Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I couldn’t argue with the Minister. I think she’s quite right. We have a lot of fantastic programs for our seniors. I believe strongly, as do many, that an NWT charter for seniors would certainly be, as the old saying goes, it’s finally when the rubber hits the road it sort of locks into our position on how we feel.

Mr. Speaker, in 2006, a copy of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was delivered to the then Minister responsible for Seniors. Mr. Speaker, this is not a new issue for this department. When will the Minister be able to commit one way or the other if the department and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I raised the issue, once again, regarding a seniors charter. Since three weeks ago I made sure that the Minister of Health and Social Services, who is also the Minister responsible for Seniors, received a copy of the matters I was raising as well as the corresponding research on the particular issue, Mr. Speaker, I’d like an update from the Minister responsible for Seniors. Has she had a chance to evaluate the merits of a potential seniors charter for the Northwest Territories and what are her plans with that matter? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of weeks ago I raised in this House the need for our government to develop a seniors charter that speaks to the dignity and care that our seniors rightly deserve. A seniors charter could be called by many names; perhaps a blueprint of our care, a manifesto of our stewardship, or even a statement of values and commitment by our politicians and government as to what we truly believe.

As the present, leaders of this Assembly, let us not forget we are the shepherds of our present and future generations, both young at heart and certainly young of age. As I stated a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress. Thank you.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As promised in my Member’s statement today, I said I would table the NWT Seniors’ Society’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Older Adults.

Mr. Speaker, the charter that I’ve spoken of as well as the particulars I’ve spoken to in my Member’s statement talk about a lot of things: recognizing the dignity, stopping elders’ abuse, among many, many other things. Does the Minister responsible for Seniors agree with that type of merit and believe that a seniors charter could help us achieve a manifesto of our principles that we believe strongly here? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to make special recognition again of Mr. Ed Jeske, Yellowknife’s very own Mr. Hockey. As well, at the same time, I’d like to recognize Vivian Squires, executive director of YK Seniors, as mentioned. As well, as mentioned earlier, I’d also like to make note of our Reverend Ron McLean. Thank you very much for joining us today.

Thank you. I wouldn’t disagree with the Minister on his comments about is it waste and is it needless waste, and I’m paraphrasing, in my own way, that more bags are probably bad. I think that that’s a common understanding out there, but the problem is, I don’t think people understood when they were supporting the bag levy process and certainly the reduction initiative, that paper bags were included in this particular initiative.

Mr. Speaker, in going forward on this particular case, is the Minister’s department going to do further work on this initiative? Would he be willing to inquire with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a number of people that I’d like to recognize today. The first person I’d like to recognize is Chris Bassi. He’s in the front here. He’s a retired bridge engineer and, of course, he retired to Yellowknife where his daughter Sheila Bassi-Kellett works, as we all know. As well in the gallery, I’d like to recognize a constituent as well as a neighbour, Didier Bourgois, and he has, I believe, his cousin here from Paris, and her name is Dr. Elizabeth Dey. May I welcome her. The last person I’d like to make note, Mr. Speaker, while I have the floor, is I’d also like to...

If I understood the Speaker correctly when he said he’d get back to Members, I assume that won’t be in the next annual report. I assume that will be in a timely way once that clarification is made.

Mr. Chairman, one other thing worth of note, and again, it just jumped off the page listening to the request for additional money, although I don’t have the report in front of me here, it’s in my office, I do recall off memory, in some manner or form, that the latest Languages Commissioner’s report is painting a picture of lack of interest in the traditional language and she points that out. We haven...