Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over my time in this Assembly I have encountered quite a few situations where constituents have been at odds with a body or organization who has made a decision that affects the constituent or their family. In most cases when that happens the only recourse available is for the matter to be taken to court. That option comes with all sorts of problems attached. Most people don’t have the money to pay for a lawyer. Most people are not comfortable in the court system even if they do have a lawyer. As well, the court system is adversarial and does not allow for solving a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One last question, then, or a comment, I guess. I want to encourage, as strongly as possible, the Minister to very seriously consider putting money into the next year’s capital budget to get some of this planning for the building done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a question here in relation to funding for the Stanton Territorial Health Authority. I wonder if the $69.5 million for that authority includes any development of a Stanton Master Plan for renovations. Thank you.

I can advise the Minister that it is on page 33 of the Health and Social Services business plan around about the middle of the page.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one question. When we discussed the business plans, the information that was provided to committee was that the Government of the Northwest Territories was revising the homeless framework. I think that it was supposed to be done sometime within the next six to eight months, but I am not sure when it was intended to be done. I wonder if the Minister could advise what the revising of this framework means and when we can expect a revised framework. Thank you.

Thanks for the information. I guess it leads me to then ask whether or not this is an increase that we can continue to expect. Our actuals in 2008-09 were about the same, $12 million. We then estimated quite a bit less in 2009-10 and now we’ve gone back up in 2010-11. So is $12 million or almost $13 million a better number in terms of our ongoing expenditures or is this a bit of an anomaly? I know it’s hard to predict how many kids we are going to have to send out, but is this an indication of a trend, I guess, that we’re going to continue to see?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, February 4, 2010, it shall be adjourned until Monday, February 8, 2010;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to February 8, 2010, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall...

I guess the Minister and I will have to agree to disagree. I think that the office of an ombudsman is known to be impartial and known to be independent. I don’t think that MLAs and Ministers and department people are going to be impartial and independent from any dispute in which they are involved. There is nothing that allows an individual to appeal a particular decision unless there is actually an appeal board. If the appeal board turns them down, they have nowhere to go accept the court. So I reiterate again that an office is needed.

I would like to ask the Minister... He says that he is...

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister but, again, I have to ask the same question. I am asking for one document. Does this government have one document which talks about all the energy activities that we do? He’s mentioned that there are a number of documents. I don’t dispute that. There are way too many documents, in my view. He has also talked about strategies which we paid for many millions of dollars. Where are those? Why aren’t we using them? Is there one document which coordinates all our energy activities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I considered a subject for my Member’s statement today, I realized I have been taking the government to task for the past week, some might say too harshly. So I thought I would take a look around and see if I could find a few good things happening within the GNWT and the Legislative Assembly. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that I found lots of good results.

For instance, during last year’s budget debate I was very vocal about the millions earmarked for the Olympics, but the money was approved and now the work has been done and the value of the money spent...