department of Transportation could not get organized fast enough to get ahead of the weather and make the repairs.
The highway gets closed for a period throughout the summer because of its unsafe state. The word about the highway spreads to other tourists who might have travelled the Liard trail if the roads had been passable. Robinson’s Trucking has given up hauling loads to Fort Liard because of the unpredictable conditions and load restrictions on Highway No. 7.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, this now leaves Liard with one transportation company that provides service to the community. This certainly doesn’t reduce costs or improve services.
I am really interested in learning from the Minister later this afternoon about the status of this year’s work and his future plans of making sure that the highway can meet the grade needed. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to welcome all Members and the staff back from our summer break and our Thanksgiving weekend. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and safe summer as well.
There are many Inuvialuit traditions that are very important in my daily life, Mr. Speaker, and how I serve my constituents.
One of those traditions is that I pay respect to my elders, which is all you guys. I respect you.
---Laughter
And I pay respect to my ancestors, the people that have shaped us into who we are today and who have passed away.
I always start my Member’s statements by paying respect to the people who have passed away, and the families and friends, since our last sitting in the Assembly. There have been a few deaths in the communities that I represent. Mr. Speaker, Joseph Robert Panaktalok, condolences go out to his father, Frank Panaktalok; and mother, Pearl Pokiak; and son Shayne; and to his aunts and uncles and family and friends. He’ll be sadly missed, Mr. Speaker.
Alexandria Anikina Payne passed away this summer. Condolences go out to her parents, Diana Anikina and Michael Payne; grandmothers Clara Bates, and my sister Judy Payne. Thoughts and prayers are with them.
Mr. Speaker, in Ulukhaktok we lost George Okheena. Condolences to his wife Mary T. Okheena and children Eddie, Colin, Peter Christine, Lucy, Ruby and Denise.
Mr. Speaker, our communities are very small and everyone knows everyone in Nunakput. We’re very close knit and the loss of one person deeply impacts us all.
Mr. Speaker, lastly, I wish to give condolences to all the people in the Northwest Territories who lost loved ones in the past few months. Our prayers and thoughts are with all the families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the lack of streetlights in the smaller communities. This is another example of something that’s taken for granted in the larger centres, but is an issue in many of our smaller communities.
Mr. Speaker, when the New Deal was struck between MACA and the communities, all things were not equal. Many of the small communities had, and still have, huge infrastructure deficits. Mr. Speaker, under the current infrastructure funding formula these communities are not able to initiate a proper infrastructure program that will allow them to catch up with the basic amenities enjoyed by the larger communities. As communities made the transition under the New Deal, they were stuck with old buildings, outdated equipment and inadequate infrastructure. For example, Mr. Speaker, without proper drainage a community cannot effectively build community roadways or develop lots. Without having this in place, the communities cannot determine where streetlights are needed.
Mr. Speaker, the lack of streetlights represents everyday dangers for pedestrians. Many of the roads in both Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution are completely dark. This is a safety issue and because of the unsafe conditions many of the constituents are asking for reflective vests to go out walking around. Mr. Speaker, many of the roads in the smaller communities are not built for vehicles and pedestrians to share. However, it is normal practice in these communities for residents to walk on the roads, even kids going to school walk on the roads. I just returned from Fort Resolution and at 3:30 the roads were busy with kids getting out of school.
Mr. Speaker, in the summer months the communities have to contend with dust, and in the winter months slippery roads, reduced visibility and snowmobile traffic add to the danger. With winter just around the corner, the kids will be going to and coming from school in the dark. Mr. Speaker, there is little or no lighting on some of these roads. It is a wonder that more constituents have not been seriously injured. If you can imagine walking from your house to the neighbour’s completely in the dark, it’s really serious when you don’t even know where you are stepping.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, this is a safety issue for residents and it’s time for this government to sit down in the small communities and resolve this long-standing issue. Today I’ll have questions for the Minister of MACA following the statements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to celebrate the life and commemorate the passing of a great citizen and long-time resident of Weledeh, the late Theresa Reid. Most Yellowknifers knew Theresa Reid as the ever-present, cheery face at the St. Patrick’s Parish Flea Market. For 36 years Theresa put her spirit and energy into a Yellowknife institution dedicated to ensuring those in need have affordable access to basic goods: a warm coat or a baby blanket, household and cooking equipment, toys, school supplies, and even furniture and appliances.
