As I stated previously, overcrowding in housing units is a symptom of a much larger systemic problem and causes many problems in the communities. Mr. Speaker, this government must see firsthand how their policies in the NWT Housing Corporation headquarters are affecting small and remote communities. They must get in touch with the concerns of the communities. Until that happens, Mr. Speaker, the policies will never truly recognize the housing challenges in the small and remote communities.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the honourable Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal government is proposing to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, the most fundamental and key environmental review legislation we have. And just in case you missed it, Mr. Speaker, the federal government is proposing to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.

I was surprised to learn from outside sources that this government is consulting with INAC on these amendments. Once again, the GNWT response is being compiled by GNWT deputy ministers or Cabinet without any plan for seeking input of Regular Members through committee. Despite requests, I have still not received the list of amendments being considered.

Last week I learned from another outside source that INAC is also consulting with stakeholders on creation of an NWT surface rights board act. Again, I have yet to receive this information through committee. My research indicates that the board will “provide a single process for dispute resolution between surface rights and subsurface rights holders who have been unable to reach a

negotiated access agreement.” My source, the industry journal Pipeline News, also says MVRMA amendments will “clarify terms, enact timelines and may include board restructuring while NWT Waters Act amendments will define the jurisdiction of the board.”

These are huge changes, Mr. Speaker. Obviously the readers of Pipeline News and the public groups being asked for their input have a better pipeline to information than our standing committees.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve strongly stated my views previously, that without all our Aboriginal governments at the devolution table, we cannot develop a respectful and successful regulatory regime. I’ve also called repeatedly for this government to ask our citizens what resource regime we want for our future. Rather than spending more than a half a million dollars on the blue sky Creating Our Future Together process we could have been, and still could be, asking our citizens real questions towards made-in-the-NWT law to manage our birthright.

When devolution goes ahead we need to be ready, not to bring down the same old made-in-Ottawa law and mismanagement, Mr. Speaker. We need to prepare now with our Aboriginal partners at the table to map our future cooperatively.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Is keeping the committees of this consensus government in the dark when critical changes are in the works a strategy of this government? Is refusing to go to all residents of our territory to hear their vision of a responsible land and resource management regime part of this strategy? What’s the significance of not having our Aboriginal partners at the devolution table while all this transpires?

I’ll be asking these questions later today, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to some of the statements that have been made regarding young people at risk in that 14 to 16 age group, I’d like to add my observations and comments, and question if our government could do more to support parents that are going through a difficult time with their teenagers.

Mr. Ramsay shared a story of a mother’s frustration. It seems that she can only sit by

helplessly while observing her daughter making choices that may change the course of her life permanently, and not for the good.

First of all, let’s get the myth off the table that this only happens in someone else’s family, or to children of parents who must have failed in some way along the parenthood path. Young people from homes of all socio and economic and even religious backgrounds can go through a phase that can put their well-being in jeopardy. They are of an age where the parents have very few discipline tools at their disposal to counter this quest for control and seeming disregard for boundaries. I’m sure if we surveyed even the leaders sitting in this room today, some would admit that they put their parents through more than a few sleepless nights of worry, and to some extent this may be some rite of passage and no irreparable harm results. But for too many, these risky choices made in these tender years set a young person on a path of destructive behaviour and unhealthy choices.

As Minister Miltenberger expressed earlier in the week, there seems little that parents or authorities can do to intervene due to the rights and autonomy of a young person, the right to choose for themselves where they go, who they associate with and what they do. So what can we do as a government to support parents who fear for the well-being of their children and look to the social workers, police, teachers and other parents and this government to help support them help their child make it through these years intact?

Here’s how I’ve heard so many of these stories unfold. Little Johnny is a good student, an accomplished athlete, an all around good kid. Then comes the high school years, the peer pressure, the temptations and the next thing we know Johnny is out behind the school smoking dope with a bunch of his friends. Some may say innocent enough, but it is illegal and it can be the start of much worse things.

Some parents tune into it right away and it’s off to a strict private school, and for those who can impose this and afford it, maybe it’s a solution, but what about everyone else? Now the stakes are raised and there’s experimentation with harder drugs and excessive alcohol and the rebellion is in full swing. Now the problem becomes each and every decision being made in this downward spiral is made under the influence of impaired judgment and a sense of being invincible.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Some kids will come to their senses and pull back. They find an appeal of such choices worn off and turn their attention to

wholesome pursuits. But what about the ones who don’t, the ones entangled in a life of struggle with addictions? What can we as a government do to support the parents and caregivers through these years? I don’t think we can throw up our hands and say hey, you’re on your own. They are people with a right to their own choices, even if these choices are unquestionably bad choices.

