Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, I think I kind of heard the Minister tell me to hurry up and wait. Once the report is done, then we might maybe know whether or not we’re going to be responsible for the mine.

So, if we are responsible for the mine, what financial security is in place now, either with us or with the federal government, to look after the mine once it’s closed for us to reclaim the land and for us to do the environmental cleanup as required?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is an area where committee felt strongly that the department was falling down as well. When inmates come in, they need to be assessed. They then need the programming that will assist them in getting better, to try and solve the problem of why they’re in there in the first place. But when they are released, they need to have supports so that don’t re-offend and end up back in correctional facilities.

So, this motion tries to highlight the fact that there is very little planning for inmate release and reintegration back into their community and it is important enough to...

I’m not sure I want to thank the Minister because that was an answer that I didn’t want to hear. However, the moratorium was established for a reason. My understanding is the rationale for the moratorium was it was spurred by many new leases in the areas in the lakes around Yellowknife which have been issued by the federal government and there was an increase in squatters on the lakes. There was a large concern of the people who already had leases on these lakes that the lakes were going to be subject to overuse, and that was what prompted the current moratorium.

My question to the Minister is...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a brief comment here. The action plan from the Department of Justice had, I think, 100-plus items in it and many of them are scheduled to be finished by November of 2015. Many of those, as well, were looking at reviewing and revision of their policies and procedures and directives.

Committee felt that basically the department, at this point, has in place standing orders, directives, policies, everything they need in order for corrections to adequately function and we felt that there needed to be a greater emphasis on doing what their standing orders or directives or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to welcome a constituent from Frame Lake, Mr. Jeff Corradetti, president of the YK Motocross Association, listening intently today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of brief comments again. There are or there have been, over the years, quite a number of agencies and boards that have not met the filing deadline for their public accounts and it has meant that the final public accounts were delayed. In this past year I think there were two who didn’t meet their deadline. Some of them asked for a deadline and I think there was only one that didn’t meet the deadline after they asked for an extension. So, committee feels very strongly that it is a requirement by law that people meet their statutory deadline for filing their...

This will be a new outdoor activity opportunity for Yellowknife residents and visitors both. It’s a potential tourism draw. The revenue from that would be a benefit to local businesses and to the Northwest Territories as a whole. The Minister can make this happen. He can allow this lease application and get the process started.

I will have questions for the Minister later, and my first one will be: Why won’t he do that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to make a brief comment here. The committee has found, as we’ve reviewed public accounts over the last couple of years, that Finance has done a good job at getting the public accounts ready earlier and earlier each year, and they were able to get us the interim public accounts prior to August 31st in 2014 and we simply wanted to reiterate that this is an excellent practice and we want to make sure that Finance continues to do that in years going forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to consider Bill 66, Committee Report 16-17(5) and Committee Report 19-17(5).

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My stated goal is that we have a comprehensive public review of fracking, and that is what I wish for. I don’t believe that this motion will give enough time for that to happen. I support, certainly, the wish of my colleagues to hear the voice of the people, and I am always open to the voice of the people.

At this point, I don’t feel that I can make a decision on this motion. I haven’t had time to canvass my constituents. As mentioned, we saw this quite late in the week this week. I’ve been considering it ever since I first saw the motion and I really don’t know how I...