Jackson Lafferty

I move to report progress, Madam Chair.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee members wish to consider Bill 15, Elections and Plebiscites Act; Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3; and Committee Report 5-15(5), Report on the Review of the Report of the Auditor General on the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see action results focussing on the expansion from the department’s perspective. Can the Minister commit in this House that this can be implemented in the fall time of 2007? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of the ministerial directive clarifying the use of funding provided to deliver aboriginal and language programming in our schools as Minister Dent had identified, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell this Assembly how any schools in the NWT can be expected to employ a qualified ALCIP instructor when it takes them five years or more without funding or support to achieve this goal? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time I’d like to recognize one of my chiefs, Chief Charlie Football from Wekweeti is in the audience.

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Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize the two Pages I have here from my region, Carrcie Mantla and also Tyanna Steinwand. It is their last day today. I hope they enjoyed it. Thank you.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to address the issue of the North Slave regional office. Most of these offices and especially the offices with the decision-making powers are located at the headquarters in Yellowknife, instead of in the region, Mr. Speaker. Services provided from those offices for Tlicho have been a concern for some time now. Mr. Speaker, the Tlicho region has been accorded regional status by virtue of land claims and self-government agreement with the recent TCSA, Tlicho Community Services Agency, silver medal award for innovative management. That is a...

Mahsi, Chair. The Members wish to consider Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Jury Act, and Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. Mahsi, Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we did make progress in this House a while back. I supported the government when the Department of Executive introduced the regional director positions so there could be a better link between the GNWT residents in the region and government headquarters. So can the Premier explain why even these regional directors of our North Slave region are located at the headquarters in Yellowknife? How can this position support the region if it is located in Yellowknife? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd just like to touch on my earlier Member’s statement about the transfer of the North Slave office staff to Behchoko. Mr. Speaker, this government is contradicting itself when it recognizes the Tlicho Government but it does not have the regional offices with decision-making powers in the Tlicho region. Mr. Speaker, it’s time this government sees these decision-makers to be in the communities. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain how over a year this government continues to ignore the self-government of the Tlicho by refusing to...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Mr. Speaker, requests forwarded to headquarters go through multiple levels of bureaucracy. Their message may change in this process. They are either delayed or sometimes lost in the system. This is not necessary and causes undue hardship, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government should give the Tlicho region with Behchoko the same acknowledgment that it did with the Sahtu and the transfer of North Slave regional office function serving the Tlicho from Yellowknife to Behchoko.

As the Government of the Northwest Territories chooses to represent the Tlicho...