This is page numbers 1525 - 1578 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 language.

Topics

Return To Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Supplementary To Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1535

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The main problem that I brought up on June 6th was that a complaint had not even been actioned. The first steps have not been taken in the complaint for over six months. In fact, it appeared that there were some complaints that were almost a year old, and the investigation into the complaint had not even started. So the question was not about the length of time it takes to resolve an issue once the information is being sought; the concern that was being expressed, Mr. Speaker, was that it was taking too long to even get started on it. Can the Minister advise us if we have been able to deal with the delay in getting started on investigations?

Supplementary To Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1536

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1536

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we will try to resolve that matter, so we can bring to a conclusion, or at least bring about the investigation into the claims in a much more timely fashion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1536

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Safety and Public Services. It concerns the air attack officers who have booked off sick. I understand there is an investigation under way concerning this dispute. I hope it isn't a dispute, I hope it is simply a misunderstanding. I would like an update on this investigation by his department into these concerns.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Return To Question 681-12(7): Update On Bird Dog Officer's Safety Concerns
Question 681-12(7): Update On Bird Dog Officer's Safety Concerns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1536

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can advise the House that on June 16, 1995, the chief safety officer wrote to Mr. Bob Robertson of the Union of Northern Workers to confirm that the refusal to work by air attack officers on Thursday, June 15, 1995, could not be upheld as constituting a legitimate right to refuse in the face of unusual danger. This ruling is on the air attack officers' refusal to attend the orientation session on June 15, 1995 and is separate from the original right to refuse, which is still the subject of an ongoing investigation. A large number of witnesses have been interviewed and more witnesses will be interviewed today. I can advise the Member that the chief safety officer is hopeful that he can conclude the investigation by June 30, 1995. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 681-12(7): Update On Bird Dog Officer's Safety Concerns
Question 681-12(7): Update On Bird Dog Officer's Safety Concerns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1536

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, on March 30, 1995, the Education Act, which we are currently dealing with in committee of the whole, was tabled in English and French. I understand that it was translated into Inuktitut, although this did take a few weeks which, I understand, was of some concern to the Inuit communities. These versions of the bill were paid for by the Government of the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister please explain what resources were made available to Dene/Metis communities to do the interpretation or translation of the bill in preparation for the Standing Committee on Legislation consultations, since apparently they received the English and French versions only? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't know the details of that, so I will have to take the question as notice. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for fire suppression. We have heard a lot of controversy dealing with the DC-4s in forest firefighting. I would like to ask the Minister if these DC-4s are flying. Are they fighting any fires with them?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister responsible for forest fire management, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 683-12(7): Status Of Dc-4s Used In Fighting Forest Fires
Question 683-12(7): Status Of Dc-4s Used In Fighting Forest Fires
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last weekend in the Fort Good Hope area, a DC-4 did action a fire and it worked very well, along with two Bird Dog pilots to bird dog a DC-4 into the fire in Fort Good Hope. It worked out quite well. We have been lucky all week. We have had cool conditions and rain, so we haven't had many fires. The DC-4s are able and willing, along with the pilots, to work and we will call on them when needed. They were used on the Fort Good Hope fire. They hit the head of that fire; hit their target right on. Then the ground crew came in behind them from Fort Good Hope and put that fire out in very short order. So the procedures we have in place to fight fires are working quite well. Thank you.

Return To Question 683-12(7): Status Of Dc-4s Used In Fighting Forest Fires
Question 683-12(7): Status Of Dc-4s Used In Fighting Forest Fires
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Thompson.

Manitok Thompson Aivilik

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be directing this question to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. In smaller communities, the government staff want to buy the government staff houses. Can government staff buy staff houses in small communities up to this day? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 684-12(7): Sale Of Staff Housing To GNWT Employees
Question 684-12(7): Sale Of Staff Housing To GNWT Employees
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In every small community or every community that has staff housing, we do an inventory of that housing and work with other departments to see what they need to keep on stock for staff housing.

Those houses that become surplus will be available, but we do every community individually and work with the community as well as the local MLA to assist in selling those units. I will restate that they have to be surplus units. We can't sell off units we need for teachers, et cetera, in that community. Thank you.

Return To Question 684-12(7): Sale Of Staff Housing To GNWT Employees
Question 684-12(7): Sale Of Staff Housing To GNWT Employees
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1537

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister of Safety and Public Services about what was needed in order to get a birth certificate. He took the question as notice and since it may be our last day, I was wondering if the Minister could respond to that question today.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Return To Question 685-12(7): Criteria For Acquiring Nwt Birth Certificate
Question 685-12(7): Criteria For Acquiring NWT Birth Certificate
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1537

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to advise the honourable Member, the criteria that is used for acquiring NWT birth certificates when a person is born in the Northwest Territories and applies for a birth certificate, is they must fill out an application for certificate of birth, which can be obtained by the vital statistics branch.

In Yellowknife, for a fee of $10, vital statistics requires that the applicant provide the following information: their full name; their date of birth; the place of birth; their father's surname; and, their mother's maiden name. After the application is filled out, vital statistics search their records to ensure that information on the application is the same as what they have on file. If any of the information is inaccurate, vital statistics requests that the applicant either provide the correct information or provide another document, such as a baptismal certificate or an immunization card. Vital statistics does not ask for any personal identification from the applicant to process their application because birth certificates are recognized as being an essential document for citizens of Canada. This practice is consistent with other provincial jurisdictions which accept applications for birth certificates by mail. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 685-12(7): Criteria For Acquiring Nwt Birth Certificate
Question 685-12(7): Criteria For Acquiring NWT Birth Certificate
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1537

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.