This is page numbers 143 - 180 of the Hansard for the 15th 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 communities.

Topics

Supplementary To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we have done, as we go through our capital planning program, is we, through the small capital needs assessment, put our request in for money for health centres throughout the territory that don't have this type of equipment. We try to make it through that avenue to have equipment installed as the money becomes available. That is the process we are using this year, as well. We have made requests through the small capital needs assessment area. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I said it before and I will say it again, people in my region are being denied the basic standards in some of our facilities, some of these facilities that other regions have enjoyed and take for granted. Mr. Speaker, summer is coming close. It is just around the corner. I ask if the Minister will commit to work with the Sahtu health board to see that this installation of air conditioning be installed in the Tulita Health Centre.

Supplementary To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me try to be a little clearer here. The fact is, we have, as a department, agreed with the needs of the communities. We have put our requests in through the system to try to get additional monies to cover off this area. Hopefully, that need will be met this upcoming season. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again I would ask if the Minister would work closely with the Sahtu health board in terms of seeing some of these conditions being met in some of the communities who do not have these air conditioners. It is a basic service for health centres. You can go ahead with the bridge. Certainly, we can go ahead with putting air conditioners in some of our communities. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 160

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we will work with the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority in the air conditioning area, but we have to look at the needs across the board; in fact, all of our health centres throughout the territory. As I stated earlier, the department has put the request in in trying to get more revenue so that we can deal with this area. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Question 77-15(6): Air Conditioning For The Tulita Health Centre
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 161

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Time for question period has expired. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to opening address. Petitions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to table a petition signed by Hay River residents requesting this government to implement criminal record checks. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Petitions. Reports of standing and special committees. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Tabling of documents. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have several documents to table. I wish to table the following document entitled Communities and Diamonds: 2006 Annual Report of the GNWT under the BHP Billiton, Diavik and De Beers Socio-economic Agreements.

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

As well, I would like to table the document entitled Diavik Communities Advisory Board Annual Report 2004-05.

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, lastly, I wish to table the document entitled GNWT Response to Recommendations from the Diavik Communities Advisory Board in its 2004-05 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Frame Lake that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when the House adjourns on May 17, 2007, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, August 15, 2007; and further, at any time prior to August 15, 2007, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker gives notice thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated and such notice and shall transact its business as is and has been duly adjourned to that time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Motions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Motion 5-15(6): Criminal Records Check, Carried
Item 17: Motions

May 13th, 2007

Page 161

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, WHEREAS many Northwest Territories children have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of sexual abuse perpetrated by persons in positions of trust;

AND WHEREAS many survivors of sexual abuse feel betrayed by a system which has failed to protect them or to demonstrate that it cares;

AND WHEREAS recent events in the community of Hay River have clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of our children to sexual predators;

AND WHEREAS the technology and databases are in place to allow for the identification and monitoring of past offenders;

AND WHEREAS community and territorial leaders have a responsibility to ensure policies and checks are in place to minimize the risk of abuse to our children;

AND WHEREAS many government employees have routine contact with children either in their workplace or in the course of carrying out work in people's homes;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that this Legislative Assembly strongly urges the Government of the Northwest Territories to implement criminal records checks at least every year for all public service employees who have contact with children, youth and other vulnerable persons;

AND FURTHER that the government direct all its boards and agencies to adopt policies and criminal records checks of all volunteers who have contact with children, youth and other vulnerable persons;

AND FURTHERMORE that the government make it a condition of all contribution agreements that the recipient organization implement criminal records checks for their staff and volunteers who have contact with children, youth and other vulnerable persons;

AND FURTHERMORE that this Legislative Assembly strongly urges the private and non-governmental sectors to adopt similar criminal records check procedures for their staff and volunteers.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge the efforts of

Mr. Terry Rideout from Hay River in being instrumental in this motion coming forward to the House and for all the work that he has done in bringing attention to this very important matter.

Mr. Speaker, as legislators, we are obligated to do everything we can in our power to protect children, youth and vulnerable persons. Absolutely, this motion will not cover all aspects of where people may be at risk. This will catch people who have come in contact with the law already. Certainly, there is a lot of abuse taking place in our communities right now by persons where it is not reported and where these people have not been brought to justice. So this is one effort. This is one piece in an effort that we need to make to ensure that our children are safe and that they are protected.

Some folks may say that this type of a criminal records check for employees and volunteers, that this somehow might create some kind of offence that might discourage people from volunteering in our communities. But, Mr. Speaker, I submit that if you weigh the inconvenience for the potential offence of this against the possibility of even one instance of a child being hurt by a sexual predator, I would say that we should proceed with this and not worry about any of those kinds of negative implications or backlash to this. People need to understand that our intentions are good and are motivated by good and valid reasons when we speak in support of this motion.

We need to make criminal records checks a normal course of action so that when people are entering into positions where they are employed or they are volunteers, this becomes a well accepted, normal course of action that they would be called upon to agree to a criminal records check.

With that, Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to thank Mr. Rideout and I would say all these voting in favour of the motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. To the motion. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Mrs. Groenewegen for bringing this forward. I am in full support of it. That is why I asked her if I could second this motion. To me, this motion really speaks to the principle of the people we take care of. That would be our youth, our children, the people at risk. They could be our seniors. They could be anyone.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we are duty bound as Members here to find ways and take every step that we consider reasonably possible to protect those from the predators that prey upon those people at risk I talked about earlier. Mrs. Groenewegen talked about the small amount of inconvenience. I don't think it is an inconvenience to ask people who put themselves in positions of trust and we don't know what happens. This is just one more element to ensure that we can trust people and nothing, or at least we can try to make sure nothing, happens.

Mr. Speaker, recently, in the last couple of years, the federal government put their sexual offender registry into force. Now, if you had been charged with a sexual offence after that period once it had come into force, you are on that registry. But this not only looks at those people; it looks at everybody else who was charged with some type of sexual offence beforehand and any other type of offence that may be relevant to be made as notice to that employer or volunteer agency. So this is almost like this motion sets forward a method or process to help find gaps in the system because predators are a cunning bunch. They will find ways to look for opportunities. That makes our job even tougher here at this Legislative Assembly to ensure that we close those doors and we stop that access. If this is just a small step in the right direction, I think it is certainly the most reasonable step and it is certainly not an onerous process to ask someone to fill out a criminal records check. Therefore, everyone, the parents dropping their kids off, maybe their parents who are seniors off in facilities, or whatever the case may be, it gives them the extra little bit of comfort to know that that facility is being run properly and taking care of their loved ones.

So, Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting this motion. I want to thank the Member for bringing it forward. I also want to thank her guest here in our gallery today for helping initiate some of this process. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.