Robert Villeneuve

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this being the important year to honour the veterans of Canada and also the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe, I feel it is important and appropriate to mention all of the NWT veterans who have served our country and that we all owe our gratitude and thankfulness that we can all hear and actively and openly participate in our government operations and management without oppression or any fear of prosecution or darkness.

Madam Speaker, the veterans that we owe our gratitude for this basic human right are:

from Fort Smith, Archie Bevington, Edward...

We must not forget our aboriginal peacekeepers: Tom Eagle, Timothy O'Loan, and Neil Pascal.

Madam Speaker, these are the NWT veterans we should all honour and always remember and ensure that our youth are made aware of their contributions and sacrifices that they have made for us all throughout the past century.

Madam Speaker, in summary let me just quote the words of the poet John McCrae who wrote of a soldier's sense of duty to the fallen, “We will onward till we win or fall, we will keep the faith for which they died.” Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my assumption would be safe to tell the general rate paying public that in these communities that have all of these accumulated arrears for their assessments that I feel are on the high end, this issue is going to be resolved within this taxation year. I hope I don’t have to bring it up next year and the year after. I just want to ask the Minister if he is committed to seeing that this issue is going to be done over the summer. We have all summer to do some workshops and everything. People are usually home. It is a good time for assessors to do stretch...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know. I’m tempted to stay on this housing issue, but we’ll just leave it to rest for now. My question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs with respect to the new taxation year and new assessment year. More interest has accumulated. Letters have gone out to seizure of private property. Anxiety is raised in the communities again with all these registered mails that have gone out. I’m just wondering if the Minister can just let this House know if any progress in finding a resolution to these outstanding property tax issues and arrears and the...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to proudly mention some educational achievements within the NWT and, more specifically, within my constituency of Tu Nedhe.

I attended the Aurora College Thebacha Campus convocation on April 18th in Fort Smith last month to celebrate with and congratulate 11 of my constituents that have graduated from four different programs.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to extend my congratulations to Eliza Beaulieu, Jennifer Beaulieu, Doris Catholique, Helen McCallum, Jill Rymer, Eva Villeneuve and Loretta Edjericon for the completion of the Home and Community Support...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that replay because that was basically the basis of my next question. I think he must have been reading my notes or something. It’s good that the Minister is initiating some kind of a working group to go and visit these communities and inform them and explain to them what property assessment and taxation means and how it relates to their taxation bills and their assessment notices and community services. I wanted to know if the Minister would entertain the idea of ensuring that this working group consists of frontline workers. Not...

With that, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to attending more celebrations of achievement by my constituents of Tu Nedhe, and I again say kudos to Loretta Edjericon on your achievements and congratulations to all the Tu Nedhe graduates of 2005. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Let me just start by congratulating Mr. Tony Whitford on his appointment as the 15th Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. I really look forward to building a meaningful working relationship with the new Commissioner over the remainder of the 15th Legislative Assembly. I also would like to welcome all the distinguished guests in our gallery today.

Mr. Speaker, I’m not only thrilled to be back in the House, but also thankful that all of my colleagues are also here, safe and in good health. I’m optimistic that we can continue to work effectively and collaboratively to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday when I asked the Minister responsible for the FMBS if he would consider striking the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, he advised me that he was not willing to do this because, in his opinion, he did not want to interrupt the healthy and positive process that is currently underway and that he had an agreement with his colleagues at FMBS. Is the Minister suggesting that a plan put together by a few people in FMBS, who we still don’t know who they are, that has been approved by FMBS, should not be the subject of scrutiny by what I feel would...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.