Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The committee examined the state of the official languages in the Northwest Territories using statistical data, language indicators and trends.

The availability of language data is important for the assessment of the health of a language. Measuring the number of speakers over time indicates if a language is losing or gaining vitality.

The following data on language speakers is typically collected to provide information on language trends:

•

“>Mother tongue” refers to the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the individual.

•

“Home language” refers to the language spoken most often at home.

•

“Ability to speak“ means that a person is able to carry out a conversation in that language.

•

“Language shift” is an important tool for

assessing the vitality of a language. Language shift measures the number of speakers a language gains or loses over time. It measures the ratio of home language to mother tongue speakers.

If language shift shows a declining trend over time, it is fair to say that language loss is occurring and the languages may become endangered. In a situation of declining language shift, more and more children will no longer learn the language of their parents as their first language. This means that the intergenerational transmission of the language is interrupted and a generational gap between the speakers of a language takes place. On the other hand, if language shift moves upward, that means

that more people use the language at home that did not learn the language as their mother tongue.

The information presented demonstrates that all aboriginal languages are suffering from languages loss to various degrees. Some of the aboriginal languages (Gwich’in and Cree for example) can be described as severely endangered because they only have a small number of older, fluent speakers left. Even languages like Tlicho and North Slavey, that were considered strong and healthy, are showing severe language shift mostly because English is increasingly becoming the home language, particularly in households with young parents.

The 2006 Census shows that 1,030 NWT residents indicated that French was their mother tongue. Of those, only 440 persons indicated that they use French as their home language. However, there is a unique upward trend for those identifying that they are able to converse in French. In 2006, 9.1 percent of the NWT population, or 3,720 persons, indicated that they are able to converse in French.

The increased use of English as a home language and the fact that 99 percent of the NWT population that indicated in the 2006 Census that they are able to carry on a conversation in English is another indicator that aboriginal languages are losing ground.

The assessment of the vitality and endangerment of languages is an important step towards planning language revitalization. A comprehensive long-term revitalization plan would need to include indicators to evaluate its implementation and success over time.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Krutko will continue the executive summary. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Language Vitality, Protection And Revitalization

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a third analytical step, the committee looked at established approaches to language revitalization. This might be helpful for the creation of a comprehensive aboriginal languages revitalization regime in the Northwest Territories. We have used a framework that was developed by a UNESCO expert group to create decision tools for the development of language policy, identifying issues and safeguards as they relate to language revitalization.

When examining the factors identified in this framework in combination with the language trends and indicators discussed earlier, it quickly becomes evident that all aboriginal languages in the NWT require some degree of revitalization. French as a minority language in the Northwest Territories requires maintenance measures in order to

maintain it as the language of everyday use by the francophone community.

The committee suggests that the following criteria need to be considered for successful aboriginal languages revitalization in the NWT:

•

The circumstances of each language

community have to be examined to decide on an appropriate plan.

•

Long-term multifaceted programs with a range of resources and much personal dedication of community members are essential.

•

Government policies affecting language use in public and the connection that people make between language use and economic well-being for their family are determining factors.

•

This being said, the most important success factor is people wanting to speak their language.

•

Outsiders can provide expertise, funding and moral support, but community members need to “construct the revitalization program which suits their ambitions, needs, and resources.”

•

Before decisions are made, each language

must be assessed for its degree of vitality/endangerment. Those tools can also be applied over time to measure success of initiatives.

•

Language domains expand due to modernization, globalization, and economic and technological developments. If a community language is not used in these new domains, it is losing vitality. This is of grave concern for all our aboriginal languages in the NWT. How much language is actually used in a particular domain plays an important role as well.

•

Because education is a critical domain for

language use, it is also a logical place to start. True revitalization, however, can only happen when all subjects are taught in the endangered language. Education in our school system is strongly related to literacy, which leads to the point that education in all subject areas needs to include the availability of written materials.

•

Language attitudes can make or break the

success of revitalization programs; for example:

o Government attitudes are influenced by

the majority population and are reflected in language and education policies and funding allocation.

o Canadian residential school policies, for

example, led to forced assimilation and prohibition of aboriginal languages, resulting in an interruption of intergenerational transmission. This history has lasting effects on the vitality of many aboriginal languages and decreases the chances of successful revitalization.

o Community attitudes are critical for the

success of language revitalization.

