Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table a document that was actually buried in our legislative library and was actually never a tabled document of our House. It’s the Electrical Generation Transmission and Distribution in the Northwest Territories, A Design for Tomorrow, in December 28, 2000, referred to as the Robertson Report. Thank you.

Can the Minister of Finance please clarify that this report that he doesn’t want to answer the question to, a report that we know and we have some degree of reassurance that was done in secret by the Cabinet without any knowledge to Ordinary Members and that we assume and are led to believe was done by the same consulting firm InterGroup that is on the payroll of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, the exact organization that the Minister is responsible for and is set to gain from the expropriation of Northlands?

All I am asking is for the Minister to clear the air and set the record...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a follow-up to my Member’s statement, I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance, is it the intention of Cabinet to waste taxpayers’ dollars to expropriate a successful First Nation-owned business in the Northwest Territories when this money can be better spent and more responsibly used to address real issues? We heard some today here from Mr. Bromley such things as homelessness, housing, mental health or education.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate Ms. Bisaro for bringing this motion forward. To not repeat many of the concerns that she has, as well as other committee members shared, this was a very problematic issue for the standing committee, which really has a very legitimate mandate to do this type of oversight. We are saddled with the ability to review all the policymaking and program on languages, so committee was very concerned. I think that was reflected in our report, almost to the point where there was a disregard for the committee in trying to get a firm answer with respect to the 2009 review...

  Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s still not clear here. I am led to believe, from what we’ve heard today and what we hear from yesterday, is that the $24 rate per day has not changed for Yellowknife since 1996. Again, if we were just to apply simple math of 1.83 percent compounded annually over the 19-year period, that would be a 41.25 percent increase in that rate, or should be, applied to that rate, so that at a minimum, that number should be at least $33.90 per day.

Would the Minister at least consider raising the per diem rate for Yellowknife for foster families to at least $33.90 per day?

Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure if I got an answer to the standards of care of delivering foster care. I’ll maybe ask that question another time.

I also noted in that 2014 Auditor General report there was a chronic shortage of foster care families, and this shortage continues today. Maybe the shortage is somehow financially linked. Again, we’ve heard from the Minister that the rates have changed from 2007.

Can the Minister indicate where is the rate for Yellowknife? It was at $24. Where is the rate today?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we draw to a close another Legislative session, through you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to thank all the dedicated people who work behind the scenes at the Legislative Assembly who support the Members and the Ministers to do our day-to-day jobs. Without them democracy would be definitely crippled.

I’d like to thank all the Pages here and all the Pages during this session. Thank you for keeping us hydrated. Without you these days and nights would have been a bit longer and a bit more thirsty. So, thank you very much and good job passing those notes...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment work closely with the Standing Committee on Government Operations to revise and bring forward its legislative proposal for amendments to the Official Languages Act in the life of this Assembly;

And further, if the department has received any legal opinions related to the issue of federal concurrence with changes to the NWT’s Official Languages Act, this information should be shared in confidence with the Standing Committee on Government Operations, so that the department and the...

  Thank you. We will commence after a short break.

---SHORT RECESS