Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to my colleagues. Some may consider this a somewhat unusual motion and feel that perhaps it isn’t necessary as often the various departments will recognize particular weeks. I think it’s really important that we as legislators and that this Assembly makes this motion and passes this motion, because it indicates the importance that we as legislators give to our seniors.
I’ve often heard Members speak and say that part of our culture is that we respect seniors and honour seniors, and that elders are a very important part of our culture and our society. Unfortunately, we have people within our communities within the NWT who don’t respect our seniors and elders and don’t honour them. Some of them are subjected to abuse, and I’ve mentioned many of the forms of abuse within the motion. Thankfully there’s a growing recognition of that abuse of elder and abuse of older adults is a problem.
The NWT Seniors’ Society is working very hard towards giving greater recognition to this problem, and to addressing the problem, and are finding solutions for it. The report that was tabled earlier today entitled Making Connections has some excellent work that the society has done, and there are some excellent recommendations in there which I hope the government will take advantage of.
I feel that the problem of elder abuse needs to be given a higher profile. We need to increase the public awareness and I think that this motion will get us some ways towards that. I think the motion tells all NWT residents that their legislators, we as MLAs, respect the values that elders bring to our work and to the territory. I think it also indicates the importance of this issue and that we are going to work to eradicate it.
I would encourage all Members to support this motion. I hope that the Executive Council will consider to vote on this. There is no requirement for them to spend any money. I would ask for a recorded vote.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. To the motion. The Member has requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.
Ms. Bisaro; Mr. Yakeleya; Mr. Lafferty; Mr. Miltenberger; Mr. Roland; Mr. McLeod, Deh Cho; Mr. McLeod, Inuvik Twin Lakes; Mr. McLeod, Yellowknife South; Mr. Krutko; Mr. Bromley; Mr. Abernethy; Mr. Menicoche; Mr. Ramsay; Mrs. Groenewegen; Mr. Beaulieu; Mr. Hawkins; Mr. Jacobson.
All those opposed to the motion, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
Results of the recorded vote: 17 for, none opposed, none abstaining. The motion is carried unanimously.
---Carried