The concerns brought forward to the committee by the language communities, language advocates, stakeholders and witnesses are very serious. Language indicators show that the aboriginal languages are in a state of emergency. The Government of the Northwest Territories has no implementation plan for the Official Languages Act or a coordinated approach to support the communities’ revitalization efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I will pass this back on to the deputy chair of the committee, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Conclusions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Krutko. 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of

the Official Languages Act, which should be cause to celebrate the linguistic diversity of the Northwest Territories. The committee findings, regretfully, give little cause to celebrate.

The administration and implementation of the act have proven a challenge since the establishment of the Official Languages Act. The committee found that little progress has been made in implementing the act since it was last amended in 2003.

The consequences of having neither regulations nor an implementation plan for the act have led to a lack of standards for the provision of services in official languages and inconsistencies between government departments and institutions. It is difficult for the public to find out what services are offered, where they are provided and how to access them. The government has not coordinated a standardized approach on how its different departments and agencies offer language services to the public or communicate with the public.

The preamble was changed with the last amendments to the act, in 2003. It expresses an ambitious vision and speaks to future achievements. However, stakeholders are becoming more critical towards the achievability of this vision.

The committee heard many concerns from aboriginal people about the inequality of aboriginal language rights versus French language rights as manifested in the act. Many aboriginal language stakeholders perceived existing language rights as not reflective of the demographic realities of the NWT and the political reality of the NWT with its emerging aboriginal self-governments. They also questioned whether government institutions have the capacity to provide equal services.

More and more stakeholders asked if the rapid decline of the aboriginal languages, in times when the use of French as a second language is “booming”, can be seen as a consequence of this

inequality in law. They perceived the government’s commitment as “lip-service” and questioned if the recognition of aboriginal languages was more a political “good-will” statement than a de facto granting of rights.

Official recognition of languages can also have a powerful, symbolic effect. However, if the language rights are intended to extend to communication and services, mere recognition is not enough. The committee concluded that if the intent is to be “committed to the preservation, development and enhancement of the aboriginal languages” government actions have to be recognized as supporting this commitment. If languages are addressed in policies and legislation but their use is not required or there are insufficient financial resources, it is more difficult to promote language use.

The desire to “establish English and French as official languages of the Northwest Territories having equality of status and equal rights and privileges as official languages, ” as stated in the preamble, has proved difficult to implement in the context of the Northwest Territories.

While the act recognizes aboriginal languages as official languages of the Northwest Territories, the provisions that speak to how these rights can be exercised are weak and do not provide sufficient clarity for either the rights holder or the government institutions offering the services. This concerns sections 8 and 11 of the Official Languages Act in particular. The act provides for the establishment of regulations that could then provide clarity and details on the provision of services and communication with the public in aboriginal languages.

Since no regulations providing such clarification have been established, the committee must conclude that the provisions of the act have not been effective in providing for the use of aboriginal languages.

The preamble also addresses the role of language communities in preserving and enhancing the official languages. The committee’s consultation process indicates that there was little sense of ownership for this shared responsibility between language communities, the Legislative Assembly, and the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The establishment of the Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board and the Official Languages Board was intended to create a link between government and the community languages groups. The intent was to give communities input in government policy and language planning, while recognizing them as key players involved in the continued use of languages and responsible for bringing forward their community language priorities. Regretfully, the provisions of the act, which should have helped achieve these goals,

have failed. There was agreement between all stakeholders and witnesses that these sections of the act need revision.

The Minister responsible for Official Languages has the overall responsibility for the act and is responsible for the general direction and coordination of government policies and programs related to official languages. The Minister has not initiated long-term comprehensive planning for official languages services delivery or aboriginal languages revitalization as recommended by SCROLA. This lack of policy direction has meant little advancement of the objectives stated in the preamble.

The committee acknowledges that some progress has been made in the promotion of official languages education in schools and post-secondary institutions. Examples are the introduction of language nest programs, the implementation of Dene Kede, and the progress in teacher training and education. French language education in schools has also seen positive developments with the opening of a second French school in Hay River and the expansion of French immersion programs in schools around the Territories.

While the committee was glad to see these positive developments in language education, the question remains as to whether these advancements are more to the credit of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment or the Minister responsible for Official Languages. The committee found that the Minister responsible for Official Languages has no powers over other departments and government institutions to ensure compliance and implementation of the act.

