This is page numbers 1109 - 1133 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 chairman.

Topics

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The member for Yellowknife South is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Complete your statement, Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. To conclude, Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the pride that we northerners can take in a new coastal defence vessel that will bear the name of the capital city of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, and we in the territories look forward to sharing an honoured northern name with this new ship. I would like to wish her safe sailing and a proud and distinguished future.

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Whitford. Item 3, Members' statements. Are there any further? Mr. Ng.

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On May 27th and June 3rd, I had the honour of attending two historic events in the Kitikmeot. These days marked the occasion of the ceremonies for the first grade 12 students to graduate from Coppermine and Cambridge Bay.

Ceremonies were held May 27th at Kugluktuk School in Coppermine to recognize and honour Ms. Dawn Harvey and Mr. Amos Evyagoitalok; and on June 3rd at Killinik High School in Cambridge Bay to honour Ms. Angela Kadlun, Ms. Sherry Nulliayuk, Ms. Kim Tologanak, Mr. Terry Isnor and Mr. Andrew Porter.

As I stated earlier, these seven students are the first to graduate from the community-based grade 12 high school programs. There will be many more graduates to follow in the years to come as students remain in school for longer periods of time as a result of being able to stay in their home communities with the support and encouragement of their families and friends.

On behalf of all my constituents, I wish these seven graduates the best of success as they face the next challenge of continuing their education or entering into the workforce. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating them on their achievements and in wishing them success in their future endeavours. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 3, Members' statements, Mr. Todd.

Welcoming Member For Aivilik To Assembly
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1113

John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the people of Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ms. Manitok Thompson on her election as Member for the Aivilik riding. I have had the pleasure of knowing Mrs. Thompson, her husband, Tom, and her family for many years, and I know that Mrs. Thompson will do an excellent job as a Member of this Assembly in representing the interests of the Northwest Territories and Keewatin. Thank you.

---Applause

Welcoming Member For Aivilik To Assembly
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1113

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Grade 12 Graduation Ceremonies In Fort Simpson
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1113

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize all the young people in the north who are at a turning point in their lives, their high school graduation ceremonies. That means that 12 years or more of their schooling is finished. It's over for them.

However, Mr. Speaker, education, as we all know, is a lifelong learning experience, and I encourage all the students and the graduates to continue in their education because I believe that education is very important and it's a key to a lot of success. It's a key for opportunities here in the north. There are studies which show that the best and better jobs go to better educated people. Therefore, I encourage the young people of the north to continue with their education.

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to inform the House that on Saturday, June 3rd, I attended the Deh Cho divisional board high school graduation ceremonies in Fort Simpson along with you and your family, Mr. Speaker.

It was a very beautiful day. The ceremonies took place down on the Flats, as we call it in Fort Simpson, where we have a dance circle where the Pope went down to the papal site. It was a very nice day. Twelve students graduated out of the Deh Cho divisional board. This is the third year in a row where we have grade 12 students who graduated.

I would like to congratulate all 12 students. I am especially pleased to say that only two of the 12 actually came from Fort Simpson. That means that the rest came from the surrounding smaller communities, which is the type of achievement that we would like to have when we start having grade extensions back in the smaller communities.

So with that, I would like to congratulate the 12 students and wish them every success in the future.

---Applause

Grade 12 Graduation Ceremonies In Fort Simpson
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1114

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Lack Of Federal Consultation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1114

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not going to be setting a very good example to my new neighbour in the Assembly, who I welcome, because my statement today is longer than two minutes...

Lack Of Federal Consultation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1114

Some Hon. Members

(Microphone turned off)

Lack Of Federal Consultation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1114

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

...but I am worked up about this issue, and I know Members will show some tolerance because this might be my last session in this Legislature.

---Laughter

I am tantalizing you. Mr. Speaker, when your Caucus committee on Bill C-68 went on April 24th to make the first appearance after Justice Minister Allan Rock before the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, we noted that many Members of the specially appointed firearms task force were present in the committee room to hear our submissions about the major problems posed by Bill C-68: that it is not understood by the people of the north; that compulsory registration will not be respected in the NWT any more than the present firearms laws are respected; that Bill C-68 represented nothing less than a full-out frontal attack on our people's way of life on the land and that the bill would certainly have the effect of eroding respect for law and order and turning our people into a culture of criminals.

We urged Members of the committee, or the chairman, to come to the north to directly hear from our citizens to find out how this bill, as drafted, would undermine what is unique and special about our northern way of life. We were told by officials of the Department of Justice, who made up the firearms control task force, don't worry, we will soon be coming to the north to hear first hand from us, that this is how they would learn about our concerns and that this is how they would make changes to the implementation of the regime so that it would respect the aboriginal right to hunt and take into account our modern way of life outdoors in the north.

Mr. Speaker, this promise of consultation was a fraud and one of the most cynical efforts at manipulation I have ever seen in my 16 years of public service as an MLA in this Legislative Assembly. My constituents in Iqaluit were the first group of people in the NWT to be "consulted" by the firearms control task force. They were not consulted. They were shamelessly used and abused. I would like to get unanimous consent to continue, Mr. Speaker.

