This is page numbers 645 - 700 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th 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

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

Page 649

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, it's a great pleasure for me to introduce and recognize my constituency assistant in the House today, Pearl Benyk.

---Applause

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

Page 649

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

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

Page 649

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It also gives me great pleasure to introduce my constituency assistant, Mr. Steven Norn from Fort Resolution. He's expecting a baby in town here.

---Applause

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

Page 649

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to welcome you all to the Legislative Assembly to watch the proceedings. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up with some questions regarding my Member's statement on family law. I would like to ask the Minister of Justice if he could tell me, when it comes to family law matters, what is the average waiting time for legal aid files to be assigned to a lawyer?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 649

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the exact waiting time, although we would like to acknowledge there is a backlog in family law cases. We are quickly working on trying to find a resolution to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 649

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 649

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if he could tell me how long it takes for a family law file to be settled?

Supplementary To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 649

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, we are at the convenience of the court system. As well, we are trying to find more lawyers to deal with family law matters. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 649

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's two non-answers in a row. I would like to ask the Minister then, Mr. Speaker, Ms. Lee introduced some questions in this House to the Justice Minister regarding collaborative law. Mr. Speaker, I admit, I had to look up what that meant. The Minister indicated he would be bringing some collaborative law solutions to this House. What is he doing in order to reduce the backlog of family law cases?

Supplementary To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 649

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 649

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will read verbatim from my appearance before a standing committee on the budget. "Yes, we are trying to hire more family law lawyers." It's been a difficult task, I must admit. We are trying to encourage suggestions to reduce the backlog and the amount of cases before the courts. We are trying to use a collaborative law practice rather than the conventional judicial system. So there is an effort by the department and legal aid to try to reduce some of the waiting time, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad there are some initiatives being made, but I don't know if we are really making any progress. My understanding is the backlog of cases is growing. Can the Minister confirm that we have gone from a certain number and now that number is escalating on a daily basis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 650

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 650

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, many of the items here before us, there is a fluctuation in cases and we are trying to make sure we have sufficient legal aid support to try to help reduce the backlog. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 207-14(6): Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 650

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to my statement, I would like to direct my question to the Premier. We hear a lot about what's got to be done for a pipeline and how we have to get the federal government on board and how we need the federal government to start funding infrastructure and whatnot; yet, this government has some clear responsibilities. We have non-renewable resource strategies, we are responsible for wildlife in the NWT and also we are responsible for program delivery, especially in the areas of education and training. Mr. Speaker, with a pipeline coming down the valley, it's important that we, as a government, be prepared. So I would like to ask the Minister, do we have a plan in place so that this government will bring in legislation to deal with the aspects we are responsible for such as amendments to the Wildlife Act, development of a non-renewable resource strategy, so that we can implement some of these ideas?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 208-14(6): Oil And Gas Development Readiness Plan
Question 208-14(6): Oil And Gas Development Readiness Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the administration and management of non-renewable resources, diamonds, oil and gas, all lands and waters remains with the federal government. It is true wildlife is the responsibility we have and we are working with the public and aboriginal governments to deliver a Wildlife Act in the near future, we hope. Primarily the responsibility for making sure the North is prepared to benefit from development of non-renewable resources, we believe, has to be continually faced squarely with the federal government. We do our share to do what we can with our limited resources to prepare the communities and the people for what we hope is a positive future in non-renewable resource development.

Return To Question 208-14(6): Oil And Gas Development Readiness Plan
Question 208-14(6): Oil And Gas Development Readiness Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 650

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 208-14(6): Oil And Gas Development Readiness Plan
Question 208-14(6): Oil And Gas Development Readiness Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 650

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government has a responsibility to ensure that the residents of the NWT have the resources. We are prepared so that when a developer comes to our doorstep and requests us to have input and requests that we basically have meaningful input into any process whether it's through a public hearing or looking at a specific project, that we have the capacity in our communities such as economic development officers having technicians to help us review the information that is in front of us. Is the government doing anything to assist communities to develop that capacity so when developers knock on our door we are prepared for them?