[English translation not provided.]

I’ve been practicing. Mr. Speaker, on February 5th of this year the Finance Minister proclaimed an aggressive yet ambitious target to attract 2,000 new residents to the NWT. Our most current publication from the Bureau of Stats says the NWT’s population fell by 218 persons. Now, that is a negative 10 percent shortfall on that particular number.

In the Finance Minister’s words on February 6th, again, it said our fiscal future is closely linked to economic prospects and healthy population growth. The Minister continues to go on by saying we are also aware the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I said in my Member’s statement that the net effect would actually be awash because our growth and our federal grant transfer would actually cover the cost of those teachers. May I also briefly remind the Minister that he had pointed out in his February 6th statement that in 2013 we continued to lose population? What’s happening here is, year over year over year we continue to lose population.

My last question is simply this: Where have there been any results of population growth in the Northwest Territories under the tenure of this McLeod government?

I was proudly educated in the Northwest Territories, growing up in Fort Simpson and in Yellowknife. My education taught me that negative 218 persons is a lot. So when the Minister says to me – and remember, this is the gentleman in charge of our books and our finances – we’re not losing ground, perhaps the Minister of Finance can explain how a loss of 218 people isn’t a loss to the Northwest Territories and the Northwest Territories isn’t losing ground. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to take the opportunity to recognize constituent Julie Green. She’s been a wonderful woman, she does a lot of great things in the city and I think she spends a lot of time with the YWCA. At this time I’ve forgotten her position so I won’t try to name it, but I will say that she has an enormous impact in the North for women and their rights.

I’d like to recognize two missionaries in the back of the gallery I can see there. They are both from the United States doing good work here in the Northwest Territories. They are Elder Ames and Elder Anderson, and although...

Is it conceivable and how does the Chief Electoral Officer see or manage this particular issue? Is it conceivable, for example, that a 10-bed shelter has 10 different people each day and each person during the voting period could vote each time? So 10 new votes times 28 days type of thing? The example of expanding it, if the Chief Electoral Officer needs a better description, I think that’s probably not per se. I’ll give him a shot at that question.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like the Minister of Education today to stand up and explain the changes that are coming with junior kindergarten. He needs to enlighten the community and certainly the territory that if you have a day home, they’ve been telling everyone it will be fine.

What evidence can he convey that it will be fine? Just a few days ago, I brought up in this House the departmental staff keep telling these day home owners, whether they are licenced or unlicensed or part of the Montessori program, you’re going to lose money and it’s time to budget better. I would like to hear...

Thank you. Would the Chief Electoral Officer consider it a continuous definition in a similar manner for an emergency shelter, which is not defined as a permanent residence but more of an emergency situation? Perhaps if I may liken it somewhat like a hotel room or a longer stay. Now, generally speaking, people tend not to stay there as a long-term solution.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use the occasion today to speak on something that is very important to many of us and it actually touches many of our lives.

The Canadian Cancer Society has just released their statistics report for 2014. It provides an estimate of cancer rates for Canada for the current year and highlights cancer trends.

This report is prepared annually through the partnership of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Statistics Canada, and they also have partners in provincial and territorial cancer registries.

This year’s report includes a special...

Thanks for that and I want to extend my appreciation to the Chief Electoral Officer for those answers. Just to continue slightly further, I just want to determine, of course, this is a requirement to provide names and addresses. How do we determine residency? In an incarceration situation I believe we determine their residency issue by their home, generally where they would define their home, I guess, and in the case of an emergency shelter when you’re requiring names and addresses, how do we determine that, because normally the shelter wouldn’t be their normal place of residence. We’re not...

Mr. Chairman, I think issues like this much better belong in regulations as opposed to into law, and to me this is where it belongs, in regulations. I mean, that’s why the finessing of it can be much more appropriate.