Lack Of Federal Consultation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1114

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. The Member for Iqaluit is seeking unanimous consent to complete his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Patterson.

Lack Of Federal Consultation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1114

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and Members. The fact that the leader of this delegation proudly identified herself as an aboriginal person who had previously worked for the Assembly of First Nations, made the manipulation and exploitation of my constituents even more upsetting.

Why am I so offended by what happened? Firstly, if you are serious about consulting people, you let them know in advance that you are coming. What did this group do the week before they came to Iqaluit? They called the secretary to the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board to talk about a possible visit to Baffin. When he left the office on Friday, nothing had been confirmed. On Monday morning, when he came to work, he was astonished to find three members of the firearms control task force had arrived in Iqaluit the day before. They wanted him to organize a meeting that morning before they caught the plane to Igloolik that afternoon. The president of the HTA was on his way out hunting. He was stopped, as he prepared to leave, on the beach loading his komatik, and very generously agreed to attend this very hastily called meeting. Other people were called on short notice to come to the meeting. As a result, it did not get under way until mid-morning. When it became obvious that there was not time to even begin discussions of the implications of the bill that morning, participants were asked to continue through the lunch hour, but without lunch. When it became further obvious that there was not time to even begin to discuss the implications of the bill at that meeting, the committee had the nerve to suggest that their itinerary allowed them to be in Iqaluit the following Wednesday between 12:00 noon and their 3:00 pm plane to Rankin Inlet that afternoon and we could meet again between planes, they offered.

Mr. Speaker, this kind of approach is not consultation. This is a speeding express train. My constituents now know what it is like to have been railroaded.

At the end of the meeting, people from my constituency politely told members of the firearms task force that they would prefer to have materials circulated in advance and that they would prefer to be given notice of consultation visits. I was not so restrained. I told the members of the task force that their approach was totally unacceptable and warned them that they should not use this meeting as a justification to say they had consulted us. This was not consultation, I told them; this was a juggernaut! We do not want to be used to make the Minister's political agenda easier in Ottawa.

So, what did I hear a few days later on CBC Morningside when Peter Gzowski interviewed federal Justice Minister Allan Rock about this new bill? Peter Gzowski understands the north. He knew that we were feeling left out, overlooked and disregarded. So he asked Mr. Rock about the people of the north. He asked Mr. Rock about Rosemarie Kuptana's expressed concerns about Bill C-68. Mr. Gzowski said to Mr. Rock, "Ms. Kuptana says the Inuit do not feel consulted." Mr. Rock replied, "But Peter, the Inuit Tapirisat themselves put us on to the people that we should consult in the meetings that are going on in the Arctic now. They identified which communities, which people, which groups should be involved in the consultation which has started. We have people in the Arctic doing that talking, listening and designing a way in which this should be implemented in aboriginal communities."

How shameful that Mr. Rock should suggest that Rosemarie Kuptana and ITC has bought into this sham of a consultation process.

This is manipulation, Mr. Speaker, by a government with a majority and a Minister who is cultivating support from his Toronto constituents at the expense of those of us who will be most affected by this invasion of our lives. This is a majority running roughshod over a helpless minority. We seem to have no one to speak for us. We are proud of the fact that our MPs have achieved great recognition in the new Government of Canada. Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew is a Member of Cabinet. Mr. Jack Anawak is a parliamentary secretary. But if our MPs dare to vote against the bill, we know they will be stripped of these honours. Ms. Blondin-Andrew herself described the choices she faces in an interview on CBC Mackenzie on May 16th. She said, "My whole life has been directed towards what I am doing now and I am not about to take that lightly by losing my whole career on one vote."

Mr. Speaker, I believe that MLAs in this Assembly are against this bill, as drafted. Our Minister of Justice is against this bill. We heard his statement today on that subject and other statements he has made recently. The NWT Association of Municipalities is unanimously against this bill. NWT aboriginal leaders are against this bill. None of my constituents support this bill. So who will speak for us? Who will consult us properly and with respect? What safeguards does democracy provide for us? Democracy is not working very well here. There is a majority in Parliament led by a Toronto Minister pushing his urban agenda on the minority in remote rural and northern communities. Considering the sham consultations, the lack of respect shown to my constituents, the federal Minister trying to implicate Rosemarie Kuptana and ITC in the sham, the federal Minister saying we are listening, considering the threats to muzzle our MPs, considering the rush to ram this bill through, this process looks more and more like manipulation and tyranny and less and less like democracy every day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Lack Of Federal Consultation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1115

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Just a general reminder to the Members, we just had discussions regarding unsigned letters and the issue of us making statements about people who cannot defend themselves in this House. Just a reminder to keep that in mind when you make statements. I appreciate that good intention in the statement is there but I will point out that people cannot defend themselves and are being put in that situation.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Lewis.