The latest amendments to the act, in 2003, moved the promotional role for official languages from the Languages Commissioner to the Minister responsible for Official Languages. Apart from funding support for cultural activities of the French language community, none of the government commitments to the SCROLA recommendation relating to the promotion of official languages have been addressed.

The committee made the following conclusions regarding the roles and effectiveness of the Official Languages Board and the Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board:

•

Neither the Official Languages Board nor the Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board has the capacity, power, funding and support to fulfill their mandates.

•

The two-year term of the boards does not allow for continuity.

•

Recruitment of board members should be

improved by broadening the list of bodies that are able to nominate candidates.

•

The mandates for both boards state that they may review and evaluate the provisions, operation and effectiveness of the act. This caused many questions regarding the duplication of roles between the boards themselves, and with the Languages Commissioner.

•

The board regulations did not include terms of reference for the boards that could have clarified the broad mandates as described in the act. This slowed down the operation of the boards.

•

The operational support for the boards was provided by the official languages division, the same division that supports the Minister in overall responsibility for the act causing questions about the independence of the office. Can the same division that is responsible for leading the government-wide implementation of the act also support the boards that are mandated to review and evaluate how the act is working?

•

In many aboriginal communities the

stakeholders did not know who their board representatives were. They felt uninformed about the boards’ activities and recommendations to the Minister and they did not understand the different mandates of the two boards. There was no consistent approach for communication between the board members, their language communities and nominating bodies.

•

The francophone community organization

withdrew their participation on the Official Languages Board as they felt their community’s needs were not addressed in the mainly aboriginal structure that was focused on issues surrounding the survival of their languages. English as the dominant language of the Northwest Territories does not need representation on the Official Languages Board.

Therefore, the committee must conclude that under the circumstances described above the languages boards were not able to fulfill their respective mandates. The Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board did not contribute to the overall objective of revitalizing and maintaining aboriginal languages. The Official Languages Board does not contribute to ensuring compliance with and implementation of the act.

The Languages Commissioner’s mandate can be summarized as ensuring that the rights, status and privileges of all official languages are recognized, that the government institutions comply with the spirit and intent of the act, to investigate complaints from the public that government is not following the act, and to investigate language issues on his or her own initiative.

The committee found during the review process, that in most communities the Languages Commissioner (the Commissioner) was not known. People reported that they did not know that the NWT currently has a Languages Commissioner, who the incumbent was, or anything about the activities of the Commissioner.

During the witness hearings the Languages Commissioner expressed concerns that recommendations issued in the annual reports of the Office of the Languages Commissioner were not acted upon. The Languages Commissioner asked that the scope of powers for the Commissioner be reconsidered.

The committee findings show that section 22 of the act dealing with processes following investigations has not been used by the Commissioner. The committee, therefore, concludes that it would be premature to expand the scope of powers for the Commissioner. The investigative powers provided for under the existing act may prove quite effective if used.

The committee recognizes that the Languages Commissioner had difficulties in fulfilling her role as an ombudsperson and in ensuring compliance with the act. However, the committee is not convinced that this is due to weakness of the act or the lack of promotion of the Office of the Language Commissioner including a lack of outreach to the population and language communities of the Northwest Territories.

The committee also looked at other Canadian jurisdictions to compare compliance with official languages regimes. New Brunswick (the only bilingual province of Canada), Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Canada itself have a Languages Commissioner. In the remaining jurisdictions, processes are established that make the Ministers or Official Languages Secretariats responsible for dealing with complaints and ensuring compliance with existing languages regimes.

The committee recommendations are based on the findings and analysis described above.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to pass the next section of the report on to Member, Mr. Glen Abernethy of Great Slave. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The terms of reference allow the committee to make recommendations for amendment to the act that it considers desirable. Based on its findings and conclusions, the Standing

Committee on Government Operations makes the following recommendations to create:

•

a new “Official Languages Services Act” with a focus on service delivery, and

•

a new aboriginal languages protection regime that focuses on protection and revitalization of aboriginal languages.

The committee is aware of the breadth of its recommendations and that their meaningful implementation will take some time. As a first step, thorough strategic planning must take place, including an analysis of the fiscal requirements for the implementation of these plans.

