Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To curb the spread of infestations of bedbugs in the Northwest Territories, will public health officials, environmental health inspectors, be prepared to issue work orders to insist that buildings known to have infestations address the problem and not leave it unattended so that the situation gets worse and it spreads to more places? Will work orders similar to what would be issued by a fire marshal or any kind of health inspector work order, will those type of work orders relate to this matter?

This is fairly new to the Northwest Territories, I think. At least that’s what we’re told. Does this government have a specific policy initiative, some means to assist people that may encounter this situation? It is not an inexpensive solution. Do bedbugs pose a health risk?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take the opportunity in my Member’s statement to congratulate Dennis Bevington on his decisive win, re-elected as our Member of Parliament for what will probably be another four years.

I would also like to congratulate and thank the other candidates who brought their names forward: Ms. Lee and Mr. Handley, both former colleagues of ours in this Legislature; very credible candidates. Also Ms. Bonnie Dawson and Mr. Eli Purchase, who represented the Animal Rights Alliance and the Green Party.

I would like to particularly thank Ms. Lee today. She had...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 2011 National Student Debating Seminar of the Canadian Student Debating Federation is taking place in Hay River from March 9th to 13th. There are 78 delegates participating in formal debates representing 10 provinces, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. This is considered to be one of their largest debates and it is the first of its kind to take place in the North since 1975.

The participating delegates are accomplished students chosen by provincial and territorial debating organizations through a competitive process. The seminar theme has been appropriately...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a constituent, Sophie Call, who is accompanying our group of young debaters today.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The wish of committee is to deal with Bills 1 and 2.

It’s coming, yes. Sorry. I’d like to ask the Minister, can we revert to the 1 percent tax and what would that cost this government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I raised the issue of the payroll tax on the request of a constituent. The payroll tax has been a thorn in the side of Northerners for a long time now. I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance what precipitated, what made the government think it would be a good idea to raise it from already what was bad enough at 1 percent to 2 percent. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Mr. Speaker, the Minister suggests that this is something that could be noted in a transitional document to the 17th Assembly. Is this something that the Program Review Office could take a look at to see if there is some other source of this much revenue that we do not have to take from our residents? Thank you.