Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, as well, I would like to speak about the issue of the consideration of the ATCO proposal as it relates to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Premier for coming down to Hay River and meeting with us after the end of the last session as we requested him to do. We had a chance to meet with the employees and then have a much larger meeting at the Power Corp itself with the management and the employees together. I thought it was a very productive exercise. Unfortunately we hadn’t done that sooner because I...

Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mayor Gord Van Tighem was in attendance, as well, and has reported subsequently back to his council as to his involvement and so on. So I hope that the Premier has a good and solid understanding of the fact that when he goes out and attends a forum like this as the Premier, his mandate comes from us and that we need to be in the loop as to what’s going on. I can only assume time hasn’t really permitted yet that he might have actually told us what had happened, but I was a bit surprised about it and to read it in the paper. But does the Premier concur that his...

Mr. Speaker, we all know that it isn’t free to put full-page colour ads in the inside cover of News North, and it isn’t free for a whole bunch of people to get together at Blachford Lake Lodge to launch some new organization to set a new vision and direction for the Northwest Territories. I would like to know who is financing this new forum. How does this differ, in terms of a vision, from our vision as the 16th Assembly for the future of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize my constituent, Mr. Rocky Simpson. In a time of economic downturn, he’s fighting the odds and expanding his business at a great pace in Hay River. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 36-16(3), Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Infrastructure Expenditures) 2009-2010, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 36-16(3) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 37-16(3), Supplementary Appropriation No. 4, 2008-2009, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 37-16(3) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The wish of the committee today I believe is to deal with Tabled Documents 37-16(3), 35-16(3) and 36-16(3). Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’m still not entirely clear what our Premier’s role was in this. This was an exclusive meeting. It wasn’t open to the public. I wasn’t invited. No aboriginal organizations were invited. At a remote location that people couldn’t get to, behind closed doors. I’m just trying to sort of get to, you know, the bottom of our involvement in this organization. Like I said, people can do what they want, but to the question again: Very high price tag on setting up a website like that and doing all that expensive advertising -- who’s paying for this? It’s a bit seemingly secretive. Thank you...

Mr. Speaker, the Premier of the Northwest Territories represents our government in many different forums and the mandate to represent us comes from the Members of this Assembly. Recently, I know when I was gone after session, I was surprised to hear of this organization that was putting forward something called the NWT Declaration. I understand that their mandate was to craft a new vision for the Territory.

Mr. Speaker, it hasn’t been abundantly transparent or clear to me exactly what the parameters of this new organization is to craft a new vision for the Northwest Territories. I’ve heard some...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I could hardly believe my ears last night as I listened to interviews in the national media chastising our Governor General as she visited the community of Rankin Inlet on her Arctic tour.

Governor General Michaelle Jean showed respect to her host by participating and partaking with them in an age honoured tradition of sharing the rewards of the hunt and of the harvest, in this case the consumption of seal meat. I doubt if those being interviewed representing the views of lobby, special interest organizations, who protest the harvesting of animals for human...