The committee did not see its task as developing strategic or implementation plans on behalf of the government. Instead we have provided a foundation for what must be addressed in those plans. We recognize that the government also needs to address challenges related to human and fiscal capacity and resources during this planning process. The committee has left room in its recommendations allowing the government to be diligent on this matter.

The committee recognizes that interim measures will be necessary to address the most urgent needs of the aboriginal language communities and the most obvious shortcomings of the existing Official Languages Act. A section entitled “Transitional Provisions” gives recommendations on what interim measures should be taken immediately.

Provisions To Be Considered For An Official Languages Services Act

1. Rewrite the OLA to get away from the federal

model of legislation that does not match the demographic, socio-geographic, and political realities of the NWT.

2. Lobby the federal government to allow the

GNWT to create its own and more appropriate official languages legislation/regime.

3. Create a service orientated official languages

regime for the GNWT and commit to a regime aimed at saving the aboriginal languages of the NWT.

4. Acknowledge the different situations and needs

of the aboriginal languages and French in terms of legal recognition and protection by Canada, speaker base and available resources (financial, human, linguistic and capacity).

5. Recognize aboriginal languages and French as

official languages of the NWT, including rights granted in reference to legal proceedings and proceedings in the Legislative Assembly.

6. Government retains the obligation to provide

services and communication with the public in official languages, with the following qualifiers: 6.1.

Determine service delivery priorities through consultations with the different language communities while recognizing

the government’s capacity and resource limitations.

6.2. Address government capacity issues

through comprehensive long-term planning (language service plans for each language) while acknowledging language community priorities.

6.3. Create designated areas for aboriginal

languages in the communities where aboriginal languages are indigenous (see Nunavut OLA, s.3 (3)) and add further provisions similar to the wording in the Active Offer Policy of the Francophone Affairs Secretariat in Manitoba; i.e.,

A region is recognized as a designated area for [name of the language] by the Government of the Northwest Territories due to the concentration of aboriginal language speakers or the validity of the region’s aboriginal community, as demonstrated by the use of the aboriginal language in local schools, cultural organization, community groups, et cetera.

Apart from acknowledging regions where

aboriginal languages are indigenous, this provides for recognizing facts and trends of our modern NWT society, including mobility and urbanization.

6.4. Create designated areas for French; i.e.,

“A region is recognized … by the government … due to the concentration of francophones or the validity of the region’s francophone community, as demonstrated by the use of French in local schools, cultural organization, community groups, et cetera.”

7. Establish an Official Languages Secretariat

(OLS) and place it with the Department of the Executive as a central agency that has the authority to implement the Official Languages Services Act government wide. Such an organizational structure could improve accountability and oversight of the implementation of the “Official Languages Services Act” as well as increase focus on language community consultations and relationship building. The reporting relationship of the Official Languages Secretariat should be directly to the deputy minister.

8. The government’s Official Languages

Secretariat shall be sufficiently resourced, supported and empowered to fulfill the following mandate by: 8.1. Developing government services in the

aboriginal languages and French. Determine service delivery priorities

through consultations with the different language communities while recognizing the government’s capacity and resource limitations (see “Minister responsible” for details regarding this plan and the reporting on the progress of the plan).

8.2. Addressing government capacity issues

through comprehensive long-term planning (language service plans for each language) while recognizing language community priorities.

8.3.

Addressing matters of aboriginal languages services in general.

8.4. Addressing matters of French language

services in general.

8.5. Addressing complaints from the public

about aboriginal and French language services.

8.6.

Facilitating, guiding and monitoring departments and agencies on their aboriginal languages and French service activities.

8.7.

Liaising with aboriginal language communities, organizations and their political bodies, and francophone community organizations.

8.8. Coordination of agreements and funding

from Canada.

8.9.

Coordination of funding and other supports to the francophone language communities.

9. Acknowledge that in order to grant equal rights

to the aboriginal languages, a comprehensive language protection regime addressing protection, revitalization and modernization of the aboriginal languages has to be implemented first.

Provisions To Be Considered For An Aboriginal Languages Protection Regime

10. Acknowledge continuous aboriginal language

loss, endangerment resulting in a need for protection and revitalization.

11.

Government commits to an aboriginal languages protection regime through: 11.1.