I believe that we need to do more to support parents, maybe counselling, coping skills, the understanding of other parents who have been there, social workers specially trained in the management of these types of behaviours, training for educators who can detect early on and liaise with parents of children who are showing the signs of destructive behaviour, maybe even placement options, not necessarily foster care, but alternative care with programming to teach and help young people to set better boundaries for themselves.

Mr. Speaker, in question period today I’ll have further questions on this matter for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last November I spoke about the proposed realignment of Highway No. 4, the Ingraham Trail. The highway needs to be realigned to accommodate the remediation process at the former Giant Mine property. The realignment has been on the drawing board for four years now. Three options were put out in the public realm by the Department of Transportation. Seeing as the majority of the capital costs of the realignment will be funded by the federal government, we must use this as an opportunity to maximize benefits to our residents.

Last November the Minister of Transportation told me to have some patience, Mr. Speaker, even though the process had been dragging on for three years at the time. Mr. Speaker, I do have patience, but when seven more months go by and we still have no idea of what is going to happen with the realignment, then I have to ask some more questions about where this issue currently is at.

The Minister also stated that construction of the road realignment would start in the fall of 2011. That’s only three or four months from now. So again, where are the committee and the department on this issue?

Mr. Speaker, if the option is chosen to bypass most of the mine infrastructure -- the option that I fully support, by the way -- then it will bring many

opportunities for both businesses, residents and tourists.

Prior to being elected in 2003, I worked as a tourism development officer in the North Slave region, and it was apparent then that Yellowknife was in desperate need of an RV park. That was eight years ago. The issue has just seemed to disappear while demand continues to skyrocket. The realignment of Highway No. 4 could be the much needed catalyst for finally expanding the campground at Fred Henne Territorial Park to include more RV sites. This will not only be good for local residents who frequent Fred Henne Park but also for the tourists who oftentimes show up and are told that the park and the campground are full.

The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is we need a decision to be made and I hope that we as a government can make the case that we want to maximize opportunities where we can. I look forward to asking the Minister of Transportation again today how it is that we are making a case for taking the option to bypass all of the mine’s infrastructure, thus opening up a whole new world of possibilities for new development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regards to the previous election that took place, one of the predominant issues at hand was the whole devolution process in the Northwest Territories and where a particular candidate stood on the issue. Mr. Speaker, not only in the campaign but also full-page ads, which were paid by this government, to combat certain opponents of the Devolution Agreement, especially the Gwich’in leadership and the Gwich’in people that I represent, which I took offense to the article I read in the paper.

Mr. Speaker, the question that’s being asked out there is how can the Premier explain the lack of any participation on the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle to the federal government and to the federal opposition leader in light of what is happening, where we have two Aboriginal groups at the table, where six are not presently partaking.

Mr. Speaker, the question also has to be asked, exactly what is this Premier doing to advance the talks on devolution with the Gwich’in and other Aboriginal and Dene leaders throughout the Northwest Territories and ensure there is a current outstanding process that they can be involved in. Land claim agreements allow for arbitration. There also are appeal mechanisms in regards to how you

can appeal certain mechanisms in those agreements.

---Proceedings interrupted due to power outage

Mr. Krutko, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are mechanisms we can use to entice people to the table, but more importantly, mechanisms, if we can’t work with them, let’s find a person who can through arbitration. Bring someone in who can bring the parties to the table, bring the parties with their issues, and at the end of the day, have a deal for all Northerners and have the best deal we can for the Northwest Territories and the people that we serve.

Mr. Speaker, there has to be questions out there and resolutions to these outstanding problems. Mr. Speaker, Dene issues and Dene concerns are valid. They have concerns about what’s happening with Norman Wells and why it isn’t on the table. They have concerns on exactly how management of lands and resources are going to be handled in their regions, regardless of whether it’s the Gwich’in or Inuvialuit or Sahtu or Tlicho or the Deh Cho, so they know that any activities or decisions that are going to be made will be done in consolidation with the people that are going to be affected by those decisions.

Mr. Speaker, we, as government and as a Legislature, have to be attuned to what’s being said out there about the lack of Dene participation in a process of that magnitude in regards to where we are going in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the leadership in the Northwest Territories have made it blatantly clear to the Premier and other northern leaders that if we can’t agree to devolution, why are we even talking about a northern vision if we expect to move forward on this matter.

Mr. Speaker, it’s critical that this Premier ensures that there are going to be meetings held with those groups who are basically outside the tent and are not presently fully participating and willing to sign, but we have to find a mechanism for them to be heard, regardless if it’s the obligations we have in land claim agreements, which clearly stipulated that they shall be involved in these negotiations, in which they are not. Also, the ongoing negotiations of devolution, including a package that will be beneficial to all Northerners, all residents and, more importantly, the Aboriginal people who are the ones who are ultimately going to be affected by what happens on their lands. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been a longstanding need for transition housing in Yellowknife for women, and through the leadership of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, we are now getting closer to achieving that goal by addressing some of that need.

