Brendan Bell

Orders of the day for Thursday, March 7, 2019, at 1:30 p.m.:

Prayer

Ministers' Statements

Members' Statements

Returns to Oral Questions

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Acknowledgments

Oral Questions

Written Questions

Returns to Written Questions

Replies to the Commissioner's Opening Address

Petitions

Reports of Standing and Special Committees

Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

Tabling of Documents

Notices of Motion

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

Motions

Motion 34-18(3), Referral of 2018 Review of Members' Compensation and Benefits Report to Committee of the Whole

First Reading of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled NWT Arts Strategy - Action Plan 2, 2007. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay, okay.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I would like to recognize Yellowknife South constituent Amy Hacala. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that significant progress is being made on homeless initiatives by this government and our community partners. The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes the need to support communities in finding local solutions to assist the homeless.

The Framework for the GNWT Response to Homelessness was released in January 2007. With the support of Members -- and thank you, Members -- the ongoing funding for homelessness initiatives were included in the 2007-08 Main Estimates. The framework confirms the social program departments...

Mr. Speaker, thank you. We have been working with the community, with the co-op in Holman as a stopgap measure because the co-op has been shut down for some time. We found some money to go in and do some repairs to the building envelope and to the heating system I believe to ensure that the building wouldn’t fall into further disrepair. Since that time, and with the goal, of course, of getting the co-op back up and running and producing the art that it is so famous for, since that time we’ve been working very hard with the BDIC to try to generate a business plan for the co-op. As a...

Mr. Speaker, our people are going to work with the hunters and with the HTAs to ensure that everybody is aware of the types of hides and the care that is required. We’re also going to sit down and negotiate a guaranteed price. I don’t have, at this point, what that guaranteed price will be, but the hunters will know, going out, the range of the price for the hide, know that it’s dependent on condition and understand that there is an incentive to make sure that it’s properly handled. So they will have this information before they go out, I’m sure. I don’t know what the guaranteed price will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve had a lot of discussion around this program and I think there’s a lot of interest in seeing this get off the ground. I understand, from some of the people who have some history in this government, that there have been attempts in the past to create and promote such a program. As the Member has indicated, we know that there are hides that are left to rot, and it seems a shame when we have so many people asking and inquiring about our crafts. I was just at the tourism operation at the border, spoke to the people there who are running the bureau there, and they...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, committee. Mr. Chairman, I do have a few comments to make concerning this motion that, if passed, effectively means the end of this piece of legislation unless it’s taken off and introduced by another Assembly, possibly the 16th or maybe the 17th. First of all, I want to thank all Members, particularly those who are representing small communities and have personally spent a lot of time over the last few days to come to me to explain their position on this bill, on these issues. While I may disagree, I want to say that I respect the positions they have...

This pilot program will begin utilizing hide distributors in Norman Wells and Enterprise. These distributors, experts in assessing quality hides, will grade and purchase traditionally smoked and tanned moosehides from NWT producers and sell the hides to artists and craftspersons at the purchase cost.

Mr. Speaker, the traditional tanning process takes much time, skill and hard work, but we believe that establishing a guaranteed market for these hides will encourage more production.

This is a winning solution for both the tanner and the artist. The tanner knows that payment is forthcoming for...