Wendy Bisaro

I have to say now that I’m even more dismayed than I was before, that the paper that was given to standing committee at the end of the 16th Assembly can be considered a discussion paper. This is absolutely incorrect, in my mind. That was a report of what people had said across the territory; it was not a paper which is able to go out and be discussed by Members and by the general public. I’m also totally dismayed that we are going to have a draft strategy produced by a working group of bureaucrats. I have no fault with the skills of our bureaucrats, but it’s been well documented that any draft...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier and the Minister responsible for the Executive. I wish to follow up on some of the questions that were asked previously. In answer to one of my colleagues, the Premier mentioned that, he gave us quite a list of activities that the previous government has undertaken. I can’t say that I totally agree with the list that he put out there. Some of the work, I think, that was listed was done by our wonderful NGOs. My first question to the Premier is to ask about a consultation that was done sometime within the year of 2011...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Poverty is a huge issue for NWT residents and I believe that this government can do better in our efforts to eradicate poverty. We have many programs and services in place, programs and services whose goal it is to assist our residents who are marginalized, programs and services to reduce the level and amount of poverty in our territory.

These many activities are not coordinated across our government system. They are not coordinated with the activities and programs of non-government organizations, and local and Aboriginal governments. There are gaps in the services out...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I bring this motion forward because I feel that there is a need to reaffirm the passage of the motion from the 16th Assembly. I feel that this Assembly needs to indicate their support for their belief in the development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy so I am bringing this motion forward basically in that regard.

I want to provide some comments. First of all the National Council of Welfare first examined the cost of poverty almost a decade ago. What they found was that poverty does have high costs for all Canadians. That certainly is true for us here in the NWT. That high...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier. I guess I don’t understand the reticence of this government to release papers that they’re using to base a strategy on. I simply want to make a statement to anybody who happens to be listening: Find a person on the advisory committee. Present your points to them; they’re the only ones that have input. Thank you.

Thank you to the Premier for that response. That’s all well and good, but I have to say there’s absolutely minimal opportunity for the public to have any input into the development of this strategy. I can’t stress strongly enough that we have to involve the members of the coalition and that’s not happening. I didn’t hear the Minister speak to the discussion paper. I would again ask the Minister, the Premier, when will the discussion paper be released to (a) the Standing Committee on Social Programs, and (b) the public. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can be really short. I’d like to ask the Premier where is the discussion paper to which he refers.

I don’t like to correct my colleagues but I think the Premier should well know that reports going to standing committee are not public. This report, in my mind, has never been to the public and there are many interested people in the gallery and elsewhere in our territory who want to know what was in that paper. I think I have to express some of the disappointment, as well, that some of the people in the gallery I suspect are feeling at the moment. The Premier mentioned by mid-2012 he expects that we will have a draft Anti-Poverty Strategy. Really, in the previous Assembly there was a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a great pleasure to see so many people in the gallery today. I won’t go through the list that my colleagues have already gone through, but I’m particularly pleased to see so many members from the NWT Literacy Council, from the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, from Alternatives North and from the Y. Welcome to all of you. I’d like to specifically recognize three people, two constituents: Lorraine Hewlett and Suzette Montreuil. I would like to specifically welcome my constituency assistant, Amanda Mallon, to the House. Welcome everybody and thank you for coming.

Thanks to the Minister. The Minister talks about sharing that information with Members of the House. I would like to know whether or not that information would also be shared with the general public. Thank you.