Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is pleased to provide its report on the introduction of electronic petitions in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and commends it to the House.

Petitions are formal requests submitted to a Legislature. They are a vehicle for the public to influence policy-making and legislation and to bring their concerns to the attention of the Assembly. The act of petitioning has been described as the oldest of parliamentary forums. Citizens have used them for hundreds of years in the western parliamentary tradition...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that this Legislative Assembly approve the implementation of an ongoing electronic petitions service to operate in conjunction with traditional petitions, and that the electronic site be operational for the fall 2012 sitting of the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I also will support this motion and appreciate the committee bringing this forward. I certainly agree on the inspection side of things. The law calls for an inspection every 12 months. As my colleague mentioned, we seem to be in the order of 14 to 20 months.

The findings are very straightforward to correct: clearing a fire exit, storing chemicals properly, plugging something into the electrical socket so it can’t be accessed by small children. Those are very easily done sorts of things. I am not convinced that it is a manpower issue as much as just making sure direction...

WHEREAS rates of mental illness in the Northwest Territories are disproportionately high in comparison with other Canadian jurisdictions and a high proportion of persons involved in police incidents suffer from mental illnesses;

AND WHEREAS implementation of the federal Safe Streets and Communities Act will dramatically increase the costs of policing, courts and corrections services;

AND WHEREAS introduction in other Canadian jurisdictions of mental health courts as diversion programs from the criminal justice system are proving successful in improving illness treatment success rates and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize the Status of Women folks here today, Lorraine Phaneuf, Annemieke Mulders; Jean Basil, Lydia Bardak and Gail Cyr, a resident of Weledeh.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I’d particularly like to recognize Majors Jo and Dale Sobool of the Salvation Army. Both of them will be leaving Yellowknife on Sunday to take their new posting with the Salvation Army in Penticton, BC. In addition to their ministerial responsibilities, the Sobools have, through the Salvation Army, managed the Bailey House, the men’s transition home, withdrawal management services, the...

Mr. Speaker, thanks to my colleague for filling in as my voice gave out there.

In a jurisdiction so large and geographically remote, the standing committee believes there is value in providing residents with greater opportunities to interact with their government. The public appeared to appreciate and utilize the pilot site as one place to go to view or sign various petitions, offering greater accessibility and transparency to citizens of the Northwest Territories. No insurmountable concerns arose during the pilot project. The committee, therefore, considers that this Assembly should offer an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to dedicate my last statement today to recognizing the great achievements of Weledeh constituents competing at the 22nd NWT Track and Field Championships held June 6th to 8th in Hay River.

I’ll start with Hannah Clarke, who was named first overall in the junior female category and took the gold in the 400, 800 and 1,500 metres, and a bronze in the triple jump. Hannah was also nominated as this year’s Sport North Junior Female Athlete of the Year in speed skating, so she’s an all-season all-rounder.

Congratulations to Greg Littlefair’s new record in the Master...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that any necessary amendments to the rules of the Legislative Assembly to permit the use of electronic petitions be drafted and presented for the approval of the Legislative Assembly during the fall 2012 session. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, thanks for that commitment by the Minister. There is very little evidence of planning or clear thinking on creation of a perpetual care plan for this site today. Concerns include a lack of plan to preserve current records, document remediation, long-term care activities, continuing consideration of remediation options and fulsome public reporting and information disclosure. However, options to meet these needs have been creatively examined through the work of the YKDFN, Yellowknives Dene First Nations, Alternatives North and the Pembina Institute, and are contained in documents to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up with my Member’s statement with questions to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. In grappling with downstream water quality issues resulting from the tar sands, our Minister of Environment confronts the legacy of insufficient public oversight. In contrast, the development of our diamond mines has included independent monitoring mechanisms under legally binding agreements. This government’s officials have participated in work aimed at creating an independent oversight body and, this week, co-signed a letter to the board calling...