Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the support of colleagues here. I think it’s clear that there is general and considerable concern about eliminating the collection of this information that’s needed as a basis for good decision and its absence would result in suspect data. We suffer from small numbers and the difficulty of statistics anyway, so we don’t need this added problem. Mr. Speaker, I just want to again ask the Cabinet if the Premier would allow a free vote and I request a recorded vote. Thank you.

WHEREAS the Government of Canada intends to eliminate the Statistics Canada long-form census questionnaire and replace it with a voluntary survey;

AND WHEREAS the long-form census is a critical source of information about the diversity, employment, income, education, and other characteristics of Canadians;

AND WHEREAS in the NWT, data from the Census of Population and the NWT Community Survey are used extensively by all levels of government and many businesses and agencies to monitor socio-economic conditions; to design, monitor and evaluate programs; and to plan policy initiatives and identify...

I appreciate that. This is a public process, but we need lots of public processes on this, as I mentioned. There’s a highly traumatized public awaiting some relief here.

In terms of next steps, I think this decision and this work between Cabinet and this side of the House is an additional step towards resolving some of these issues. We have made some agreement on the principles that are detailed in the report and this is important progress. But it’s not a simple measure. Even our next actions still require, as the Minister has profiled and this side of the House has profiled, some back and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Murray McMahon, who has a home out at Cassidy Point and spends a lot of time in the Weledeh riding. Thank you.

My second question is: Is there a destination determined yet for this equipment?

I recognize that we’re dealing with a real specific here, but in asking for approval of specifics, of course, we need to do that within the context of the larger questions. I appreciate the Minister’s commitments here. I guess I would like to point out that committee has been promised a number of times for a human resources plan in association with this transfer back, and yet here we are approving something without this plan in hand so that we can have the important context with which to approve or deny these expenditures. I will leave it at that and just ask that the Minister does pursue this...

That helps the explanation. So will there be feedback, then, to retailers of goods and services that indicates the government’s perspectives based on those price surveys?

I move that consideration of Tabled Document 98-16(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2009-2010, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 98-16(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This section deals with the increased costs incurred by the Department of Human Resources to address the backlog and that has been a long-standing concern of the House. I’m wondering where are we at in addressing the backlog in the Department of Human Resources and can we anticipate further costs and further our actions in place to prevent a similar huge backlog accumulating again. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with Motion 19-16(5), Reduction of NWT Housing Corporation Maximum Rental Rate, which I gave notice of on Wednesday, October 27, 2010. Mahsi.