Michael McLeod

Madam Speaker, this afternoon, I would like to advise the Assembly that the Department of Transportation’s Graduated Driver’s Licence Program will come into effect as of August 1, 2005. The Graduated Driver’s Licence Program will attach some new conditions to the process of acquiring a driver’s licence for the first time. These conditions will encourage the novice driver to respect the responsibility involved in operating a motor vehicle safely.

When the 14th Legislative Assembly amended the Motor Vehicle Act for the strategy to reduce impaired driving in June of 2003, it also enacted...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the intent of this funding was to assist the communities to prepare and deal with the regulatory review process. As I indicated earlier, it was funding we felt we needed to put into the hands of the communities to assist them to deal with the pipeline construction application. The hearings are going to be starting fairly quick this summer, late summer more than likely. The communities needed the resources to be able to deal with it.

There are 11 communities that have been recognized outside of the Mackenzie gas study area. We did not provide a lot of money...

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 9, Municipal Statutes Amendment Act, be read for the second time.

Madam Speaker, this bill amends the Charter Communities Act, the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, and the Hamlets Act. The amendments enable community governments to:

make bylaws authorizing the refinancing of long-term debt without the approval of the Minister or the voters, so long as the principal amount being borrowed does not exceed the principal amount then outstanding under the original debt;

require that notice of loss or damage...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I guess I should first of all commend the community of Fort Good Hope for all of their efforts and their ability to work together during this real tense time this spring, when we were experiencing some severe flooding in that community. I would also like to commend the MLA for that riding for all of his good work in keeping the communications line open during that difficult time.

Madam Speaker, we are, as the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, working with a number of other departments within this government to ensure that there is a smooth...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I apologize to the Member if any complaints that have come forward have not been responded to, and I would certainly like to speak with the Member to see where those complaints are coming from and who it was addressed to. We make every effort to respond to all issues that are brought forward, be it from headquarters or the region. We will contact our staff to see if any complaints have come forward that we haven’t dealt with. As to when we will start spending money on Highway No. 7, Madam Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that we started spending money on...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Recently I met with workers at the Inuvik Transition House, which is a women's shelter in Inuvik. I have to tell you, Madam Speaker, I was very disappointed at how this government and its agencies treat an organization like the Inuvik Transition House which provides a valuable service to the community. Every year the Transition House must fight with the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Authority to negotiate a contract and secure funding for the next year. Every year the delays and frustrations surrounding the renewal of the contract cause stress and...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yesterday I questioned the Minister on another matter regarding the Inuvik Health and Social Services Board and it turns out that we were both under the wrong assumption. Would it be possible for the funding to flow directly from his department to the Transition House in Inuvik and not through the health board? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't know how many times I have to stand up in this House and assure the Member that I do have a heart and I do care.

Madam Speaker, the sense of urgency for the Fort Good Hope flood has probably passed. There is some consideration from the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation to see if he can go into the community this weekend, providing that his travel schedule allows it. The Member of Parliament, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, has contacted me and is in the community today; she left this morning. Our session schedule doesn't allow me to get...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will certainly commit to doing that. We do review our emergency measures policy on a regular basis. Each community has emergency measures plans, however, there is a time for updating the plans and for reviewing the plans with the community, especially in the areas where there are changes in council. We will commit to reviewing the emergency measures policy and the plans and meet with the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will certainly take the Member’s advice. We will commit to have our staff go into the communities to meet with the community leaders and present what our plans are. I should point out, in some cases a lot of the work that’s being done that is requiring some investment and some expenditure is hard to see physically because some of it is in design, some of it is in stockpiling the gravel, and some of it is in restructuring plans. We will certainly take that as direction to go to the communities in the Deh Cho and present those future plans. Thank you.