Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I wish to add my voice to my colleague Mr. Robert Villeneuve, and I want to speak of my support for the affirmative action policy. I am in support of the policy. I am a firm believer of providing opportunities to our northerners, born and bred, to our long-time residents and minority groups, so we can get them involved in the process of governing and running the territory. Mr. Speaker, the NWT is a fine example where policies such as ours are beneficial to the development and prosperity of all regions and our people.

The diverse makeup of our shared territory and the recent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Especially, thank you, Mr. Dent.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I really want to see the department show initiative and take care and demonstrate that they care. We need to start thinking broadly, not blaming families on this issue for their kids not attending classes. We need to start thinking out of the box. Yes, parents do play a role in this issue, but the department needs to play a leading role in new initiatives to support our DEAs on this problem. Approaches we could consider are things like community liaison social workers in each district...

Thank you. I believe that the Law Clerk perfectly clarified the questions that essentially as I understand it -- and I would request that the Law Clerk correct me if I’m wrong -- but as I understand it, 11(a) is basically a delay tactic or, I should say, a delay switch on this legislation. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I respect my colleagues who are putting forward this and I want to emphasize at least enough so they know that I’d like to understand what this means. So I’m trying to figure out exactly what 11(a) really means. Parliament dissolves tomorrow, be it whatever reason, does that mean that this comes into force or does that mean that this issue is completely off the table? How do we get answers to these types of questions, because I can’t ask the mover? So do we ask the Law Clerk to clarify that, or do we ask the Minister back into the chair? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I will be very brief. First of all, I will be supporting this bill. I want to recognize that rights of individuals don't evolve with the times. I won’t go on at length, but I really believe in that.

Although many of my colleagues here, I wish to stress, will not be supporting this bill, I do personally want to applaud that they are following their personal beliefs. I know that this is a decisive issue with a lot of people out there. Even with my constituency I have had calls on both sides of the equation. I want to emphasize that I do have personal respect...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment just nailed it there by saying that there’s no question that attendance is a problem in the Northwest Territories. He just nailed it exactly. Mr. Speaker, he said use their funding. Well, funding is prescriptive. It takes all the wiggle room out of schools so they just can’t do whatever they want to do. It’s already implemented and tied to certain issues. So, Mr. Speaker, I really like this comment by saying that we will support them. Well, will we support them with direct funding to one social liaison worker for each...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to admit I was lost there because we’re not talking about shoes; we’re talking about making sure that kids go to school here. Maybe my question was too fast. Mr. Speaker, I got these comments from research, who read the blues which are the unedited Hansard. I put a lot of faith in their questions, or their development of some of these questions.

Mr. Speaker, will this Minister agree to look into the problem of dealing with absentees and truancies by putting a community liaison such as a social worker in each educational authority in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have the pleasure to introduce the quest for the crown candidates on behalf of my colleagues. The candidates running for Caribou Carnival queen this year; that is, again, Ms. Mildred Wilke, Kelley Merilees-Keppel, Itoah Scott, Lila Fraser-Erasmus, Katie Bourgeois, Mary-Ellen McGonigle-Roberts. Now, for the princess list: Twyla Bruler-Vachon, Stacey Grandjambe and Jesslyn Strand. Just about as I sit down, Mr. Speaker, I will remind all people to buy their Caribou Carnival tickets to support these candidates. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am going to again talk about support for truancy in our schools. Yesterday I spoke about the lack of tools available to our schools in dealing with that truancy issue. Minister Dent then proceeded to list off all the various methods used by different schools and education authorities to deal with truancy.

What was made clear by his response is that there is no clear territorial legislative, regulatory or policy base in dealing with truancy other than the fine that we never use. Every educational jurisdiction is free to deal with this issue of truancy how they...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess in general I fail to see the need for this, because if this is just a delay and Parliament could change any time now and clause (a) is not linked to anything substantive that I see that would be earth shattering. Maybe for those in the 37th Parliament maybe, but not to me. So as far as linking to the Civil Marriage Act, I’m concerned because I don’t think it actually directly links to it. Indirectly I think it is associated and I do think the Members here do have some points that have been validly raised, but I don’t think it directly corresponds with it....