Acknowledging the different situations and needs between the aboriginal languages of the NWT in terms of speaker base/vitality, capacity, endangerment, need for protection, maintenance, revitalization and modernization.

11.2.

A realistic long-term strategic revitalization plan (10 to 20-year range) must be developed in consultation with each language community highlighting priorities to address needs and actions for protection, revitalization, maintenance and modernization for each aboriginal language. This plan must include measures, monitoring and evaluation

criteria. Measures must distinguish between government and language communities responsibilities

11.3. Annual action plans for each language

that relate to the long-term strategic plan outlining responsibilities and activities by the government, its agencies and the language communities, including timelines and measures for progress towards established goals and objectives.

11.4. The establishment of an Aboriginal

Languages Authority (ALA) in charge of the development and implementation of this plan, being the liaison to the language communities, with sufficient resources and powers to fulfill this mandate and to provide ongoing support and capacity building to the aboriginal languages communities and their organizations.

12. Include statutory requirements to have a

committee of the Legislative Assembly review the Annual Report on Official Language Services and Aboriginal Language Protection and report back within 180 days.

Aboriginal Languages Authority And Aboriginal Languages Advisory Committee

13.

The Aboriginal Languages Authority is responsible for the development and implementation of a long-term strategic revitalization plan, annual action plans, and being the liaison to the language communities, with sufficient resources and powers to fulfill this mandate and to provide ongoing support and capacity building to the aboriginal languages communities and their organizations. 13.1.

The Aboriginal Languages Authority is obligated to consult with the language communities (set minimum requirements for consultation).

13.2.

The Aboriginal Languages Authority is responsible for stable and sustainable funding arrangements with language communities.

13.3. The Aboriginal Languages Authority must

have a close working relationship and take advice from the Aboriginal Languages Advisory Committee (see below).

13.4. The Aboriginal Language Authority of the

GNWT needs to liaise with the Aboriginal Language Centre (see below) to ensure a continuous work relationship is established.

14. The Aboriginal Languages Authority would

work with an advisory committee represented by delegates of the aboriginal language communities. The establishment of this Aboriginal Languages Advisory Committee in

combination with prescribed consultation requirements would ensure concerns of the languages communities are being heard and their advice being taken under consideration. 14.1.

The Aboriginal Language Advisory Committee would replace the existing Official Languages Board and the Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board.

14.2. Mandate, competencies, meeting and

consultation requirements of this working group shall be clearly established in policy.

14.3.

The obligations of the Aboriginal Language Authority towards this advisory body shall be clearly established in policy.

14.4.

The Aboriginal Languages Advisory Committee is composed by representatives of all aboriginal languages.

14.5. The mandate of this advisory body shall

be to participate in the development of the long-term strategic revitalization plan and the annual action plans concerning language revitalization

14.6. This body shall be linking the community

needs with the planning and policy activities of the government in regards to aboriginal languages revitalization

Aboriginal Languages Centre

While the Aboriginal Languages Authority and the Aboriginal Languages Advisory Committee would be concerned with strategic planning and policy development relating to the revitalization of aboriginal languages, the Aboriginal Languages Centre would be tasked with language activities and program delivery aspects of a comprehensive revitalization regime.

15. Support and fund an Aboriginal Language

Centre (ALC) outside of government tasked with: 15.1. providing central resources and supports

necessary for language protection, revitalization, maintenance and modernization (for example linguists, community development/capacity building, collaboration with existing programs)

15.2.

functioning as a clearing house for resources developed by language groups and with funding from the GNWT

15.3.

developing an aboriginal languages resource website

15.4. accelerating the development of Unicode

Dene fonts

15.5.

coordinating the development and offering of interpreter/translator training and standards (can be in collaboration with other agencies; for example, the

existing pilot project through the Akaitcho Government).

15.6. developing adult language training and

other initiatives to increase the day-to-day use of aboriginal languages that can be adapted and used by the different language communities

15.7.

other activities as identified and supported by the language communities

15.8. maintain an ongoing working relationship

with the language communities and the Aboriginal Languages Authority

15.9.

providing an annual report to the Aboriginal Languages Authority

Note: There is nothing that shall prevent the installation of an Aboriginal Languages Centre within any existing language society. Language community groups and organizations shall be consulted before the structure of the Aboriginal Languages Centre is decided on.

