Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will be supporting the motion. I, for one, feel, as I’ve stated many times in this House, that a government is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable in our society. What we’re seeing statistically and looking at the results of what poverty does, just look out in our large cities with regard to homelessness, people having to go to food banks, people having to go to relatives’ homes and sleeping on their couch because they have nowhere else to go, visiting each other so you can share the food that you have with a family member, or in some cases having the whole family living under one roof because they cannot afford to be in social housing or to strive on their own. They need the support of each other.

Poverty is alive and well in the Northwest Territories, yet as a government we continue to spend millions of dollars for big corporations, the diamond companies, to develop infrastructure which should be paid for by the private sector regardless whether it’s office space. I for one feel that we as a government have to do a better job to deal with the poverty-related issues which are confronting us every day, whether it’s walking down the streets of Yellowknife or Inuvik or our home communities. We see these people come into the band office, or my office as it’s in the same building in Fort McPherson. There are 20 or 30 of them

there for the lunch program because that’s probably the only good meal they’re going to get for the whole day. It’s sad to see, but that’s the reality of what we’re seeing in our communities.

With that I will be supporting this motion.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will be supporting my colleagues Ms. Bisaro and Mr. Bromley on this motion, because of the poverty situation that exists in Nunakput already and all of the Northwest Territories. Communities, like Mr. Krutko said, he said it all regarding the way things are happening in the communities. We have people with no jobs; there’s no work going on. You never, ever heard of a food bank in the communities, but now they’re coming up to the community of Tuk. They’ve started a food bank and that was not heard of. Rich to resources and now it’s time we all step up to the plate and help our people that need help. If we put enough effort into this like we do with our diamond mines and oil and gas companies, we can do the same thing with our people to help them.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Members for bringing this forward as we dealt with some questions in the House yesterday around the anti-poverty issue in the Northwest Territories. The Members have followed up with this motion. We as the Government of the Northwest Territories are doing what we can in the way we have been and realize there is room for improvement in building and working with our partners across the North. There are significant areas that we do invest in as the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Member Bromley pointed out that while we do expend a significant amount of money in the areas of coordination and working with our partners is vital as we go forward. As I stated in questions and responses yesterday in this House around this issue, we’re looking forward to working with our partners across the Northwest Territories to strengthen our systems in an environment where our resources are stretched. So the more partners in helping this issue, the better for us across the Northwest Territories. As this motion is a direction to us, we will be abstaining from the vote.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. I will allow the mover of the motion some closing comments. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to first of all thank my colleagues for their comments and their support. I think it’s been well stated, the issue at hand.

I think it’s important to note that this motion particularly requests that a dialogue gets started,

that we start talking and also that we start talking to our non-government organization partners, to our businesses, and to those that are living in poverty. There’s an opportunity for efficiencies to be gained here from talking to everybody in one place.

I hear the Premier state that this is direction to the government, but I think it’s really only direction to the Premier. It does state the Premier initiate discussions. I would ask the Premier, if he wants to abstain that’s fine, but I’d encourage the rest of Cabinet to vote.

I would ask for a recorded vote.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member is requesting a recorded vote. All those in favour of the motion, please stand.

Recorded Vote

All those opposing the motion, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

Results of the recorded vote: for, nine; against, zero; abstaining, six.

---Carried

The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours that the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called.

---Carried

Motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010; Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act; Tabled Document 62-16(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2010-

2011; and Minister’s Statement 47-16(4), Transfer of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy, with Mr. Krutko in the chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to continue on with the detailed consideration of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and perhaps, since we’re getting an earlier start today, maybe even make it into the opening comments and general comments on the NWT Housing Corporation.

Is committee agreed?

With that we will take a short break and start with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

---SHORT RECESS

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break, we agreed to continue on with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister of Education if he would be bringing in any witnesses.