Jane Groenewegen

I get very passionate about this topic. I apologize.

Why can’t we see it for what it is and what it is doing? If we knew there was a road washed out and people went speeding towards an open pit that would result in injury and death for sure, would we not do everything in our power to warn and prevent them from speeding over the edge? Would we not divert the road, put up barricades, warning signs, physically go out and try to do everything we could to stop them? We wouldn’t stand by and say, well, it’s just their choice to take that road.

We need to create a new norm, and we need to do it with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to try to be concise and measured in my comments here. First of all, let me say that I do support the motion. I think that we as a government do need to do more to address a very prevalent and a very large problem in the Northwest Territories. However, there is no amount of money that this government could acquire or could spend that could address this situation in and of itself.

We have to meet people halfway. I do like the fact that this ministerial forum is going out to talk to people in the communities. We as a government have done a disservice to our...

I believe that. I have known this Minister and everyone on the other side of the House for a very long time and I do believe that, but it may involve necessarily setting something else that we do and spend money on aside in order to devote the resources that we need to this problem, because this is a pressing and critical problem which is absorbing so much of our resources. If we could curb it and stem it somehow, we could go back to doing those other things.

Will the Minister work with this side of the House to look at what things we now spend money on that are not as high a priority and could...

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro.

Okay, Members. I’d like to call Committee of the whole back to order. I guess, before the break, committee indicated they’d like to deal with Bill 5, Legal Aid Act, and Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Judicature Act. So we will proceed with Bill 5 first. Committee agreed?

Does committee agree that Bill 5 is ready for third reading as amended?

---Bill 5 as amended approved for third reading

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. To the motion. Mr. Bouchard.

Clause 10 as amended.

---Clauses 10 through 26 inclusive approved.

Clause 6. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you. I will now rise and report progress.