Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unless the head of the RCMP has been renamed the Premier, the sign on the parking stall says "Premier." I know how to read, and right beside it says “Minister.” As I was searching for a parking place in the overcrowded parking lot at the airport, I saw those two empty spots and it was very tempting to take one of those, but, being as I am not the Premier or the Minister, I thought I had better not. But there is designated parking and we pay for our parking here, we come to work every month, it comes off our paycheque if we want a parking spot and I want to know if the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Premier has made reference to, you know, due diligence and protecting the public interest, but certainly the Government of the Northwest Territories has an obligation to protect the interest of those people who have been affected by these abusive situations that they found themselves in. Recently there was a suggestion made that perhaps if this government doesn’t in fact embrace the kind of defense that was put forward, that we should find an alternative way to resolve and bring some peace and some reconciliation to these people who are now adults who...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess the four areas of particular concern were speculation as to whether any of the alleged victims were consenting, whether they were lying, whether the abuse actually had any impact on their future life and whether or not their race or their culture had any overbearing facts and whether or not they were in a position to consent to anything. Those are the things I’m speaking to with respect to his personal beliefs and I would like for the Premier to clarify on those matters. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a very comprehensive and thick report on this subject has already come out. Why is it going to take to the fall for this government to respond? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my information is that Public Works and Services in fact has not undertaken a review of the condition of the Diamond Jenness Secondary School, and given our very extensive debate in this House yesterday over leaving these things to the last minute and then being forced into stop-gap measures at a very high price, I would think that it would be prudent of the Minister to follow up with the Minister of PWS again and ensure that this review gets taken, gets undertaken forthwith. Will the Minister commit to that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to mention my husband, Rick, who is also a wonderful father to my children. He was good with the kids when they were little and that's why I know he'll make a super grandfather, but we'll have to keep you posted on that front.

---Laughter

No pressure, kids. To you, Mr. Speaker, to my colleagues who are fathers and grandfathers here in this House, to the fathers of Hay River and to the fathers of the Northwest Territories, Happy Father's Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

We still don’t know what the Minister is going to suspend. We’re going to be in suspense wondering.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of seniors currently living in public housing, I need to know if the Minister in the next few weeks is going to go to Cabinet and ask them for some kind of moratorium on the existing current Seniors’ Rent Subsidy Program. I need to know what context that that request is going to be made. We can’t do this open ended. Do seniors know by now that the government is considering a change in the policy for assessing rent? Yes, I think they do. Between the work of ECE and the Housing Corporation, I think they do. But Mr. Braden asked for...

Mr. Speaker, I was really happy there for a minute. I thought we actually got an answer from the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation on something to do with the seniors’ rent. First I heard we were going to suspend the rent policy that’s in place now. Then I heard we were going to suspend it in market communities. Then I heard we were just going to take it back to Cabinet to see if we can suspend it in market communities. I just think this has created so much lack of clarity now that if I was a senior living in a housing unit right now, I would not be getting any sleep this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the meantime, there are people who are resigning from positions. There’s not a lot of clarity around liability, there’s been lawsuits that have been filed by the Workers’ Compensation Board. There’s just a lot of outstanding questions and I think the time is of the essence. What is the Minister going to have in hand by the fall that is going to actually not just see more review and more study, but something tangible in the hands of these folks who are offering these volunteer, but very, very important services to our communities? Thank you, Mr...