Wendy Bisaro

Mr. Chair, I move that we report progress.

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The last concern for today is the lack of financial assistance for emerging NGOs, those NGOs who are developing valuable civil society and volunteer bases. These new guys on the block do not currently receive GNWT funds and so they do not qualify for any of the dollars in the NGO Stabilization Fund. A separate fund is needed to assist these emerging NGOs as they get started and find their feet.

The NGO Stabilization Fund has been a welcome addition to the financial assistance given by the GNWT to NGOs providing important services for NWT residents on behalf of this government. It’s an...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories monitor its loans receivable and develop targets and measures to improve collections, with a view to reducing the allowance for doubtful accounts to less than 30 percent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would just like to say that the committee was pleased to see that the Finance department had produced the public accounts earlier than in the previous year. We would like to, as a committee, conclude the review of the public accounts as soon as possible after the audit is finished and so this allows us, within our rules, to hold a public hearing prior to having the document tabled in the Assembly. It will allow committee to speed up the review of the public accounts. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Since we have time and I believe staff have the motions ready for us, we would like to consider Committee Report 4-17(4).

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories expedite work on bringing municipalities under access to information and protection of privacy legislation, and that a phased approach to implementation be considered in order to take into account the needs and resources of smaller communities, while improving access to information and protection of privacy in larger population centres, and that the government table its review report and discussion paper in the fall sitting. If these are not available, the government should table a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleagues for their words of support. I’d like to thank Mr. Bouchard for seconding the motion and allowing it to come to the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS Members of this Legislative Assembly recognize that bullying is a significant concern for Northwest Territories residents, and on February 16, 2012, passed Motion 5-17(2) on anti-bullying measures;

AND WHEREAS the use of social media, smartphones, and other information and communication technologies to bully, also known as cyberbullying, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with tragic consequences;

AND WHEREAS recent events in Canada including, most unfortunately, suicides of young people who were victims of cyberbullying, have brought this issue to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just would like to say to the Minister, he mentioned we’ve been lucky so far. We’ve been lucky to put teachers into housing, but it hasn’t been acceptable housing. It certainly hasn’t been housing that has been to the standard that we would expect if we were living in it.

The other possibility with the Housing Corporation is that, yes, they may provide an actual building, but it does not necessarily mean that the rents are going to be acceptable.

I’d like to ask the Minister, he’s talking about working with different partners and working closely with the Housing...

I’m not quite sure why these regulations would be so far-reaching and so widespread, but I’ll take him at his word and wait to see what comes of any discussions that go forward.

Another possibility that I didn’t mention but that could conceivably be out there – and it’s something that was previously done and then was dropped, but it has happened in the past – is that the NWT Housing Corporation has bequeathed property to education authorities and has maybe even set up mortgages with those authorities.

I’d like to ask the Minister whether or not he would consider discussing with the Minister for...