Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move we report progress.

As an aside to it, I am not particularly attached to the amendment before us, Mr. Chairman, but does the board’s authority here -- and this seems quite appropriate, by the way -- require or demand any kind of community consultation when it goes about prescribing days and hours? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Clause 7 talks about an amendment to the Liquor Act. The essential intent of this is basically a clarification, as I understand it, to amend the act and clarify the board’s authority to make regulations respecting the days and hours of operation of a licensed establishment. I wonder if the Minister could give us a bit of background why this clarification was required, and what issue or kind of concern may have come forward that caused this. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the welcome pieces of information that we got when we visited the RCMP detachment a few weeks ago was that there is going to be much more involvement of the Victims Services Program in the whole policing regime. Are we able to handle, through this Victims Services Program, our current workload, and what’s our capacity to handle what is likely to be an increased workload for the Victims Services Program? Thank you.

Merci beaucoup, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions this afternoon are for the Minister of Justice, and they are in relation to community policing in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has a responsibility for contracting with the RCMP to deliver policing services across the Northwest Territories. The Yellowknife detachment has, for years, been recognized as chronically understaffed. The city has grown considerably and the complexity of crime and policing has also grown. I would like to ask the Minister, from his point of view, what progress has been made or what steps are underway right...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Problems of drugs, crime and violence are a concern to residents across this country. Residents of the NWT, sadly, are not immune to these problems. Earlier this summer I heard from a number of constituents in a neighbourhood about increasing drug dealing and problems related to this activity, particularly crack and cocaine in Yellowknife. We know that these reports extend also from our streets, our neighbourhoods and even, most disturbingly, Mr. Speaker, from our schools. More and more citizens though are saying that they will not put up with drugs on our streets and...

Mr. Speaker, the Minister in his previous answer indicated that if a family is on income support, we pick up the fuel bill for them. That’s right and a part of the program that I very much value. I can’t agree with the Minister when he suggested there is no other impact on those families. What about all the other things that they have to pay for which are going to be as a result of the higher costs of fuel across the board in our society? We talked about airlines. We know the taxi fares are going up. Canada Post, Mr. Speaker, already has a freight surcharge on parcels. I have to go back to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue that I would like to raise is directed at the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment as the Member overseeing the Income Support Program, and it relates to the statement I made earlier. With the federal government’s announcement that it intends to flow some fuel or energy rebates to low income families and seniors, we’re told, Mr. Speaker, that $125 will go to individual seniors who qualify for the guaranteed income supplement and $250 will go to seniors who live together as couples. The thing I want to ask about is the money the federal government...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome Mr. Lafferty to the Assembly and express the pleasure that I shared in joining the Tlicho people at their celebration this summer.

Mr. Speaker, just when we thought we were getting back to normal with critical things like the CBC getting back to work and NHL hockey getting back on the ice, we get clobbered in the pocketbook by energy prices that are back on the increase. A litre of gas in Inuvik earlier this summer, my colleague was just telling me, was $1.44; $1.19 here in Yellowknife; a litre of heating oil in Yellowknife just over a buck...

That’s all true, but, Mr. Speaker, by that same token, this program keeps a lid on all those families. It does not give them an extra margin that they could use, such as this program to get a bit ahead to make a difference in their life. It’s been argued that while the program does sustain families, it in fact imposes poverty.

Mr. Speaker, this question is going to stay on our agenda. I would like the Minister to provide some information. I am wondering if he could provide me today or in the near future how many income support clients would get their energy cost benefit clawed back and how...