The Betty House is short for Better Environment to Transition in Yellowknife. This transition house will help northern women in addressing the homelessness issue and helping those at risk of becoming homeless, giving them a place to go.

Mr. Speaker, Betty House will provide a stable atmosphere for women who have no place to go and are trying to get through and get out of challenging situations. It will provide a safe place for them to begin their lives and put their lives in order.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the hard work of the YWCA for championing this project, and more specifically, I’d like to recognize the City of Yellowknife and their homelessness coordinator, Dale Hernblad, for her leadership on this particular project.

Recently, the Betty House received very welcome news from BHP Billiton. They contributed $700,000 towards the estimated $6 million cost of building the Betty House. Mr. Speaker, that is a significant contribution towards this project and their generosity is certainly greatly appreciated by all.

The Yellowknife Community Foundation, a very well-known NGO in our city here, is contributing money. The City of Yellowknife is moving forward on this initiative by contributing efforts, resources and money, and private sector partners are all wanting to contribute in some way or form. The question really then that comes to mind is: where is the Government of the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Speaker, later today I will have questions for the Minister responsible for homelessness as to what partnership role our government is providing in this important initiative providing much needed transition housing for women in the city and in the North. Thank you.

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

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Summer is on our doorstep, Mr. Speaker, and students have come back from colleges and universities ready to work. I have received four inquiries from Nahendeh students looking for

opportunities within the territorial government. The GNWT needs to hire summer students not just in Yellowknife but in all our communities and regions.

Many government employees take holidays, leaving positions vacant for weeks at a time; a summer student could fill those positions with little impact on our overall budget. The passive restraint this government is exercising does not need to impact our future or the ability for students to earn much needed income for the fall time when they return to school.

A summer job is a great opportunity for a young person to experience the work world and acquire skills. Many students recall summer jobs during university as a valid learning experience that helped them make decisions about their future career. Taking on the responsibility of a full-time job helped build maturity and leadership.

The NWT is lucky to have young people who are willing to work. We often talk about supporting our youth, but when it comes to job opportunities, this year the support seems weak. Students that spoke with me were upset last year when there were opportunities now that our commitment for summer employment is obviously declined or even absent. I don’t believe passive restraint should be used for these valuable summer work opportunities. Reduction in government should not be on our youth and students. Let’s turn our intentions into actions, Mr. Speaker, and get these students employed. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with regret that I have to, again, bring up the subject of how we fund one of our most valuable resources, the non-government partner organizations who deliver GNWT programs and services for us.

There is a need to better fund our NGOs, one that is not acknowledged by this government. In February I suggested to the House that the GNWT should not only provide multi-year funding, but multi-year core funding for our NGO partners. In my mind, multi-year contracts are a no-brainer, but the NGOs I hear from cannot convince the GNWT to enter into multi-year contracts.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, I recently learned that the government does provide five-year funding agreements to some organizations that we make contributions to. The time that our NGOs have to spend negotiating and developing contracts with the government is huge. Many receive funding from more than one government department and our obstructionist policies require them to have a contract with each one. The imposition that that

requirement places on an organization which usually has little administration capacity to begin with is large.

Core funding would provide an NGO with financial stability and some freedom from the excessive administrative burden we place on them. For one, it would reduce the number of contracts they have to negotiate and sign, saving time and money for both the NGO and the GNWT.

Core funding would enable those multiple contracts to be reduced to one. As well, many NGOs are funded for programs which they deliver year after year. The NWT Seniors’ Society, for instance, has successfully delivered the 1-800 Seniors Information Line since 1995. Yet, now some 16 years later, they must still apply every year for funding to run this program. The government knows that the program is needed every year, they know the society does a good job delivering it, they know the Seniors’ Society is the best NGO for the job. Why, then, do we not provide them with a base funding amount to cover the services and programs that we know we want them to deliver for us?

On another note, we need to provide NGOs with regular increases in their funding; increases geared to the cost of living. Currently, no provision exists which takes into account increases in the operational costs for an NGO: salary increases, increased costs for equipment and supplies, the rise in cost of infrastructure and so on. The government must provide our NGO partners with adequate funds to cover two things: the cost of running the organization and the cost of programs and services that they do on an ongoing basis. Other projects which are beyond their normal activities would then be funded on an application basis.

The work, the services...

Ms. Bisaro, your time for your Member’s statement is expired.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The work, the services and the programs the NGOs do on behalf of the GNWT is invaluable. It’s time to rethink how we fund our NGO partners before it’s too late and we lose them. I will have questions for the Premier and the Minister of the Executive at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 6, acknowledgements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.