What people may not have known is that Theresa also organized the distribution of these necessities to communities outside of Yellowknife, spreading her compassion throughout the Northwest Territories. Countless people and families have been helped through the hard times by Theresa’s smile and willing hands.
Theresa Reid served for decades as the vice-president of the St. Patrick’s Parish Council of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada. To her parish council colleagues and St. Pat’s parishioners, Theresa was the anchor for many charitable and spiritual events and activities. Her dear friend Barb MacDonald described her as the organizer to depend upon as “the base or foundation of an activity.”
Theresa Trepanier came to the NWT as a member of the Roman Catholic sisterhood. She married Bill Reid in 1965 and the couple raised their three children, Danny, Dennis and David, who continue to live in Yellowknife with Theresa’s five grandchildren. Bill and Theresa were to have celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this year.
Theresa Reid lived her life demonstrating how to do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. She leaves a great legacy of public service and is a model to us all of how one person can make an enormous difference one act of kindness at a time.
I invite all to join with me in honouring the passing of Theresa Reid, expressing our thanks, and offering our heartfelt condolences to her family and community. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve been following with interest the Premier’s search for a vision over this summer, a summer which now unfortunately is long gone. It’s been hard not to notice the search. I see the ads every week and sometimes twice a week. The action that our Premier has taken trying to find out what NWT residents want, that action is admirable. Indeed, this Assembly, the residents of this Territory, need to know what we see for ourselves 20 to 30 years in the future.
The Premier wants the NWT to come together, to find a common goal, a vision for the future of the NWT. I struggle to understand how this Creating Our Future Together exercise will achieve such a goal. I don’t think the right questions are being asked, nor are they being asked in the right forum. What percentage of our residents is involved in these forums? I suspect it’s a small number.
The timing seems off. It is more than a little late in the game to be doing a visioning exercise, in my view. Shouldn’t we have started on this process three years ago, not three or four months ago? Don’t get me wrong, colleagues, I am a firm believer and supporter of strategic planning. For me the success for the NWT and its residents will be achieved only if we can focus on seeing, remembering, and acting on what I call the big picture. That success is the Premier’s goal, but I’m sceptical that it can be achieved within the current process.
I’ve been through almost all of the forum summaries and in those reports I saw expression of some common ideas from participants, but in general participants’ responses, although extremely valid, were diverse, quite specific, and all over the map.
How can five or more forum summaries, each anywhere from 10 to 25 pages in length, be combined and synthesized into an NWT vision? Will it be done by the Premier? Will it be done by his staff? By department staff? Given the time frame identified for this exercise, it’s unlikely that participants -- NWT residents -- will have a hand in the collating of these ideas into a vision. That’s a shame. For residents’ voices to be heard and to be perceived as having been heard, the final report cannot be left to GNWT personnel, it must be developed in conjunction with the participants.
Finally, I will have some of these questions for the Premier at the appropriate time and I look forward to hearing what he has to say.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last couple of months I’ve had a number of constituents mention concerns they have about the relocation of the medical travel office, which was formerly located at the Stanton Territorial Hospital. To see firsthand the status of the medical travel office and how the authority was addressing the move, I decided I’d go for a visit.
On Monday, September 27th, I went to Stanton where I found the offices formerly occupied by Medical Travel. On the door was an 8.5 inch by 11 inch sheet of paper with the following message:
Our offices have been relocated. If you need to contact Medical Travel call 867-669-4115. For your convenience, a telephone is available at the registration desk with speed dial to connect us. Thank you for your cooperation.
It was nice that the authority created the convenience of offering a speed dial, but, unfortunately, there was absolutely no reference to their new location and how you can reach them in person to discuss your travel requirements and arrangements. Fortunately I know where the new office is.
I went to the Centre Ice Plaza at around 3:45 p.m. and found the medical travel office. The main door to the Stanton office, made obvious by a sign which states “Stanton Finance Department” was locked. No hours of operation were posted. No reference to the medical travel office was posted either. Although I walked out, I still was determined to get to the medical travel office. I noticed that there was an internal door and I went through the mall to try and find my way to it. Just for the record, there is absolutely no reference in the mall to the internal door. I did find it and, to my surprise, it was open. So I went up the stairs and I went up to where the finance office and medical travel office is located. This was about five minutes to 4:00. I arrived at the main entrance and there is a sign saying that it is open until 4:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the door was locked and there was no way to get in to talk to anybody in finance or medical travel. I tried to find any reference to medical travel in that area and there is absolutely nothing.
