Glen Abernethy

We have been approached by some communities who have an interest. We’ve been approached by some organizations that have an interest. It’s not currently in our legislative agenda, but it is something that we are…(inaudible)…and looking at. I can’t say for sure whether or not we will actually see it come forward in the life of this Assembly, but I can commit that it is something that the department is looking at and will continue to look at. We do have in front of us, now that we have passed the motion on devolution, a pretty heavy legislative agenda. We’ve got a number of things outside of...

The answer is yes. The program is in a pilot phase. It had its original delivery in November 2010, and we were fortunate enough to get the one member here in the Northwest Territories in Hay River. The RCMP is doing a second intake, which is intended to happen this September. We have, I think, a number of applications that have come in for the second troop. We have two seats, and we have applications from Fort McPherson, Fort Simpson, Behchoko, Ulukhaktok, Sachs Harbour, Hay River, Inuvik, Gameti and Yellowknife. We know at least two of these individuals will be going forward for this program...

I can’t remember the exact schedule, but I believe that we are coming together as Members in August, and that’s going to be our opportunity to review the action plan. The symposium would be after we as an Assembly review the action plan, so later in the fall.

Mr. Speaker, we don’t have money to provide to individual organizations so that they can provide a response to the framework. But in the budget statement earlier in the year, there was reference for the fact that there was money being set aside to deal with the different frameworks and strategies that are going to be coming out, and there will be money in that to address poverty initiatives and issues once the extra plan is done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the process is that it will be reviewed. It will be identified how many pages are required to meet the Member’s request. It will identify the cost. The letter will indicate there is a cost. The Member can certainly ask us to waive the fee. Frankly, I’m interested in helping the Member obtain this information, so we will likely waive the fee, but we have to go through an appropriate process. We have to go through the legal process. I will do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated yesterday, we’ve had one application for this information. It was from a private citizen sent from his private home, with no reference at all that he was working on behalf of the MLA. The staff who actually processed the request would have had no idea that the Member was actually the one forwarding this request.

I would love to provide the contract to the Member. I would love to do it in open and in public. The problem is, there is a law. I can’t break the law. I would like to work with the Member. I would like to sit down with the Member and identify what exactly he...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two individuals who are on the Anti-Poverty Steering Committee, Ms. Bronwyn Watters and Ms. Julie Green, and thank you both so much for all the hard work you put into this strategy. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled “Building on the Strengths of Northerners – A Strategic Framework Toward the Elimination of Poverty in the Northwest Territories, June 2013.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to start off by thanking the Premier for bringing this motion forward and Mrs. Groenewegen for seconding the motion, bringing her five terms and tons of corporate history and knowledge to the table. I’d also like to thank the devolution team and all of our Aboriginal government partners – the Inuvialuit, the Gwich’in, the Sahtu, the Tlicho and the Metis – for all the good work and important work that they’ve done in bringing this agreement to our table and to our forum here today. I also look forward to working with all of our Aboriginal partners as we move...

Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting concept. We are certainly willing to have that discussion with the committee as we bring the LP forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.