Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Committee Report 14-17(5), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2014 Review of the Official Languages Act, and would like to report progress with four motions adopted and that Committee Report 14-17(5) is concluded. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. I will ask for general comments on the report. General comments. Ms. Bisaro.

What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m wondering if the Minister can indicate to me who in his department will be watching to make sure that departments are not tendering out for manufactured items, and making sure that items that can be built in the North will be built in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. To the motion.

I guess my frustration with this process is five days after the Department of ITI and several departments came to Hay River a tender was issued for the manufacturing of fire pits and it had to meet a southern manufacturer’s standard. Why couldn’t those fire pits be manufactured in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Ted Blondin, a Lethbridge alumni and a good friend from going to university in Lethbridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question is about that committee. Does that committee get together on a regular basis to talk about seniors along with the Minister responsible for Seniors, to actually just sit down and discuss, or do they come up just on specific topics? Does this group get together regularly regarding seniors? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Seniors, Mr. Abernethy. As I indicated in my statement, seniors are a valuable asset in the Northwest Territories and we know there is an expanding group of people. What is the Government of the Northwest Territories doing to improve the seniors’ quality of life in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s hard to get all of the questions in because there are a lot of issues that we deal with as Regular Members here on this side. I guess my question would be concerning funding.

Has the department or the Minister looked at the funding that we give to seniors, whether it’s through senior groups, whether it’s through fuel subsides? Are we looking at expanding funding that we give to seniors?