Fortunately, at this time I happened to bump into a Stanton employee coming out of a storage locker and I inquired about the medical travel office. She indicated to me at that time that they are not open to the public. They only provide telephone services. It appears as though face-to-face client service is no longer important when it comes to medical travel. Further, it appears as though Stanton is unconcerned with implementing a reasonable transition plan when it comes to these types of changes; transition plans which help individuals both from within and outside Yellowknife...
Mr. Abernethy, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Transition plans will help individuals from both within and outside of Yellowknife who have become accustomed to face-to-face contact seamlessly switch to phone and electronic services. While at Stanton I did notice an empty office right where Medical Travel used to be. Medical Travel could have been left with at least one office there to help with this transition plan.
Customer service is important and as a result I’ll be asking the Minister some questions on the move to medical travel and their change in philosophy with respect to working with their clients during question period today.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take the opportunity today to speak about an issue that has arisen in Hay River which has caused a great deal of concern. It may seem like a small thing to this government, but the timing of this particular ad, the NWT Power Corporation is recruiting for a new president.
Recently Hay River has seen the departure of some senior management folks at NTCL and then to read an ad in the paper recruiting a president for NTPC saying that this individual can live in Hay River or Yellowknife reverberated through the community with some very negative reaction.
The good folks who work in headquarters at the NWT Power Corporation have been through quite a bit of uncertainty, troublesome times maybe. The ATCO proposal which came to light considering the possibility of changes, it’s all about change and it creates unsettledness, it creates uncertainty. The transition to a new president, the transition to a new board chair, then the review of the NTPC itself, all things which can be justified. But at the same time then to read an ad in the paper to say that the new president can live in Hay River or Yellowknife, I’m sorry, but in a small community like Hay River, that sends a very large message.
Now we know that a lot of work of the president and CEO is conducted with the other subsidiaries of the Power Corporation and some of that work occurs here in Yellowknife. We all know that the former president, Mr. Courneya, did have to spend time in Yellowknife to oversee those subsidiaries and those activities. But the fact is he was there many, many years. He was part of the first team that came up when NTPC was repatriated from NCPC in Edmonton, when that first group came to Hay River. Mr. Courneya was part of that. He has been around there for a very long time and he has clearly been a resident of Hay River.
Although this may seem like a small thing to the government, I hope it’s an oversight of some kind. It would really make a lot of people in Hay River happy today if I could get a commitment from this government that the new president for the Power Corporation that will be recruited will be a resident of Hay River. I will have more questions for the Minister responsible for that at question period today.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to in the next 15 days advocate for the people in the Sahtu in terms of the equality of programs and services that this government here provides to residents in the Northwest Territories under our public governance system.
When I was in Norman Wells on a constituency visit I realized that 10 pounds of flour at the Northern Store ran about $37. People asked me to pick up some flour here in Yellowknife, which is about $10 or so for 10 pounds.
The inequality of this that we face in the Sahtu every day in terms of education because of the small communities that we have to go through the school system is not the same type of education we have in larger centres. We have to put up with it. We have to fight for the equality in terms of our students want to aspire to be surgeons or doctors or chemists and they just don’t have that level of support there of the other centres where some of the parents can support the children to go and get this type of education.
The same with access to health care. I’m very surprised that Colville Lake has, I think there’s a doctor goes in there every six months in terms of access to health care into the Sahtu and that we still have elders who live in our communities to be housed in Yellowknife or Fort Simpson or Inuvik. These elders, when they want to go to these long-term care facilities, have to pay their way to these facilities, which is not fair. So we’re looking for some of these types of services in the Sahtu.
When we talk about equality in the Sahtu or in the Northwest Territories, in the reality of it we’re not getting the same type of services in some of the larger centres. This makes me wonder when this government will start owning up to the equality of all residents in the Northwest Territories, because when we see other regions or other communities get more services than us, we have to wonder where the equality is, where are the fairness and justice of this government is.
