Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that information. Yes, it was a $15,000 taxation, but, you know, you add $55,000 to it, it all becomes a $70,000 tax bill, and some of these people are inheriting these from people as their parents or families are passing away. I guess my understanding is that the Government of the Northwest Territories was a collection agency for these municipalities that are not tax-based, but all of a sudden, you know, they are collecting it, and 48 per cent of it is going to school and 52 per cent to the hamlets, which is great, or the municipality. My...

I thank the Minister for his answer. Can the Minister please explain to us: what is the percentage that the GNWT keeps from collecting the taxation for the community?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, presented the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers to Valerie Gendron of Fort Simpson on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at Rideau Hall.

The Medal for Volunteers recognizes the exceptional volunteer achievements of Canadians from across Canada. Valerie Gendron has been a speed skating coach, a minor hockey coach, a soccer coach, and a mentor with local athletic clubs for more than 17 years.

Val has always been an outgoing and engaging member in our community...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer because we can reassure our staff out there and the people that are doing a great job. I mean, I know in my riding and my colleague's riding from Deh Cho, we have two really good people out there that are doing a great job and doing really good work with our youth, and so I appreciate that. Can the Minister explain, though, we have a Master's degree for both the supervisor and the counsellor's position. What's the difference? I would have assumed that, you know, you'd have a social work degree and then you'd have the Master's degree...

I thank the Minister for that answer. It's great to hear all these things. Good things are happening, but can he please explain how they come up with the requirement of having a Master's degree for these positions?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Ted Grant, owner of Simpson Air. In the fall of 2017, he received the Senator's Sesquicentennial Medal. Ted volunteered his time with coaching hockey and generously donates to kids' sports teams in the community. He has also showed his dedication by promoting tourism to the Nahanni Park.

Ted has been a long-time resident of Fort Simpson, dating back to his days as an RCMP officer in the community in the 1970s. His favourite thing about Fort Simpson is that he does not have to live in the city, where everything is hectic, and, in Fort Simpson, it...

I thank the Minister for that answer. When looking at the requirements of all these positions, you need a Master's of Social Work degree. We are looking at 49 positions, so that has a huge impact on it. It also has caused a huge issue for staff presently in these counselling positions who have years of experience, know the youth, but they don't have a Master's degree. Then I'm hearing rumors through the grapevine that, you know, that they're not even going to be looking at these positions here. So, can the Minister ensure that these people are getting a fair opportunity to do the job? I'm not...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the last budget process, we talked about new positions called the children and youth council position, and we are very excited about it. However, there seems to be some confusion about a person's qualifications. Can the Minister briefly describe what qualifications these positions need to do the job? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Al Browning came into this world like a sheep on July 10, 1963, and departed like a lion on March 19, 2018, much too soon for all of us to comprehend or believe. He has left a great void in the lives of those who loved him deeply.

Allan is the second oldest child of Rose and Tommy Browning. He is a descendant of a great family who has a rich history around Fort Simpson and the Deh Cho. The Browning family is part of northern history, and his grandfather ran a sawmill that provided much of the lumber for the community's early infrastructure. Allan and the great members of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I must apologize to the House because maybe I'm not getting my question across properly. I'm not talking about Commissioner's land. We understand that. I actually proposed a 3 per cent reduction. He came back and, you know, he was actually saying it was good at 10 per cent, and then he came back to 5 per cent. You know, I'm still baffled by this, so will the Minister look at this again and actually consult and engage people properly? Not letters, not using the public, and not using us, but getting out there and talking to the people who are impacted by this decision...