Wendy Bisaro

Clarification — yes, I understand that. Thank you, Mr. Minister. However, there are a number of things about this process that don’t smell right to me. The selected proponent was pitching this project to the five communities at least a year and a half ago, and the selected proponent helped MACA set up the proposal call document for the RFP. Is this standard procedure for a request for procedure process?

I would like to ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs some questions about the RFP for bundled implementation for the five-community water treatment plants. I know that the Minister advised us yesterday that all is in order, but I am concerned about the process that has taken place. The Minister stated in the House yesterday that “this contract for procurement is still in process. I am very reluctant to speak to something that has ongoing negotiations.”

Once an RFP is completed, the evaluation has been done and the winner declared, is it standard practice to enter into negotiation...

I thank the Minister for that summary. I don’t mean to lessen the value of any of the things the Minister mentioned, but I don’t believe that those are working towards strengthening the sector; I think those are maintaining the sector. I’d like to know whether there are any specific actions the Minister is considering relative to the voluntary sector to help strengthen it.

Mr. Speaker, International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, is the global day which connects women around the world and inspires them to achieve their full potential. International Women’s Day celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future.

The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on the 28th of February in 1909. It was the result of women’s oppression and inequality, which spurred women on to become vocal and active in campaigning for change. In 1908, for example, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As has been mentioned previously, the voluntary sector goes beyond the purview of Municipal and Community Affairs. It involves people in the health area; it involves people in the justice area; it involves people that cover all departments within our government. I would like to ask the Minister if he would give me an opinion, in his role as Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, if he doesn’t believe that the centralization of the point of contact for the voluntary sector would be a benefit to that sector in them moving forward and accomplishing more for our...

I’d like to follow up on the statements about the voluntary sector that have been made by my colleagues. I was really pleased to hear the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs state that we need to take action to ensure that the volunteer sector stays strong. I’d like to ask the Minister: other than the N.W.T. Outstanding Volunteer Awards, what is MACA doing to strengthen the volunteer sector?

I’m very glad to hear that the department is working on trying to find housing for teachers. There is a concern, as well, about the housing that exists in communities and that the housing that teachers are given…. There may be housing available, but it’s not very satisfactory housing. I’d like to know if the department is doing anything to try and upgrade those houses so that the living conditions for teachers are what they should be.

As mentioned yesterday, this is Education Week. We have over 800 teachers in our 33 communities, capably represented by the NWTTA, the N.W.T. Teachers’ Association.

But in all of our communities, teachers and their boards face obstacles. Public education should be fair and equitable for all students, yet our schools are not fully funded and must use school fees, fundraising efforts and corporate donations to finance some of their programs. Somehow we must find the dollars to completely fund all of our school programs and ensure equal opportunities for students, no matter where they live or...

I move that $85,000 be deleted from the interim appropriation detail booklet amount set out in Schedule 2, Capital Investment Expenditures, item number 9, Environment and Natural Resources on page 6, for the project “Lightning Location System.”

I give notice that on Thursday, February 21, 2008, I will move the following motion. I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 21, 2008, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, May 22, 2008. And further, that any time prior to May 22, 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...