Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since most of us on this side picked on the Finance Minister yesterday, I figure that it’s my turn today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to request a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion that I gave notice of earlier today.

Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to be back here with my colleagues. This is Literacy Week in the NWT, and yesterday was Read for 15 Day. In an effort to best Nunavut, as they challenge us for the greatest number of readers, I hope that everyone in this room did their homework. By that I mean that you read some material, even a comic book, for a mere 15 minutes and submitted your name for this contest. The NWT Literacy Council has many other activities planned for this week to celebrate and promote literacy. As they say on TV, check your local listings and take part in something in your...

WHEREAS pursuant to Section 61.(1) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, the Legislative Assembly recommends to the Commissioner the appointment of Members of the Executive Council;

AND WHEREAS pursuant to Section 61(2) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, the persons appointed hold office during the pleasure of the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS the Assembly, pursuant to these powers, has chosen the Honourable Norman Yakeleya to sit as a Member of the Executive Council;

NOW THEREFORE, I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 3, 2008, I will move the following motion.

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that this Assembly formally revoke the pleasure of the Assembly from the appointment of the Hon. Norman Yakeleya as a Member of the Executive Council.

And further, that this Assembly recommend that a new Member be chosen to be a Member of the Executive Council.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on June 19, 2008, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, October 1, 2008.

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to October 1, 2008, 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 transact its business as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for the information. I’m gratified to hear it, and I think it’s going to be a workable process. I guess I would like to ask the Minister: if there are communities that don’t feel they have the human resource capacity to develop their own community capital plan, will the department be able to help them to finish off these plans in a timely manner so they can get their priorities known to the department?

Thank you to the Minister for the clarification. I guess I need the clarification, then, on the money that is going to the communities.

The first priority is water treatment plants, and I have no problem with that. It then says the balance of the funding will be made available to communities to address their own priority projects. If I could get some clarification on how communities are able to use the $6.5 million they are going to get annually.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good to hear, and I hope we can find a solution for housing in every community that currently has a problem. One of the options suggested by the boards in their letter was to allow regional boards to have the same authority as the local Yellowknife board and that they be given the authority to acquire and dispose of real property.

I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not this is something the department will or can consider and when we might expect to see a change in the legislation before this House.