Brendan Bell

Mr. Speaker, we would be prepared to sit down with committee and talk about legislative priorities. It is not something the committee has raised as one of the top priorities of the government from their perspective. So we have a number of legislative initiatives that need to be undertaken. There are a number of things that we need to do and know we can’t get done in this government. As I have indicated, there is some past history here. For cost-saving measures, we have moved away from this. Locksmithing is a trade. It is not a certified trade yet in the NWT. It was pulled together with...

Sorry, Mr. Chairman, I don't have the detail of the scope of work to compare those two projects in front of me, but if memory serves, that $70,000 is finishing off that project in Fort Providence. There was more money -- I don't have the detail in front of me -- spent, and I can't tell you things like how many shower stalls would go into the other shower building, but I can certainly endeavour to get that detail and provide it to committee.

Mr. Chairman, this is planning money to look at potential sites for an RV campground. Of course, we're still doing some work and we have committed to another public meeting. I'm not sure if that date has been scheduled yet, but it's forthcoming. We're also, at the same point, going to, because of some of the suggestions that have come out of the public consultation, because of some of the concerns that have been raised by Members, we're going to look at some other sites as well. In any event, it's not the amount of money that we would need to construct the site. As Members know, there was...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 11, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2007, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill corrects inconsistencies and errors in the statutes of the Northwest Territories. The bill deals with other matters of a minor, non-controversial and uncomplicated nature in the statutes, and repeals provisions that have ceased to have effect. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No, Mr. Chairman. Without the money in the capital budgets, in the small cap budget, it wouldn't be possible to construct RV sites for this season. We're behind now. What we are proposing to do, though, is to do this planning so that we can move quickly. We feel that this is a need. It's something that we need to address. There were concerns raised to some of the public consultation and we're going to endeavour to find the best possible site in Yellowknife, but we maintain that it is necessary. Thank you.

Madam Chair, I think the Minister mentioned successful since ’01, its inception. Since 2003, 3,000 students have been through the program. We collaborate with ENR and MACA. We get great cooperation from the schools obviously. We are in the schools delivering this program, working with the schools. We also work with local regional wildlife organizations. We’ve had great success in the Sahtu with the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board. We have been dealing with band councils, Metis associations. So it’s been very well received and continues to grow. I don’t think we have seen the program enrolled...

Mr. Speaker, I’m trying to be conscious of not sucking up a bunch of RCMP time in an exercise that will bear little fruit. I’d be willing to sit down and talk with the new commanding officer, ask him if he feels there’s some merit in pursuing a formal committee with a formalized mandate and setting up some sort of a structure. If he thinks that that can assist the RCMP in improving their efficiency, then I’m more than prepared to champion that cause. But that’s what I would propose at this point. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I think there are things that we can do as a government to assist the RCMP and there are a number of things that we have been involved in doing. One that I would point to is the use of our officers at our corrections facilities to escort prisoners as compared to asking uniformed RCMP officers to do this. So we’ve come up with an arrangement that allows the RCMP officers to stay on the ground, as the Member has indicated, in the community and not have to do this escort of prisoners function.

The RCMP have civilian staff who handle most of the clerical work and they have RCMP...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I would like to commend the Member for his hard work on this initiative.

---Applause

He has been encouraging this government to do some work to officially recognize Deline as the birthplace of hockey. I am happy to say that an event has come up in London for Canada Day it will be participating in. The GNWT, through my department, is supporting NWT Tourism in bringing over a ball hockey team from Deline. We will put on a bit of a show and an exhibition of their incredible hockey ability. I understand the Member himself will be suited up and put a number of balls...

Mr. Speaker, I don’t think any options have been ruled out. We’d be willing to sit down and talk to prospective stakeholders, prospective partners, about a model that would best solve this problem. Thank you.