This is page numbers 853 - 883 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was recall.

Topics

Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to follow up on my colleague's questions to the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the legal interpreting program, it appears that an important concern in legal interpreting is consistency in language use, whether it's maintaining a high standard of interpreting or supporting and monitoring legal interpreters. The responsibility for addressing these concerns lies with the manager of the program.

I'd like to ask the Minister, can he explain why he indicated yesterday that, in deciding which position should be cut, it was decided that the manager's position was less important in maintaining the quality and consistency of the program than the administrative position. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, it is the view of my department that, all things considered, the best way to proceed was to eliminate that position and simply give the bulk of the responsibility to the official languages coordinator who is responsible for making recommendations leading to the implementation of the official languages legislation within the Department of Justice. We feel we can do a good job, an adequate job. It was a management decision that that is the best way for us to proceed at this time and that's what we are doing.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Supplementary To Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister had indicated that responsibility would be transferred to the official languages coordinator. Mr. Speaker, at present, there are two legal interpreter/terminologist positions, one for Inuktitut and one for the Dene languages. Not knowing whether the official languages coordinator is aware and fully knowledgable of the Dene languages, can the Minister explain why he chose to cut the Dene languages position in the interpreting area? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

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Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, we take responsibility for managing these positions and the people who occupy the positions. We believe at this time that the position here in the west is one that can be filled by realigning it with the work done by the committee; and, because of the distance to Iqaluit and the volume of work they do in the Inuktitut language, we felt that we should not disrupt that work at this time. The Member should keep in mind the reductions the government is making is just a beginning, and that is part of the reason that I made the comments earlier that I did, that we are having difficulty suggesting even small reductions at this time within the Department of Justice.

The federal government is just beginning -- in my view -- to make reductions. They have already made some very strong suggestions to us, there are some actual reductions being made to a number of programs. We are having difficulty in finalizing figures for programs which have been put back on the drawing board. It is very possible, over the course of the next six months -- perhaps very early after the next election -- that we will be facing additional cuts to vital services, such as the language services that we presently deliver, simply because there will not be enough money to continue operating the way we have.

So, we have done this because we think that we can manage without these positions at this time. We know that we are going to continually have to, as managers, realign and reorganize because of the uncertainty of funding levels by the federal government overall, and in specific programs as well. This is just the beginning, in my opinion, so it is very important for Members to keep that in mind. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Supplementary To Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure that we are all aware that we have to look for funding cuts over the next year and the following years to come. Mr. Speaker, this Minister is responsible for Justice, and justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. I would like to ask the Minister, what has he done as a Minister to persuade the federal government to maintain the funding level needed for the legal interpreting program? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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An Hon. Member

Agreed.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, the original languages agreement that was signed by this government was done a long time ago. The new one was done by this government, and I accept responsibility as a Member of Cabinet, for the way it came down.

If she is asking me if I have specifically phoned the Minister of Justice and pleaded with him to use his good offices to pressure Paul Martin's office not to reduce the funding levels for this government, I have not done that specifically.

All federal Ministers are aware that we have great concerns with the funding level that we are being asked to accept. We have indicated to the Premier's office, the Minister's office, the Prime Minister is aware, so is the federal Minister of Finance, that much of the cuts that are expected of us, now and over the next year or so, are going to be very, very difficult for us. And if there is any way possible, we would like to be spared the pain, but that is not possible. So, we have to at least go through the exercise of trying to reduce.

Again, I say that Members have to be aware that reductions are coming. And they have to help in telling us where they think we can afford to reduce and not just object to every suggestion that we make. At some time or another, we have to form a partnership; a partnership where the ordinary Members tell us the areas where they would support reductions and not just tell us the areas that they refuse to consider reductions. Because as I say, it is going to be an increasingly difficult problem for all of us. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 416-12(7): Impact Of Manager's Position On Legal Interpreting Program
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Pudlat.

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, have a question to the same Minister, the Minister of Justice. I understand that recently an independent committee reviewed the legal interpreting program and wrote to the Minister of Justice strongly advising that this program not be cut. Did the Minister receive these recommendations that the program should not be cut? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 417-12(7): Minister's Receipt Of Recommendation Re Legal Interpreting Program
Question 417-12(7): Minister's Receipt Of Recommendation Re Legal Interpreting Program
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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I must say that I am not certain which specific study the Member is speaking about and which specific recommendations. But I can tell the Member that I had no intentions of reducing this program. I had no intentions of reducing the funding levels to this program. It all started when the federal government ran into fiscal difficulties and they negotiated lower levels of funding to us. Once the federal government started cutting, we were all appalled but unable to do anything about it, except look where we made expenditures with the view that we have to reduce.

This is where I am, the same as every other Minister across this country. Thank you.

Return To Question 417-12(7): Minister's Receipt Of Recommendation Re Legal Interpreting Program
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Pudlat.

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Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Supplementary to my question, Mr. Speaker, to the same Minister. Why were the recommendations not followed by the Minister?

Supplementary To Question 417-12(7): Minister's Receipt Of Recommendation Re Legal Interpreting Program
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, I am not certain which set of recommendations the Member is speaking about. As I said, everything that I have done in the languages section is directly as a result of reductions being imposed on us by the federal government. I am not happy to do it, but it is a job that I am obliged to do so, and do it in a way that my senior management feel we can proceed with minimal disruption, and minimal damage to the integrity of the service we deliver. And this is the way we are proceeding. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 417-12(7): Minister's Receipt Of Recommendation Re Legal Interpreting Program
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was informed by a spokesperson for the NWT Seniors' Association that the annual renewal of the registration for vehicles had gone up from a nominal fee of $1 to $30 for elders. I realize that an increase of $29 may not be a large amount in the grand scheme of things, but for a senior it may become quite a burden given the fixed income they have. I would like to direct a question to the Minister responsible for Transportation. Given the value that we place on our elders and seniors, I would like to ask the Minister, what was the rationale for reassessing the nominal fee and raising it to $30?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Todd.

Return To Question 418-12(7): Reason For Fee Increase For Seniors' Vehicle Registration
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John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The rationale was a general strategy on the part of Transportation to raise revenues when we were looking at our OPPLAN and O and M reductions. It was a very small part of trying to increase revenues to meet and maintain the current level of services that Mr. Kakfwi was alluding to earlier and that I've alluded to on a number of occasions. Thank you.

Return To Question 418-12(7): Reason For Fee Increase For Seniors' Vehicle Registration
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.