Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the SCAN legislation, we have visited the Yukon, our neighbouring Territory, to see how their legislation was going. We met with several of the leadership of that community, Whitehorse, and also visited the First Nations group and also the community council. So we just wanted to have a firsthand look at how that legislation was operating.

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we are currently conducting our own research in other jurisdictions as well. The SCAN legislation is at the preliminary stages at this point. We want to make some changes so it...

When we had to make a decision at that time, it was strictly an operational one that we made last year.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We do have contacts with the Alberta Hospital when it comes to assessments. Not only that, we do have a staff on hand that is a counsellor training to be a psychologist in that respect within a year. Once that individual obtains credentials, that individual will fulfill that position. It’s a current position that we have. We are making progress in this line of work. It has been taking some time, but we wanted to find the right individual with the right credentials to fulfill the position. We are moving forward on this.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, I will move that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, indeed, the cost analysis, the consultation, the fee, how much it would cost us and also a centralized model and other options, that we are dealing with. So, Mr. Speaker, we will finalize our overall cost, whether it be the equipment, the assets, the offices, the staff. Mr. Speaker, it varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. So we will continue to provide that information to the Assembly Members when we gather all the information from other jurisdictions. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I need to go back to my department and the court ruling. We can probably provide a number. So we can certainly provide those numbers. Whatever we can share with the Members we will.

I cannot comment on specifics to this inmate because it’s before court proceedings. However, I can speak to the process itself. Since this process came to our attention, it is the responsibility of counsel to notify the RCMP, which in this particular case did not happen for various reasons. At the same time, we deal with Alberta Hospital. At Alberta Hospital there is a long wait list which Alberta Hospital provided to our attention as well. We have to keep in mind that there is a new process in place since the issue came to our attention. Copies of the psychiatric assessment are to be sent to...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment, as the government lead on the work to revitalize, enhance, and support the Northwest Territories official languages, continues to actively engage with language communities in the preparation of the Official Languages Strategy to be tabled this fall.

We are in the midst of planning a major Aboriginal Languages Symposium March 30th to April 1st in Yellowknife to bring together government, aboriginal language communities and other stakeholders to discuss the overarching principles of an Aboriginal Languages Strategy, how...

That is what we’re waiting for: input from the general public. We just did an advertisement February 22nd and we have a few weeks to get input and comments from the general public. We did send out letters to stakeholders, as well, to receive their feedback. Until then, I can’t stand up here and say we’re going to recognize every single site, every single event that’s been put out there. Mr. Speaker, that’s why we want to hear from the general public of the Northwest Territories. Let’s hear them out and then I can get back to the Member on what the outcome is on the particular matter. Mahsi, Mr...

Mr. Speaker, once we see the comments and the feedback, then we go back to myself, as the Minister responsible for historical sites and the events that will be before us. Then I’ll certainly review them and get feedback from the committee itself, the ad hoc committee, and just go along with the process and how it’s been done in the past.

This particular hockey that we talked about, the hockey game in the NWT, is one of the events of the Northwest Territories that’s been highlighted here in the House, but at the same time, Mr. Speaker, the federal government does not recognize that particular...