Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve had some time to reflect on the Premier’s sessional statement and I’d like to provide some feedback.
All Members of this House have spent a lot of time in the past two months considering the current state of the NWT and what kind of roadmap we should lay out for the 17th Assembly over the next four years. That roadmap was the essence of the Premier’s statement yesterday. I don’t disagree with the road we’re travelling down, but I must speak to some of the priorities which aren’t on the highway that we have designed. This roadmap bypasses a few important landmarks.
The 17th Assembly roadmap has five priorities and specific actions under each, but where is the reference to education of both children and adults? One of our goals is healthy, educated people, but the Assembly’s decision to continue to do more of the same, to not make education a priority, will not graduate more high school students, will not advance the goal of healthy, educated people.
Over the next four years NWT residents will hear Members speak many times about the importance of our youth. But where is the reference to youth in the 17th Assembly’s priorities? As with education, the lack of a priority on youth will not help our young people succeed and become contributing members of our NWT society.
As well, the Premier spoke of looking for new revenues, and I was pleased to hear that. But he only mentioned resource revenues in connection with devolution. Why are we waiting until devolution is implemented to tap into a new revenue source? This government can add a new revenue source in the 2012-13 operations budget if the will is there, but so far I haven’t seen any indication from this government that they are willing to consider such an action.
The Premier spoke quite a lot about developing our economy and infrastructure investments. But again, what is obviously missing from these goals and priorities is a larger emphasis on the NWT’s social issues. The priorities address housing and health, but our social ills extend to many more programs and services than those two. A booming economy will not benefit NWT residents who lack the supports to get themselves out of poverty.
As I stated earlier, our document, “Believing in People and Building on the Strengths of Northerners,” which outlines our visions, goals and priorities, is a good document, but it has too many holes in it to be the comprehensive roadmap that we need to support our people properly. All Members must ensure that the social issues that affect our residents at the most human level must not be forgotten as we chase the economic development dream. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
