Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to stand to speak in support of the principles and standards that are laid out in the Members' Conduct Guidelines. It’s been said in this government before and we can always remember that we need to lead by example and that we are the role models. We are under the scrutiny of all of the people we serve, the people of the Northwest Territories. We do have our private lives, but our private lives aren’t very private in the sense that people do look to us for that leadership. I’ll say I’ll coin that phrase again that we must set a high standard...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our Premier is being very helpful with this and I do appreciate this information and I’m sure the public does, as well. So right now, then, as I understand it, the only commitment that this government has is the extent of the loan guarantee, which I believe is around $5 million. We are not liable at this point in time for anything further than the loan guarantee for around $5 million on the Deh Cho Bridge project? Is it nine? Oh, it was five last time I heard it. Ever grows. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I understand it, the act is a vehicle by which this process can proceed; however, the detail of it is left open and that’s why we’re able to have discussions about, you know, can we still afford our contribution. It used to be just the cost of the ice road and the ferry and now we’re talking about perhaps another $2 million a year indexed over the next 35 years. We just need to see that. We need to know what that is, and we don’t know right now. It seems open ended. Is there a point at which our involvement in this will cause this government to say, no, stop?...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The programming for seniors is a very good program in the Northwest Territories; however, it needs to be fixed. I am not suggesting we take anything away from it. However, I am saying we create a level play field. At a high level, in terms of principle, will the Premier agree that we, as a government, should not discriminate against people on the basis of their income nor on the basis of their marital status? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, why should the Housing Corporation have first rights to the proceeds of a sale of a senior’s home who accessed a repair program and yet they would have absolutely no issue with somebody selling their house, putting the money in the bank and getting free housing? I am not trying to take that away from the people who do get that. That was a program in place. People accessed it. Good for them. That is the parameters that we set out, but it is highly discriminatory. I will tell you another thing that is highly discriminatory with our housing is that the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the Saturday of the past Thanksgiving weekend, Hay River residents awoke to the news of a tragic loss to our community: the death of one of our respected RCMP members, Constable Christopher Worden. As the details came to be known, Hay River residents grieved and looked for ways to express their sorrow, support and condolences. Today I would like to take this opportunity in the House to extend my deepest sympathies to Constable Worden's widow, Jodie, and his baby daughter, Alexis, his family and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police across this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although he’s not my constituent, I would like to recognize Chief Superintendent Tom Middleton from “G” Division and thank him very much for his support to our community.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today, for the last time, are for the Minister of Human Resources, Minister Dent. At the rate the Members are leaving the Chamber, I might get you all to myself for one hour. Anyway, duty to accommodate. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement today I raised a very important subject. Under the Human Rights Commission there is provision for the duty to accommodate. I want to know how does that right, how does that translate into any policy, procedure or actions on the part of this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to use my Member’s statement to draw attention to a potential gap in the guidelines for applying the duty to accommodate for employees of our public service. The human rights legislation is quite clear that the employer has the duty to accommodate when an employee has an obligation to care for a family member with a disability unless it can be proven that this accommodation causes undue hardship to the employer.

Managers in our public service should have reflective policies that allow them to make these accommodations within a clearly...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister concur that public servants of the GNWT should not have to take issues such as this to the Human Rights Commission to get a satisfactory solution; that as a leader and a role model in employing people in the public service in the Northwest Territories that this government should be setting that high standard and that it should directly comply with the human rights legislation? Thank you.