Mandate Of The Languages Commissioner Devolved

16. The implementation of our recommendations to

create an Official Languages Secretariat and to strengthen government’s commitment to service oriented legislation makes the position of the Languages Commissioner no longer necessary. Similar to the setup of most other Canadian jurisdictions, the Official Languages Secretariat, if provided with adequate powers, could address and resolve complaints regarding government services, while the Aboriginal Language Authority could ensure the progress of the aboriginal language protection regime.

17. If the term of the Languages Commissioner

appointed under the exiting Official Languages Act has not expired when the new official languages services regime comes into force, then the Languages Commissioner shall be repositioned in the Official Languages Secretariat to ensure continuity during the transitional period until the Commissioner’s term of office has expired.

Minister Responsible For Official Languages Services And The Protection Of Aboriginal Languages

18. Designate a Minister responsible for Official

Languages Services and the Protection of Aboriginal Languages and place the Official Languages Secretariat and the Aboriginal Languages Authority with the Department of the Executive to ensure accountability for the government-wide implementation of the Official Languages Services Act and the aboriginal languages protection regime is in place.

19. Make the creation of a government-wide long-

term strategic/implementation plan for official languages services and the strategic plan for aboriginal language protection a responsibility of the Minister and establish these responsibilities in legislation and policy.

20. Make the creation of departmental/institutional

official languages services implementation plan with annual reporting on measures a responsibility of each government institution.

21. Strategic and implementation plans must

include financial needs assessments that would allow the Minister to bring budget requests forward during the established business planning cycle.

22. Make strategic and implementation plans for

official languages services and aboriginal languages protection publicly available.

23. Include annual updates on the implementation

of these plans including activities of the Official Language Secretariat, the Aboriginal Languages Authority and government institutions part of the reporting requirements of the Minister’s Annual Report on Official Language Services and Aboriginal Language Protection.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to pass off the continued reading of the executive summary to Mr. Menicoche. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Language Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Abernethy.

24. Affirm relevance of the languages communities

for the use, maintenance, revitalization, protection and modernization of their respective languages.

25. Confirm government’s responsibility to support

the language communities in using, maintaining, revitalizing, protecting and modernizing their respective languages.

26.

Confirm aboriginal language communities’ responsibility to work with their people and political leadership at a community, regional and self-government level to increase daily usage, thus contributing to the recovery and maintenance of aboriginal languages.

27. The proposed Aboriginal Languages Centre

would provide increased support, development and sharing opportunities, avoiding duplication and increasing the capacity, programming and resource development for each language community group. Ideally this would lead to a close and ongoing working relationship between community language organizations and the centre.

28. The proposed Aboriginal Languages Advisory

Committee would provide opportunities for the

communities to provide input in setting government policy direction.

29. The role of the language communities would

be strengthened through mandatory consultation requirements of the Aboriginal Languages Authority and the Official Languages Secretariat.

Implementation

30. Make negotiations with Canada on changes to

the Northwest Territories official languages regime a priority.

31. Bring a legislative proposal forward during the

life of the 16th Legislative Assembly.

32.

Create an implementation plan for the introduction of the proposed Official Languages Services Act and aboriginal languages protection regimes in the life of the 16th Legislative Assembly (including fiscal, human resources and capacity building needs).

33. Conduct government-wide human resources

planning for the service delivery model to address official languages services obligations of the GNWT.

34. Use the Corporate Human Resources Strategic

Plan, currently under development by the Department of Human Resources, to determine the GNWT’s capacity to deliver services in the official languages.

35. Negotiate funding agreements for official

languages services and aboriginal languages protection with Canada.

36. Provide language communities with adequate

support and resources to implement their work plan/language plans on a continuous and developing basis.

37. Conduct an education campaign for all GNWT

staff on official language services and aboriginal language protection.

38. Provide an official languages service delivery

and communication manual for all staff, setting out minimum standards including for an “active offer”.

39. Extend the services offered at single-window

service centres (example: Manitoba).

40. Future NWT community surveys shall include

information on mother tongue and home language to allow for improved tracking of language shift, in particular for the aboriginal languages of the NWT. The tracking of language shift every two to three years could be an important indicator to evaluate if the revitalization measures put in place are successful.

