Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to say how much I appreciate the committee that did travel to Hay River and hear from many of our NGOs, including the family support centre, and I know that those MLAs who heard that presentation with me know exactly what I’m talking about today.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, as a government we need to prove that we are committed to protecting the victims of family violence and to keeping faith with the support workers in this territory who are the ones who are on the front lines, who are working to break the cycle of violence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that. I don’t think it can happen too soon. In the list of people that he recited who are going to be consulted on this, obviously absent were the people who are involved in providing the service themselves, even the volunteers or the paid contracted ambulance services. I would like to know, will they be included in the consultation in setting up this new and organized system? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services in follow up to the questions that I posed to the Minister of Transportation and MACA yesterday with regard to the ambulance service that is provided by the volunteer fire department located in Hay River. As I stated yesterday, the volunteer fire department provides an ambulance service, which takes some vehicles -- as I stated yesterday, one is 10 years old, I think one is 19 years old -- out on the highway and services quite a wide radius of the road system in the South Slave area. So I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since the appointment of a new chair to that board in the person of Mr. Todd Burlingame, is he satisfied that Mr. Van Camp, who he says is eminently capable -- and I totally agree with him on that -- has been kept informed of applications that have been reviewed in unsettled areas, that he has been kept informed with correspondence, attendance at meetings, has been kept in the loop as a participant on the board? Is the Minister satisfied that that has occurred in recent months? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources today on the much talked about Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board and how it is functioning. Does the GNWT have a representative and a voice on the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board this time? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, October 9th to 15th, 2005, is Family Violence Awareness Week. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, family violence continues to be as pervasive as ever and a shadowy reality in the North.

This is an important time for the residents of the NWT to stop and reflect on the challenges presented by family violence. It is also a time for us to recommit ourselves to the reduction and elimination of family violence.

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Awareness of the issue is definitely the first step in recognizing its existence and bringing about its eradication. Awareness also means recognizing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can fully understand that. Hay River is a tax-based municipality; however, they are servicing highway infrastructure which this government knows well goes all the way to Fort Smith, the border, Fort Providence, down the corridor. Who is responsible for ensuring that we have adequate vehicles and infrastructure to serve that? That is not within the municipal boundaries. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think my questions today are directed to the Minister of Transportation and MACA. It is with regard to what I raised in my Member's statement. I would like to ask the Minister, given the traffic statistics that I know he would have access to for highways south of the lake, given the amount of tourists and traveling public who use our highway systems, given the number of accidents that have needed to be responded to lately, who is responsible for responding to motor vehicle accidents and injuries on the highway system that is served by the Hay River...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to welcome Mr. Jackson Lafferty here as the Member for Monfwi. It’s wonderful to be up to full complement on this side of the House because we need all the help we can get to stay ahead of our friends on the other side of the House.

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Mr. Speaker, October 9th to 15th, 2005, is National Fire Prevention Week. I would like to take this time to acknowledge those who contribute their time and energy to help promote fire safety and fire prevention in our communities. To that end, I particularly would like to thank the courageous and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.