Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance was complimented at last week’s public meeting on carbon taxation for being the Minister promoting discussion on this opportunity. Three MLAs and three Ministers attended the roundtable to get the facts and they are to be congratulated too. Participation from Finance and Environment and Natural Resources officials added to the discussion. With the Minister’s leadership, this discussion is well underway. Can the Minister say what the next steps will be in pursuing this work? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, change is difficult, but a smart carbon tax will create the economic incentive to take action. Places that have acted have benefited. Like shopping bag fees, the hoopla has disappeared shortly after these changes have been implemented. Let’s get it done. Mahsi.

Thank you, committee. We’ll do that, but we’ll start with a short break.

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I’d like to call the Committee of the Whole to order. We have before us for consideration today: tabled documents 4, 30, 38, 62, 75, 103 and 135, as well as Bills 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and Minister’s statements 65 and 88. What is the wish of committee, Mrs. Groenewegen?

The Minister for the Department of Transportation mentioned that the Cabinet or somebody followed standard practice which included, apparently, amending rules. I’m wondering what message this sends out to our public, to our colleagues, to our businesses. Can they simply change the rules or are rules in fact put in place for a reason?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to chuckle, Mr. Speaker, I did not say the word “broken.” I said the word “changed the rules.” I believe the Auditor General has used the word “amended the rules” and I was looking for a synonym that was plain language because I know our public are listening. So if the Premier chooses to interpret that as broken, well that seems to reflect a sensitivity on his part, but in fact, I used the word “changed the rules” and in fact the...

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?