41. Ensure that the NWT Bureau of Statistics

works closely with Statistics Canada to include all aboriginal official languages of the Northwest Territories when collecting and reporting language information during the census.

Transitional Provisions

The Standing Committee on Government Operations recognizes that a meaningful implementation of these recommendations will take some time. Therefore, the committee recommends that in the meantime the following transitional measures be acted upon without delay:

42. Improve service delivery in official languages. 43. Provide increased financial and capacity

supports to community language groups, including multi-year funding agreements.

44. Improve communication and consultation with

the community language groups and their organization.

45.

Conduct aboriginal language community consultations to prepare for the establishment of the Aboriginal Language Centre in the fiscal year 2010-2011.

46. In the interim, make the following amendments

to the existing Official Languages Act: 46.1. Languages Commissioner

46.1.1. Include NWT residency as

statutory requirement.

46.1.2. Include minimum requirements

for community outreach to promote official language rights and the act itself.

46.1.3. Review whether the existing

Official Languages Act sections on investigations by the Commissioner’s on his/her own initiative need to be clarified or strengthened.

46.1.4. Review

whether

additional

powers for the Languages Commissioner to audit government agencies for their implementation of OLA would strengthen the ombudsperson function of the statutory officer.

46.2. Official Languages Board and Aboriginal

Languages Revitalization Board

46.2.1. Amalgamate the two languages

boards into one Aboriginal Languages Board (ALB) that will provide the link between the aboriginal language communities and the Minister responsible for Official Languages.

46.2.2. Change the appointment process

by broadening the list of organizations who nominate representatives of their language communities. The intent is to involve a more diverse group of language stakeholders in the nomination process.

46.2.3. Clarify the Aboriginal Languages

Board’s mandate, powers and its relationship with the Minister in the act.

46.2.4. Include a description of the roles,

responsibilities, competency requirements and compensation/per diem schedule in the regulations establishing the Aboriginal Languages Board.

46.2.5. Include requirement for board

members to consult with their communities and stakeholders.

47. The Minister responsible for Official Languages

shall include a detailed progress report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Government Operations contained in its Final Report on the Review of the Official Languages Act 2008-2009 in his annual report on official languages.

48. The GNWT shall communicate with the

committee on the progress of the development of the proposed official languages services regime and the aboriginal languages protection regime.

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the executive summary of the Final Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the Review of the Official Languages Act, 2008-2009: Reality Check: Securing the Future for the Official Languages of the Northwest Territories.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Committee Report 6-16(3) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration.

---Carried

The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker, I also seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have Committee Report 6-16(3) moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration today.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize some of the community language specialists that are kind enough to join us here for the release of the report on the Official Languages Act. I’d like to recognize Ms. Jane Modeste from Deline, Ms. Lucy Lafferty from Behchoko, Ms. Dorothy Minoza from Fort Providence, Ms. Mary Rose Sundberg from Dettah, Ms. Cathy Cockney from Inuvik. I’d also like to

recognize once again Ms. Sarah Jerome, the Official Languages Commissioner.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

At this time I’d like to recognize Ms. Deb Simpson in the gallery, a constituent, friend, a lot of things in Yellowknife. A mentor, as well.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

[English translation not provided.]

I just want to say welcome to the Legislative Assembly, Lucy Lafferty, director of TTSA Education, here with us. Also Sarah Jerome, as I alluded to earlier, the commissioner of language. Appreciate you being here. And also those that are involved with our language. I’m glad they’re here with us celebrating. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

I’d like to recognize in the gallery a young man from my constituency of Range Lake who will be shaving his head for the second year in a row to raise money for cancer and to take part in the Relay for Life: Mr. Tim Riviere and his mother, Heather.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Great pleasure to recognize elder Michel Paper from Dettah. He’s a very respected elder in my constituency. Also elder Therese Sangris, and, of course, Bertha Drygeese, Mary Rose Sundberg, Mary Rose from Goyatiko Languages Society. Lots of work on the languages act. And Mathilda Charlo, Alfred Baillargeon was here earlier. Also Roy Dahl and we also have a young Zachary Dahl here.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Premier Roland.

It is a rare opportunity to introduce people from the constituency of Inuvik in the gallery. I’d like to recognize Cathy Cockney, the director of Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre, and as well the Commissioner of the Official Languages Act, Sarah Jerome.