Michael Miltenberger

The response to the committee’s report was in this House during the last session. There were agreements reached in terms of some additional funding to look at trying to get some of the community and family services committees set up, as well as a review and internal work that we’re going to cover from within in terms of policy review and those types of things. Those commitments will be honoured. The other recommendations will be brought forward through the business planning process and will be there on the table for the incoming Assembly of the 17th Assembly in October or November when they...

Mr. Speaker, there are rights issues based on age. There are very few cases where you can have some type of custodial disposition that will give legal authority to take somebody involuntarily into a treatment program. Those usually work through the courts, if it’s through the young offenders process or if it’s through an arrangement with the Department of Health and Social Services where there is an actual custodial disposition through the courts. But as a matter of practice for those types of situations where you’re dealing with family issues and these types of circumstances, when you’re 16...

Our engagement will be the same as what has been outlined by the Minister of Justice that was a jointly-signed letter, and it’s an approach that we think will allow us to move forward and still have involvement in an advisory capacity, and as the Minister of Justice indicated, we’re receptive to the types of suggestions made by the Member for Great Slave. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 16, 2011, I will move that Bill 20, Vital Statistics Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

My understanding is that it’s for the two Aboriginal partners that have signed the agreement to carry on the work to move us forward and that there will be funds. If further partners sign on, then we’ll carry on with the funding, and if we need more, then that request would be made. Thank you.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has a position that is clear. We support the current structures. We have recommended against any changes. We are of the opinion that we are better served by the structure that is here, properly funded with proper policy clarity and adequate funding to represent our interests. The biggest point being we don’t want any major upheaval since we are now in the process of taking over those authorities. If there are changes that need to be made, then Northerners will make those changes collectively after we take over those responsibilities. It’s not...

We’ll be working, of course, closely as a government to try to make sure we control our expenditures. If that point occurs, then we will be working, of course, very closely with committee and Members to try to manage and identify what the particular cost pressures are and what steps have to be taken to try to resolve them. One of the reasons we have engaged in this passive restraint process over the last number of months is to try to as well make sure that we have the maximum amount of cushion available over the next year to give us some flexibility should some of these unanticipated or...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is for those parties that are signed on for the AIP.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a very fundamental political issue. The reality is that Northerners should be making those decisions, that if we had the authority over land, water, and resource development, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

This is a federal initiative and it’s one where what has been portrayed is that there is a need to reform the processes in the Northwest Territories.

It’s our opinion that the system we have is fundamentally sound, that the gaps and delays that happen occur when decisions have been made in the North and go to Ottawa. We do not even have, at this late...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member has made some very harsh, inflammatory comments, highly critical of the Premier and myself, and highly critical of the institution that he has served in for the last 16 years. He’s made some inaccurate depictions of what is on the table. Land claims have been settled and have been honoured, maybe not as well as could be, but we are talking about public lands, we are talking about resources that we’re currently not getting at a time, as I just demonstrated when I did the fiscal update, that we are under some significant fiscal constraints and we do not have...