Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was hoping to go last but I'll go any time you call upon me. That said, I just wanted to use the opportunity to thank everyone for being involved in this process. Again, I want to acknowledge the Thomas family for their advocacy. It is a grassroots initiative brought to the Assembly. This is to hopefully help many students bring more education to the North and can help empower people, and that's -- you know, it's an exciting process to feel that you're helping energize young people and get them into, you know, creating the future for all of us. So, Mr. Speaker, I won...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

No, that's fine. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, when people in the public are talking about this particular matter and when it's been investigated but there's no result in one way or the other whether the matter has been assessed and found not wanting or the matter has been assessed and found wanting and further steps, there's no public airing or clarification on this particular issue. So to be clear, Mr. Speaker -- and the last point I want to hone in on -- no one wants any names issued in this particular case, so that's not what I'm after. I'm saying how do we clear the air by ending the...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

No, thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister said there was an investigation, if I heard on there, because she can't comment, so I'm asking what skills do they bring to this -- the person doing the process. So do they have the skills -- sorry? So I'm asking about their qualifications to be able to identify the issues as pointed out that could be referred to the RCMP.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, or I should say Mr. Speaker Whitford on the side, the way to massage, give the Member another chance.

Mr. Speaker, the issue here is that I want to make sure that -- is there any -- are there any barriers, policy barriers, Mr. Speaker, stopping the department from engaging the RCMP to join any potential investigation that she foresees? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

Mr. Speaker, in the Child and Family Services Act, it relatively seems silent on the area of when it's duty to report to the RCMP. There's been serious concerns brought up with respect to human rights, abuse, and neglect of youth. What threshold does it take to engage the RCMP on these particular matters of urgency? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This July an email was sent to the Department of Health and Social Services. Seven GNWT employees were included on that email. One of them in particular, Mr. Speaker, was the CEO of NT Health and Social Services so I know the department has it at the toppest -- sorry, at the top of the highest officials we have.

Mr. Speaker, I won't name the particular facility, but it was highlighting something very serious. The subject matter in part reads: Urgent, child and youth safety concerns at... I won't fill in the rest. And the email then begins, Mr. Speaker -- and I take a...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for the Sahtu, that Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 31)

Mr. Speaker, when you're a funding agent and you're doing an investigation under the public guise of the public service in the process of -- you know, that falls into the child and family services area, don't you think there's some level of responsibility for clearing the air at the end of an investigation? Would the Minister comment on that? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 30)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister giving me a recap of the 19th Assembly but officially we're in the 20th Assembly, and we're almost a year into it, Mr. Speaker. So that said, I'm hearing conversations but really at the end of the day what would be helpful is the Minister commits to adding a component that Members are included earlier before decisions are made such as taking on generational debt, especially in a case like this when they're now reaching out with an unknown number that could potentially be any number and the Assembly, including the Members on this side of the...