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

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Cournoyea.

Return To Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, the meeting is being arranged. It is being set as soon as we can find an appropriate time for Ms. Marleau. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Supplementary To Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the importance of this issue and the special relationship of aboriginal people with the federal government, will the Minister commit to keeping aboriginal groups informed and encourage their involvement in the federal review which is taking place right now?

Supplementary To Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Ms. Cournoyea.

Further Return To Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, I can answer that in the affirmative. It has been because of the Department of Health and Social Services, from the time the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken over the responsibility of the management of health, that the aboriginal organizations have been informed on a continual basis on what we are doing and what our plans are. They are also informed of any recent information that we receive.

Further Return To Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Pudlat.

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few weeks ago, through a Member's statement, I brought up an issue regarding some formula for infants. For ladies who are single and are bringing up their family or for families that don't have a regular income...Mr. Speaker, I made a Member's statement regarding infant formula and the high cost of having to acquire infant formula. A lot of mothers don't choose to breastfeed. My question is to the Minister of Finance. I apologize for not directing my question to a Minister before hand. However, my question is to the Minister of Finance. Can he give me a response as to what could be done regarding this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 675-12(7): High Cost Of Infant Formulas In Eastern Arctic
Question 675-12(7): High Cost Of Infant Formulas In Eastern Arctic
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if there is a problem in this regard, I would suggest that those mothers, if they are unable to provide that formula to the baby, should see Social Services. Mr. Speaker, that probably is not the long-term answer to this particular problem. I think we see, across the Arctic, the price of food is outrageous in some of the communities. We recognize that the high prices are extremely difficult for people who are not on a fixed income or are young single mothers. In the interim, if we could direct those people to see Social Services to get

some assistance, I am sure they will look at a longer term strategy in this regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 675-12(7): High Cost Of Infant Formulas In Eastern Arctic
Question 675-12(7): High Cost Of Infant Formulas In Eastern Arctic
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs indicated that he would be planning a visit to my constituency; the constituency of North Slave. I wonder if the Minister is still committed to going to North Slave? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Ng.

Return To Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Supplementary To Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Can I ask the Minister if he would be able to do this tour as soon as possible? As you are well aware, Mr. Speaker, the writ will be issued at the end of August. Could it be early July? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Ng.

Further Return To Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have been planning a tour of Mr. Zoe's constituency and a number of others right after the end of this session. The tentative plan is to undertake that trip next week, possibly. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
Item 6: Oral Questions

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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. On June 13th, the Minister stated that neither of the two people laid off by the Department of Justice from the legal interpreting program were interpreters. It was the Department of Justice that was responsible for these layoffs. Is the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment aware that one of the people laid off was a certified legal interpreter/translator who speaks Dogrib, who has interpreted regularly for the courts in the last few years and that she was the only terminologist

responsible for collecting, documenting, verifying and distributing legal terms for all the Dene languages and in Cree? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Return To Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I want to indicate to the honourable Member is what I said before; the work that was being done primarily by these individuals was a matter of terminology development. We have other terminologists who were in the government and we needed to put together a group who dealt with terminology. I did not indicate that these individuals did not interpret, I said their prime responsibility was terminology development. We had a number of other departments involved and we needed to coordinate our approach to terminology development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Supplementary To Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister also stated, at that time, that the development of legal and medical terminology for Dene languages and in Cree would go back to the language bureau in an effort to consolidate these activities under one department. The Minister must be aware that the language bureau has received a $294,000 cut in funding under the Canada/NWT language agreement in 1995-96, more than a 50 per cent reduction in their funding under vote 4; and that other departments, boards and agencies of the GNWT, as well as other groups, have expressed concern that they cannot obtain services from the language bureau because the interpreters and translators are usually busy with other assignments. The Minister must also be aware that the Task Force on Aboriginal Languages in 1985 recommended that specialized medical and legal interpreter/translator training be developed because the language bureau had not been able to devote adequate time to training and terminology development in these specialized areas. I would like to ask the Minister were the language bureau's Dene interpreter/translators consulted on whether or not they would be able to handle these additional duties which originally rested with them, but which were transferred to the departments of Justice and Health after the task force made its recommendation? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Nerysoo.