Wendy Bisaro

Thanks very much for the explanation. That’s all I have.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, May 13, 2011, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that this Assembly formally revokes the appointment of the Honourable Sandy Lee as a Member of the Executive Council. Thank you.

I guess I need to ask the Minister a written question, perhaps, to show me exactly how we reach 3 percent when we started something just under 3 percent and ask for millions and millions of dollars. I wonder why we don’t go over the 3 percent cap.

I’d like to ask the Minister as well, he talked about finding critical investments, sorry, financing critical investments by finding partners in the private sector to assist us with certain large projects. It’s well known that our last effort with private partners was rather controversial and it’s unfortunately still ongoing. I’d like to know from the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Finance. I would like to thank the Minister at the outset for the fiscal and economic update that he provided us today, but I have a few questions with regard to some of the statements in his statement.

Initially, my first question goes to the announcement that BHP Billiton made recently that they plan to invest, along with partners, some $323 million in the NWT in the Ekati Diamond Mine as they go to expanding one of their pipes. I think that’s great news. Initially, I thought that was wonderful, we’re spending an...

I almost got it all in. We as MLAs would be well advised to listen to what our residents were telling us.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recently held a constituency meeting in advance of session, something I’ve made a habit of doing since I was elected. It was a very successful meeting and I heard a number of valid concerns from those who were in attendance and I would like to share those with you in the House.

In regard to legislation, two things came up. First, there was a need expressed for the NWT to have a building standards act. When any government in the NWT, whether it be local, territorial, or regional, approves the construction of a building, what governs how it is built? Who inspects or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some comments which are very similar to some of the comments which have already been made, but I feel that I would like to express my point of view.

The act is described as a management act but I think some of the clauses within that act are more than a management of wildlife act. I also believe that there are some inequities within some of the clauses in the act and I think those need to be addressed. Hopefully they will be over time.

I’ve expressed a number of concerns previously about some of the clauses and provisions within the act. I’m particularly concerned...

I’m complimenting the mover and the seconder, you guys.

I think that the strategy that’s espoused here is something that the government has to take note of. We need to look at enabling our people to get out of poverty, those that are there. The only way we’re going to be able to do it is by providing them with assistance. It is obvious to Members, certainly on this side of the House, that the policies and strategies that we are currently employing are not working. We need to totally revisit where we’re at.

This motion talks about setting maximum rents in public housing. There have been other...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to first of all thank the seconder of the motion, the Member for Nunakput. I’d also like to thank my colleagues for their comments. I think you can tell that this is an extremely important issue. We are very passionate about it. Regular Members have fought very hard to get this funding and this program into our budget. Last year it was intended to be a food study and we managed to get that changed to a program where we could actually use the money to go and buy food to assist the kids in our schools in the various communities.

We’ve been speaking about this...

WHEREAS nearly 5,000 children across the Northwest Territories arrive at school without having had a healthy breakfast;

AND WHEREAS school breakfast programs have increased attendance at many NWT schools;

AND WHEREAS it is well documented that hungry children struggle to succeed in school;

AND WHEREAS children who are fed at school also benefit from feeling welcomed and loved;

AND WHEREAS healthy eating and basic nutrition should be learned by our children, starting at a young age, first by example and augmented later by study;

AND WHEREAS in 2010-2011, the Department of Education, Culture and...