Victory In Europe Celebrations
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1115

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. More than 20 years ago, when I moved to Yellowknife from the eastern Arctic, there were half a dozen people who lived in Yellowknife at that time who had fought in the First World War. Four of them had even been at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Those people are now dead, however we have a generation of people who fought in the Second World War.

Mr. Speaker, I was in Europe just recently during the celebrations of the Victory in Europe Day. More than 20,000 Canadians went to Holland to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Victory in Europe. It reminded me of 1945 when, as a young kid, I remember every street having street parties. There were hundreds and hundreds of kids, races, dances in the streets and so on. I know many veterans in Yellowknife who fought in the Second World War and who were there during that time, realize that although it seems very remote, and such a long, long way away from here, that was the last world war, we hoped. That war -- and Mr. Patterson has just remarked on what democracy is all about -- really, was to try to do something to protect the democratic institutions that we all value. It was a battle against dictatorships and totalitarian systems.

For that reason, many of the veterans from Yellowknife realized, after visiting Europe, that they should be doing something even here, as far away as we are, from where that war took place. It was a world war, it wasn't just a local war. It was something that embraced the whole world. I know very soon, Mr. Speaker, that you will be approached to see if the veterans can't do something to commemorate that anniversary in some form, through Mr. Whitford, in this great hall of ours. I hope that we can give them a positive response, to recognize that that war really was to support and protect democratic institutions such as this, where the people are involved and you aren't pushed around just by one voice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Victory In Europe Celebrations
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1115

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Kakfwi

.

Lack Of Federal Preparation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1116

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I was attending a Shihta regional council meeting in Deline last week. The task force on firearms legislation had originally planned to go to Norman Wells but apparently, with little over a day's notice, decided to go to Deline where, in fact, all the mayors, chiefs and Metis leaders were having meetings. As an MLA, there was no notice given to me of this and, as far as I know, none of the community leaders either had much prior notice.

I just want to reinforce the concerns stated by the Member for Iqaluit. But there is one thing that I think needs to be said here, because I know the task force went on to the Gwich'in communities and is planning to have further consultation meetings in this part of the Mackenzie Valley this week. The concern I want to share with Members is my observation at this meeting, that there were absolutely no organized presentations. There is a total absence of any summary or description of the bill. Even a biased summary of Bill C-68 would have been welcomed but there was none. There was no description or explanation of the bill in summary form or in detailed form and there was no identification, whatsoever, of even present federal legislation on firearms.

So, for half of the evening -- and it was a four-hour meeting -- people were asking questions, just trying to get basic information. I found, along with the sham of consultation, the total lack of preparation and meaningful presentation or overview by this task force to be alarming. Thank you.

---Applause

Lack Of Federal Preparation Re Bill C-68
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1116

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 482-12(7): Advice From Education Boards Re Drug Use In Schools
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

Page 1116

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Ballantyne on April 27, 1995, with regard to advice from education boards about drug use in schools.

In April, I indicated that I would be willing to contact each school board about the magnitude of the drug problem in each area. I have since learned that we already have that information. Our school health research project is currently being published which will give us information about the health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of Northwest Territories young people in a whole variety of health areas. Drug use is one of those areas, along with mental health and self-concept, relationships with parents, friends and school, sexuality, alcohol and tobacco use, nutrition, dental care and the use of leisure time.

Not only has the information been compiled territorially, we compare Northwest Territories students to those in other parts of Canada, and are producing smaller reports by school board to give a clearer picture of what's happening in each area. I

will ensure that each Member receives both the full report as well as the smaller report for his or her area.

In terms of how the government might help, our plan is to disseminate the information as widely as possible, and we are working on the dissemination plan now. The decision to produce the reports by board was to facilitate effective responses and follow-up actions which might vary among boards. Through dissemination of the report, we are hoping to stimulate responses in a variety of ways. This will include responses by the government, but also at the regional and community levels, in a manner consistent with the community wellness strategy.

I appreciate your very timely question and will be happy to share our findings with you as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 482-12(7): Advice From Education Boards Re Drug Use In Schools
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

Page 1116

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 488-12(7): Appointments Of Community Justices Of The Peace
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

Page 1116

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is in response to a question asked by Mr. Patterson on the 27th of April with regard to appointments of community justices of the peace.

A Justice of the Peace is appointed under section 2.01 of the Justices of the Peace Act by the Commissioner in Executive Council. The term of the appointment is until the JP no longer resides in the NWT, reaches 75 years of age, resigns or is removed by the review council after hearing a complaint or matter relating to that particular Justice of the Peace.

Therefore, in most cases, a person with a Justice of the Peace appointment will retain the appointment if he or she moves from the NWT community where the appointment was made, to another NWT community. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 488-12(7): Appointments Of Community Justices Of The Peace
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

Page 1116

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Whitford.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 1116

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

(Translation) Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to welcome the 23 students from St. Joseph's School with their teacher, Mr. Dumond. Welcome.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 1117

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Whitford. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Patterson.