Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about training supports for shelter workers.

Mr. Speaker, finding ways to help de-escalate violence for shelter workers who work on the frontline is a goal of mine, and I'm sure it's supported by many of our colleagues here. We would like to see the de-escalation of violence long before it gets out of hand and the RCMP have to be called or anyone certainly gets hurt. And on that note, Mr. Speaker, from the RCMP they had mentioned that over 2,268 calls to shelters in Yellowknife over a period of two years, that's April 2022 to April 2024, of those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Sahtu, that Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for a second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Student Financial Assistance Act in increasing the maximum amount of money that can be loaned to a person under the Act from $60,000 to $90,000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to save a lot of time by saying I agree with the amendment. So I'm not going to oppose it. It's not exactly the direction I was going, but it speaks to the exact intent of what I was going with, so I have no problem. I should point out there is no such thing as a friendly amendment. They are amendments, and I'm pleased to accept this one. So if you want to call that friendly, that's fine too. So no problem. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS local authorities are currently responsible for the development and implementation of their emergency plans;

AND WHEREAS the local emergency plan is the first line of defense to keep residents of the Northwest Territories safe and informed when responding to natural disasters or other similar emergencies;

AND WHEREAS Municipal and Community Affairs currently provides guidance to local authorities to create emergency plans but there is no requirement for the Minister to fund, draft, or assess these plans;

AND WHEREAS, the current form of community emergency plans...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present to the House Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister mentions, first of all, the SCIP program. Yes, but it's very limited funding and, hence, when it only creates one or two openings there's still dozens on dozens of parents struggling to find support. And if you don't have a fantastic employer who's supportive of your challenges, you have to take days off. And if you have an employment position, such as a very unique one or professional, you can't take time off sometimes; that's just the nature of your work. So, Mr. Speaker, my question is is would the Minister be willing to meet with the group of parents...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe just a quick comment before I get into my question. I think Members are restraining some of their questions to help the process move along, so. Maybe not all of course. That said, Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment with respect to autism supports and programming.

Mr. Speaker, parents have to cover PD days, daycare, afterschool program times, and summer programs, and it's having impacts on families and the relationships of friends and supporters. And I'm going to ask the Minister of education what can she do to further...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide its Report on Committee's Initiatives of a Project to Conduct a Review of the Land and Water Use Permitting Regulatory Framework and commends it to the House.

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment committee (the "committee") would like to inform the 20th Legislative Assembly that committee is in the early stages of conducting a review of the regulatory framework for land and water use permitting under the Mackenzie Valley Resources Management Act...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For families, friends, and supporters of autism parents and families, the struggle is real and it's daytoday. It's certainly not for the faint of heart. Mr. Speaker, when you're on the vanguard of this problem every single day, this challenge, my heart goes out to those folks who are dealing with this. They are truly angels that that keep their families together.

Mr. Speaker, we all know the spectrum of autism ranges from some challenges to a lot of challenges, and each one is unique but each one is important. You know, I wish that one day, Mr. Speaker to be clear, I...