Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that answer from the Minister. Is this something that is going to be done in time for the business plans for next year so that we could see an allocation within the business plan for seniors' involvement in organized sports activities? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I think that was a maybe.

---Laughter

We may have to pursue that further. So one last question: can the Minister confirm then that, when his department and he himself talks about full funding for junior kindergarten, that's really in reference to the current formulas which do not include junior kindergarten students? So full funding does not really include junior kindergarten students? Can the Minister say yes or no? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I know I have raised the issue of support for seniors in sports. I think I got some kind of a commitment out of the Minister that this was something that they were going to evaluate. Could the Minister tell us where their current thinking is at, if we can get support for seniors in sports? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank the Minister for his short answer. Can the Minister tell this House and the public whether junior kindergarten students are included in the formula for Aboriginal language and culture funding for schools? Yes or no.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am looking at page 326. I'm at the top, program details. Consumer affairs is listed at $150,000. Last week, I raised in the House concerns around our weak Consumer Protection Act, and I was pleased to hear the Minister say that there was supposed to be some sort of a plain language brochure that goes out soon to help consumers understand what their rights are under the existing legislation.

When was the last time there was any change or increase to the consumer affairs line in the MACA budget? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for providing those details. As I understood, the trip to Ottawa that all of Cabinet went on was precisely as part of this federal engagement strategy and the three pitches that they made when they were down there. In any event, I will move on.

One of the commitments that we made in our mandate was increasing transparency and accountability and strengthening consensus government, so a knowledge of the lobbying activities of the executive would help make us more transparent and accountable. Does the Minister believe we should have lobbyist registration...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that commitment from the Minister. It still seems rather counterintuitive to me that we are asking communities to do more land use planning for themselves, yet we are cutting the capacity within the department to approve the land use plans, the zoning bylaw changes, and so on, that they come up with. It just does not make much sense to me. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I thank the Premier for his response. The Earnscliffe Strategy Group is a registered lobbyist under federal legislation, and they fully disclose that GNWT is one of its clients, as shown in a filing that I will table later today. The period of its service to the GNWT includes a period where our entire Cabinet went to Ottawa. Did the Earnscliffe Strategy Group provide any advice or support for the planning or execution of the November trip by all of Cabinet?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is getting closer. Are these the people, though, within the department who give advice to the Minister about whether the Minister should be signing off on zoning changes, general plans, those sort of things that require ministerial approval? The reason I ask this question is because, if we have fewer people giving advice to the Minister or we have a diminished capacity here, is this going to delay the ability of communities to carry out the land use planning that the department seems to want them to do? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I do have a motion following the committee report.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Committee Report 718(2), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on the Review of Members' Conduct Guidelines, be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further discussion. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Carried