Wendy Bisaro

Thanks to the Minister. The Minister says that the review is not yet complete. In Yellowknife here, the Yellowknife Association for Community Living was instrumental in delivering the program here in Yellowknife to some 25 or 29 families. It was an extremely successful program. It was a very valued program. I would like to know from the Minister, if this review is still ongoing, what role the Yellowknife Association for Community Living either has played or will play in the completion of the review.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday was December 6th, the 22nd anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, a horrendous and violent act against women in 1989 that took place at the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal: the shooting of 23 women in the engineering program, 14 of whom were killed.

December 6th is titled Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. I attended a vigil last night to honour and remember the 14 victims of the Montreal Massacre and to honour and remember all women who have been killed or affected by violence. It was heartening to see the Premier, the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a number of comments. I’m kind of jumping around here but I’ll lay them out. I don’t have a lot of questions but I do have a lot of comments.

I’d like to also speak to the Inuvik-Tuk highway. I appreciate that it is a priority of this government and that we are putting some funding into it, and I know that the federal government has allocated some $150 million towards the project. Knowing that our debt limit is what it is and knowing the amount of borrowing – I should say our borrowing limit, not our debt limit – is where it is in the amount of borrowing that we...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the Striking committee motion I gave notice of earlier today. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the rules amendments motion I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, December 9, 2011, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that the Rules of the Legislative Assembly be amended by rescinding Rule 85 and substituting the following:

85.

(1)

At its first sitting after a general election, the Assembly shall appoint a Striking Committee of five Members to report and recommend, with all convenient speed, Members to comprise the following standing committees of the Assembly:

on Economic Development and Infrastructure;

on Government Operations;

on...

Thanks to the Premier. I’m really pleased to hear that these recommendations are being reviewed and I would hope that they are being seriously reviewed. The Minister mentioned that they will continue funding particularly in regard to stabilizing existing shelters. I would hope that that would be core funding and not just one-time funding, because that is the specific request of the coalition.

I’d like to know from the Minister, as they review these recommendations and as they consider additions or deletions or whatever to the business plans upcoming, how will the Minister, how will the Minister...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up on my Member’s statement, and I would address these questions to the Minister responsible for Women and the Executive.

I would like to, again, commend all my male colleagues for wearing a white ribbon today, and I would hope that you don’t just wear the white ribbon today but that you will continue to wear the white ribbon throughout the year as an indication of your pledge to actively work against violence against women.

The Coalition on Family Violence Action Plan 2 has certainly done a lot of work. It has increased the awareness and the...

In the last 10 years we’ve made progress in battling family violence and particularly violence against women. Increased access to shelters is just one example of the coalition’s successes. Now is not the time to stop the activities of the coalition. Ongoing and constructive work must continue. The job is not yet complete. We cannot yet say our future has no violence against women.

I will have questions for the Minister of the Executive at the appropriate time.

I move, seconded by the Member for Thebacha:

WHEREAS it is required by Rule 85 that the Legislative Assembly shall appoint a Striking Committee of five Members to report and recommend, with all convenient speed, Members to comprise the standing committees;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Moses and Mr. Nadli be appointed to the Striking Committee of this Assembly.

Thank you.