Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak today in support of a public awareness campaign that will be launched at noon in the Great Hall tomorrow by the Yellowknife Foster Family Association. Mr. Speaker, as much as it is our fervent desire that every child have a safe and healthy home, sadly this is not the reality in our society, especially so in the North. When there is a child in need of alternative care, often we rely on foster families to step in and fill the need. In an effort to raise awareness and encourage caring individuals to become foster parents, and to encourage...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to do one follow-up on that, and that is, I don’t think we can assume that the contract that the Department of Health might have with the Centre for Northern Families or a women’s shelter will be the same as the YWCA providing a contract under protection against violence legislation. The government may enter into contacts where the core part of that contract is to reveal personal information. Then you may get into another contract where the personal information about somebody is completely irrelevant to the carrying out of that contract. When you...

Thank you, Madam Chair. My second question has to do with something that’s mentioned in our committee report, and it has to do with the presentation made by Ms. Hache. We had a really good debate and discussions about this during the public hearing process, and the question she had was whether or not she, or any other NGOs, would be obliged to give confidential information to bodies like Yellowknife Health Authority or groups like hers who enter into a lot of contracts. She had a fear of sort of being blended in with the rest of the government apparatus, and, thereby, being required to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Standing Committee on Social Programs met to review Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, on June 20th and October 11, 2005, in Yellowknife; on June 22nd in Fort Smith; on June 25th in Hay River; and on June 27th in Fort Resolution.

The committee would like to thank the Minister and all the witnesses who spoke on the bill. The committee heard concerns about Bill 3 from one witness, Ms. Arlene Hache from the Centre for Northern Families. Ms. Hache expressed concerns that the bill would have the effect of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if the Minister has information that he is not sharing with us, but I am operating under the assumption that the pipeline is going to go ahead. Regardless, the Minister has indicated that he is talking to the federal Minister. He has negotiations going. He is travelling to Calgary every month to look at his project. He has a consultant on this. He has spent so much money on a project, and he hasn’t given us…It is going to cost at least over $100 million. Where is the analysis, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to ask questions on housing, as well. I think it is good that we are doing this today because housing was, bar none, the number one issue we heard about in our pre-budget consultation. When we are all aware of the housing crisis, it is really important that we spend every penny we have in the housing budget as much as possible. We find here now that the corporation is in a little bit of a crisis mode. It is going through a review of the mandate which we have not seen yet. It has had $30 million of its budget being...

Thank you. I think that changes quite a bit, really. That changes it in a way that makes it even more problematic for me in that I don’t think general citizens would, if they were walking down the city sidewalk and they get injured and they think about, okay, maybe I have some claim here, I don’t know if that person will think about going to an SAO to provide an intent that some time down the road I think I may be suing you if I can’t work because of my injury or I broke my ankle. I want to know what the law says. Is there any other jurisdiction that has something this specific about notice...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 7, Personal Directives Act, and we choose to report that Bill 7 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister is still floating from the compliment that he received earlier and he’s not getting to the specifics of what I am trying to get at. Could I ask the Minister to enquire into this proposal that is being put forward by the people in the community who are in the know about dealing with people with substance problems? They are really looking at setting up a transition home or home for men who are trying to live a sober life. Living with sobriety requires a home that is conducive to that, and there is a proposal…(inaudible)…gives its best...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people in our communities and in our cities always express their frustration at what seems to be a lack of action on the part of the government to address this drug problem and crime problem that seems to be prevalent in our communities. They don’t understand why the Minister is not talking about building a treatment centre and providing support to those who need to get some help. There are some real long-term residents, just regular citizens, who are struggling with this very serious crack and drug problem. Whenever I ask that question, the Minister always...