I’ll be asking further questions to the Premier in terms of the goals that we aspire to undertake in the 16th Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise again today to continue to raise the issue of lack of legislative guidance to regulate the usage of cell phones while people are operating vehicles. What continues to be clear is, first, this problem is not a fad. Secondly, other responsible governments across this country continue to mount active campaigns through legislation to address this problem.
I’ve been asked by many, how long does personal lifestyle continue to trump the real concerns of public safety? We must patiently await the Minister of Transportation to answer that question, the question and call for action.
Sadly, over this past summer more people have joined the list of those who have lost their lives to distracted driving. Countless others, including myself, have witnessed near misses and amazing feats, as I have personally watched people pay more attention to their handhelds than to the road. Whether driving around a corner and almost hitting someone or running through a red light, what is clear is that one day their luck will either run out on themselves, the driver, or certainly the innocent victim or victims.
No law will ever completely solve the lack of or, rather, instil common sense. But what a law would do is mandate a legal responsibility where personal responsibility continues to be a matter only for a few.
I have never been an advocate for needless or even extra laws to impinge on the everyday liberties of good democratic citizens in a normal republic, but there comes a time that if common sense won’t prevail, government does have a role. To date, as I understand it, our government has been musing with this concept of finally dealing with this issue of distracted driving through a law. However, I’d rather describe it as saying our government has been flirting with their responsibility and still yet refuses to commit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker It is a pleasure to be back amongst my colleagues here in the House and I’m looking forward to working with all of you towards a productive fall session.
Mr. Speaker, last evening I hosted a Kam Lake constituency meeting at N.J. Macpherson School, and I’d like to thank all those that attended and shared their thoughts and concerns with me. Mr. Speaker, it is my job and responsibility as an MLA to listen to my constituents and to the public and then raise those concerns here in this House.
Mr. Speaker, I can’t possibly do justice to all the issues that were brought up last night in the two and a half minutes that I have here in my Member’s statement. I did make commitments last night to raise these issues that were brought to me and I plan on following up with all of those issues over the next three weeks.
The one area that I will pick up on today, and which dominated much of the discussion last evening, is health care, the proposed changes to supplementary health benefits and the performance of our Health and Social Services Minister. The proposed changes to supplementary health benefits are obviously of great interest and concern for many people. People want to know what recommendations the joint working group have come up with and when the public will be given an opportunity for comment. For something as important and which affects so many people, it’s understandable that the public wants to know. I want to again state that the decisions and directions the government will pursue on changes to supplementary health benefits will, unfortunately, not require a formal vote or endorsement by the majority of Members of this House. This is not what people want, nor conducive to good public government.
I made the recommendation when we last met earlier this spring that if the Health and Social Services Minister wholeheartedly believes in the proposed changes to supplementary health benefits, then why wouldn’t she and the government put the issue on the shelf for 11 more months. Mr. Speaker, the dissolution of this Assembly will take place September 2, 2011, 322 days from now. We need to make certain that we get these changes right. This should and rightfully belongs in an election campaign. It is an election issue, Mr. Speaker, and it should take place next fall.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I shouldn’t have to preach politics to other politicians, but, understandably, the Minister should go door to door in her riding, attending election forums and answer to the public and her constituents on why she continues to support changes to supplementary health benefits. Mr. Speaker, this will also give other candidates in ridings across the Territory an opportunity to state their position on proposed changes to supplementary health benefits. Then let the electorate decide who the candidates they’re willing to support will be.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be pursing this issue with great vigour over the next three weeks.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have had a chance to take a peek at the visitors in our gallery today and I would informally call it seniors day from our mass attendance of our fine seniors. But notably, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to make special recognition of several constituents of Yellowknife Centre. That would be Vivian Squires, Ed Jeske, Blake Lyons, Ruth Spence, and David Wind. Thank you for coming today and thank you to everyone else.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You’ve recognized Mr. Sam Gargan as previous MLA, and I would like to recognize him as well, our grand chief of the Dehcho First Nations. Welcome to the Assembly, Sam.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize, with great pride, my mother, Barb Bromley, a resident of Weledeh; as well, Mr. David Gilday, also a resident of Weledeh; and many of the long-term residents and friends from Yellowknife in the gallery. Thank you.
