Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you that this proposal was received without a lot of…It was not very well received, let me just say. There were just lots of questions that the Minister has not been able to answer at the committee level.

Instead of providing the information that Members need to make good sound judgment about such a mega project, he has taken the initiative to invite anybody who wants to come and see this trailer in Calgary. I have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, there are some really nice trailers in my riding. I know what a trailer looks like. I don’t need to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to set aside the whole issue about getting money from the federal government. That is totally another issue, and it doesn't really matter how much money we get, it is how we fund our programs. Let me tell you, in this House, all the people that work for us, they still get paid if Members don't show up, if one of us don't show up. Why is it then okay for day care not to be paid if a child doesn't show up? That makes no sense. Overhead costs are exactly the same. I would like to ask the Premier to look at questions like that, about are we being fair in our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that this issue has been going on and there have been problems expressed to the Minister, difficulties that the society has been experiencing for the last year. I don't know why it has taken until the midnight hour to figure this out.

Could I ask the Premier, if the director provides the government with the information, would the Premier work with the Minister of ECE to do all that the government can do to keep that facility open, and give them the reasonable assistance that they need to get through? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In 1978, when I came to Canada and spoke no English whatsoever, my first best friend who taught me English was from Newfoundland, and her name was Rhonda Rodgers. Denny Rodgers is Rhonda Rodgers’ little brother who was in grade school. Now he is here as a chair of WCB, and his daughter here is paging. That really makes you think about how life runs its course as it should. It is a great pleasure for me to recognize Mr. Rogers in the gallery. Thank you.

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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...

Am I to understand, then, that the Minister is not aware of a proposal at this time?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm looking for real improvement in this area and not just empty statistics, and I suggested to you that the Minister saying that he's doing a survey every five years or that he's talking to the chairs of boards twice a year is just not going to cut it. I expect nothing less than our school system knowing at any given point what the special needs of our students are and how we are meeting them all across the Territories. We wouldn't think of treating patients with illness randomly and choosing who's going to get service, and I don't know why we think it...

Thank you. I think that is the crux of the merit in this legislation, and on that basis I am happy to support these because it is simply giving the powers to the municipal governments to do this, and it’s up to them, and they do account to their voters about these provisions. I think that’s it for my questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. I think that is sufficient for me. By this amendment, we’re giving powers to the municipalities and municipal governments to enforce this, and I have to respect that. If they choose to do that and implement that, we’re just simply giving that power for them to do it.

I have another question about the questions about being able to transfer outstanding debts to…Sorry, I’m looking at the opening statement. You know the section that I’m talking about. The Minister mentioned earlier that the outstanding debts relate only to real property charges. So I’m interpreting that to say that...