This is page numbers 171 - 185 of the Hansard for the 13th 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 work.

Supplementary To Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you. Could the Minister tell us if terms of reference were developed by the Cabinet or by the Minister specifically or was this left to the public servants to develop?

Supplementary To Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am told that previous to my time, the agreement in Cabinet was that the Financial Management Board is involved, as well as Public Works. We would review the report jointly and then decide what to do with the report.

Further Return To Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Question 67-13(7): Lahm Ridge Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Miltenberger. In my statement today, I talked about the need for this government to do all that it can to ensure that we create an environment where the youth of the territories can grow up with healthy bodies and healthy minds.

Two major concerns that I have, Mr. Speaker, which I spoke about, was the need to create some legislation to govern the availability of tobacco to minors and is there some way that we can curve the use of such products. The second point that I talked about was the need to protect the minds of our youth and we do badly need some legislation in the area of the availability of pornography and restricted movies, that availability to our youth.

My question to the Minister is, he had talked earlier in his statement about working with other departments for the betterment of youth, does the Minister or his department have any plans to introduce legislation that would help to produce the youth of the Northwest Territories with healthy minds and healthy bodies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Youth, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intent is to try to convince and better educate the young people and the youth to get them to voluntarily quit smoking. On the issue of pornography, that would be an issue that would require discussion with the Minister of Justice, but as far as I am aware, there are no plans for legislation either to tighten up smoking or pornography.

The key issue is in the area of tobacco reduction and cessation of smoking. It is an issue of concern now to the federal government, as well as to this government, and I think every local government in the Northwest Territories. I think we have an opportunity to work together to convince young people that smoking is better off not in their repertoire of personal habits. It is in their best interest to quit and rather then try to legislate that kind of behaviour. Thank you.

Return To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Supplementary To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 182

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly do support the idea of some voluntary measures, if they work. My question to the Minister is, could he point to some programs or voluntary programs that he has talked about that the department has sponsored or initiated that have been successful to date, and maybe point to the reductions in either of those areas that have worked, where we have encouraged compliance voluntarily? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I cannot specifically point to programs per se and unfortunately the statistics for smoking in the Northwest Territories are far above the national average. I am interested of course, if the Member has specific suggestions and recommendations that he would care to make in the area of encouraging smoking cessation or reduction, either be it through his legislative suggestion or other ways to do that. I would be very happy to consider that and try to add it to the mix.

At this point, we want to build on the work that has been done through advertising. There are efforts being made through sports and recreation initiatives to try to encourage young people not to smoke. There has been some success in southern jurisdictions, unfortunately in the north the statistics are still far too high. That is a challenge for us all to try to bring those statistics down and limit our costs. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Supplementary To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 182

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, Mr. Minister, for that. My final question, Mr. Speaker, is to do with the availability of restricted movies or pornographic material to our youth. My understanding is, that there is no legislation in place that would restrict our youth from going into a video store to purchase a rental movie.

The Minister talked about working with other departments and he did identify that this may be an area that could be handled by the Department of Justice. Could I get a commitment from the Minister that in these get-togethers he would bring these issues and concerns to his Cabinet colleagues, in particular the Minister of Justice? When he is having these get-togethers to look at the possibility of some needed legislation in this area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I commit to bring those issues, specifically the one on pornography, to the table of our next meeting of the social envelope Ministers. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Question 68-13(7): Legislation For Healthy Youth
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, some time ago, a committee of citizens went around listening to people about student financial assistance. They came back with a report and we have been expecting that several issues would have been dealt with by now as recommendations that came from that report.

Particularly, Metis and Inuvialuit students are being taxed on their grants where treaty and non-aboriginal students are not. Also, there were recommendations for higher tuition and more book allowances and other things like that. What I am wondering is, it has been quite a while now, Mr. Speaker, and is the Minister planning on implementing some of the recommendations of this report in time for the next school year? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As my colleague clearly identified, this is an ongoing issue that has been on the table now since 1997 and he and I in fact spent a considerable amount of time in committee on this particular issue.

My intention is to, in fact, see what can be done given the short time frame we have left to sit as a Legislature. I have a full briefing scheduled for Thursday and my understanding is that this issue, the whole package of student financial assistance redesign, basically ran out of time because there was no consensus on the issue that my colleague raised in regards to supplementary grants versus remissible loans. It is an issue that I would like to try to pursue with considerable vigour and try to see if I can move it forward, keeping in mind that we have maybe one session left after May. Thank you.

Return To Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Supplementary To Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister indicated that we might only have one session left after May. Could he indicate why it is important to have session before we get these changes instituted?

Supplementary To Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 183

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding was that initially the plan was for legislative change to the Student Financial Assistance Act and that they wanted to bring forward a package as opposed to piecemeal changes. That is my understanding, at this point, not having a full briefing. If it requires legislative changes, we have limited time. If in fact we can do other things, then we have more latitude. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Question 69-13(7): Ministerial Forum On Student Financial Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture, Employment and Youth. I do not know how many of those things he encompasses. The Ministerial Forum on Education which just recently completed their report, Mr. Miltenberger has indicated that out of 44 recommendations, 31 are non- monetary. The main ones that I have heard communities and people focus on are things like lack of financial resources, the lack of special needs assistance and the student teacher ratio being too high. The Minister refers to communities, families, DECs communication. Sooner or later it has to fall to somebody. On whose shoulders is this work going to fall on? Who is going to do this? How can we honestly tell the people that 31 of these recommendations can be done at no cost. Someone is going to have to do it. To whom is this new responsibility going to fall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.