Julie Green

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my constituent, Nicolas Carriere, who is with Franco-Tenoise and helps to keep the French language strong here in the territory. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard debate this week about possible solutions to homelessness in Yellowknife and how they are going to be paid for. I welcome the announcement by the Minister responsible for Homelessness of additional money for homelessness initiatives both for semi-independent units located within existing shelters and independent units under the Housing First model. Either way, more people who are now homeless will be housed and that's the goal here. I want to talk about expectations Yellowknifers may have about making homelessness go away. It's not going to go away. This new...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have no reason to doubt that the Minister is speaking to me in good faith a propos to what Mr. R.C. McLeod said. I happen to know the person who is in the position, and I know that she works more than halftime to deliver the programs here, in Yellowknife, and on behalf of the department around the Northwest Territories. I feel that, while it is very valuable to have an additional position in the South Slave, that it is also valuable to keep the regional and the headquarters at strength in this role in order to ensure that everybody is wellinformed, is welleducated...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, today there are or have been, since it's late in the day, 300 children in the Somba K’e Park here, in Yellowknife, for World Oceans Day, and the reason that they're there is because ENR has a public education program that is aimed at teaching children and people of all ages about the different aspects of the ENR mandate, such as wildlife, water, environmental protection, and so on. To that end, I'm very dismayed by the proposed loss of the parttime public education specialist in the department's field support unit, which we spoke about yesterday when we were...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The difference of opinion between Cabinet and Regular MLAs with the 201516 budget reflects some unfinished business around the mandate. Our problem is what then-vice president George Bush Sr. described as “the vision thing.” As an interesting aside, I want to provide some context for this quote. Bush was considering a run at the presidency as Ronald Reagan's second term in office came to an end. You might recall that Reagan was known as “the Great Communicator,” but up to that point in 1987, Bush hadn't been very effective in articulating what he stood for, so a friend...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, to give a specific example here, the Housing First project in Yellowknife plans to house 20 people in the next three years. Does that mean there will be a decline in the shelter capacity of 20 people?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today dealt with the issue of migration and how there will always be some need for emergency shelters in Yellowknife, but probably and hopefully not to the extent that they are available now. My question for the Minister responsible for Homelessness is: what planning is she doing with the shelters to reduce their bed nights over time? Thank you.

Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal and territorial governments are set to reverse this trend by funding additional housing for people who are homeless. This is good news for the many people waiting for homes, for the City of Yellowknife, and for Yellowknife residents. This collaboration is the way forward for finding real solutions to this long-term problem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 9, 2016, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for that answer. What I'm wondering in particular with Nutrition North, which is a federal program, is whether the territorial government is taking a role in trying to make Nutrition North a more useful program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.