Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to thank my colleague, Mr. Ramsay, for bringing this forward. It’s been a disappointment that we haven’t got to this. Early indications from the Ministers involved were that this would be coming forward. They later backed off on that. Apparently we have some limitations in our ability to draft legislation quickly and we certainly do have a lot of legislative needs. I can understand that, but I was, and I know many of our public were, disappointed that those early indications of commitments were not able to be met.

I think this does capture the comments we heard...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to make some very brief comments here. I also would like to give a big nod to the Member for Sahtu for taking the initiative to bring this motion forward.

There is a really key role for elders to play in our schools. I think the Aboriginal achievement programs will recognize that very early on. You don’t have to look beyond the K’alemi Dene School right in Ndilo to see an example with Mrs. Fwasi, 70 years old this year, been in the school for a decade, and there’s a record of achievement there. K’alemi Dene graduated their first grade 12 students this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s commitment there. I thought she was at the meeting, but I’ll certainly make sure the seniors’ committee is corresponding with the Minister with that full information and request. Again, like the Anti-Poverty Alliance, the NWT seniors are calling for a coordinated and cross-government approach. Nothing new. The Minister is responsible for the well-being of seniors. Could she commit to updating her current seniors’ issues action plan with these inputs and reporting to committee again on this renewed strategy and again on the Coalition Against...

I’ll take that as a yes, the Minister’s staff will sit down with these folks.

On Monday, Mr. Speaker, I asked the Minister to report back on the results of last week’s Coalition Against Family Violence meeting. The NWT Seniors’ Society is calling, as we heard from my colleague Ms. Bisaro, for the phase 3 of the Action Plan on Family Violence to make elder abuse a priority for phase 3 work. Will the Minister include this in the debriefing from the meeting and report back to committee on how this important element of the family violence equation can be given priority? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Barb Hood, executive director, and Ron MacLellan, researcher, with NWT Seniors’ Society. I’d also like to recognize Yellowknife Seniors’ Society president Merlyn Williams, executive director Vivian Squires, and program coordinator Yvonne Quick. The NWT Status of Women executive director Lorraine Phaneuf is here, community development coordinator Sammy Dechief, and program staff Annemieke Mulders, Lois Little of Lutra Associates and Weledeh resident for sure, and of course, we can’t forget our seniors amongst them, Mr. Ed Jeske, again, one of my...

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Does committee agree?

I would simply note that the Auditor General has observed that these amendments were made to allow for the indemnity to be changed and that some of the existing regulatory requirements, including the need to give 14 days’ notice for change, this is within days if not hours of the event that transpired immediately after that. I have to ask, the amendments that the Premier mentioned, the amendments to the rules on which we base our day-to-day business, when did they occur relative to the decisions to indemnify themselves without letting Members know?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do have another question. I’m wondering, Mr. Speaker, how is it possible that this government can amend the rules rather than follow the rules and choose to avoid requirements that are in law in terms of engineering and so on in making a decision to go forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to follow up perhaps with the Premier. I’ve heard some distressing remarks here. I find the Auditor General’s remarks and report here quite distressing. I heard the Minister of Transportation say we followed the rules. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they didn’t do that. They changed the rules, not once but twice and the second time was...

Thank you for the response from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, we need data to attack this problem. Data is information and all we have right now is anecdotal information. The Seniors’ Society is calling on government to get the facts and start research projects to collect specific data on the extent of elder abuse and living conditions specific to seniors. The Anti-Poverty Alliance is calling for the same improvements in data collection. Will the Minister commit to working with the Department of Executive to take prompt action on this request so we can set the 17th Assembly up with good data for...