Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would very much like to see the safety net around this particular age group strengthened through cooperation between teachers, educators, social workers, families, communities, churches. I would very much like to see this safety net for this age group strengthened, and I would ask the Minister if he would consider a specific dialogue and discussion with people who are in this field going forward and perhaps include it in a transition plan for the 17th Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you. When the Minister spoke the other day, I believe in Committee of the Whole, saying that this government cannot possibly have enough money to address all of the social concerns once they have advanced to the point that trying to achieve and address these solutions is so costly that this government doesn’t have enough money for that, and he stressed the importance of working on the front end on preventative measures. Mr. Speaker, I see a lot of opportunity where we as a government could bring programs, services to bear early on when these young people first begin to encounter some of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Some kids will come to their senses and pull back. They find an appeal of such choices worn off and turn their attention to wholesome pursuits. But what about the ones who don’t, the ones entangled in a life of struggle with addictions? What can we as a government do to support the parents and caregivers through these years? I don’t think we can throw up our hands and say hey, you’re on your own. They are people with a right to their own choices, even if these choices are unquestionably bad choices.

I believe that we need to do more to support...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Committee Motion 18-16(6) be amended by deleting the number “120” and substituting the number “90.”

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As in her 2008-2009 report, the Information and Privacy Commissioner recommended a comprehensive review of the ATIPP Act. The act was passed in 1994, long before e-mail, smartphones and flash drives were an everyday part of government business. As well, the IPC and standing committees have made a number of recommendations over the years for amendments to the act that have not yet been addressed by government. For example, a recommendation repeated in the current report is for the inclusion of a provision to give the IPC the discretion to expand the limitation period for...

Thank you. I’d like to ask the Minister if he feels that the seriousness and magnitude of this problem perhaps would be worthy of a specific dialogue with these organizations and communities that he’s referring to. I’m very concerned about this particular age group where it seems like we lose some of our young people where all these things that he’s referring to, somehow children, which is what they are, young people, are still falling between the cracks. Does the Minister think that in an attempt to come up with more specific solutions and specific programs that the situation would merit a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will be supporting the motion. I’d like to thank the Member for the Sahtu for bringing this forward.

Mr. Speaker, it is a well-known fact we have a huge problem with alcohol abuse in the Northwest Territories. Anything we can do to prevent that, to treat that, is something that I will support.

To the clause in the motion that speaks of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and to the beer cans over Mr. Hawkins’ fence, I can’t really exactly understand how that correlates to an on-the-land drug and alcohol abuse program, but that’s okay. I’m going to try and speak...

What reciprocal agreements do we have in place with other jurisdictions in Canada to provide them with support if our fire season is not making busy our crews and equipment that are on standby? What agreements do we have in place to lend support where it may be required in neighbouring jurisdictions and where they may come to our aid should we require their assistance?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I referred to in my Member’s statement earlier today, I think we all have some concerns after seeing what’s transpiring in northern Alberta right now with regard to forest fires. The situation that occurred in Slave Lake where within such a short time span a forest fire broke out and destroyed almost the entire community, are there any observations, lessons to be learned for us here in the North on how that whole situation transpired? Is that something that the Minister is going to look at to avoid such a tragedy in our territory?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So far we have approval from committee to deal with Bills 3, 4, 5, 6 and 11; okay, 11 as well. I’m getting the verbal here from... No? Okay, Mr. Schauerte is saying no to 11.

---Laughter

Okay, let’s just go back to 3, 4, 5, 6. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.