Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we look at on-the-land treatment programs, we look

at it from an Aboriginal perspective through a holistic view, and that means looking at the whole four parts of the human being: the mental, the emotional, the physical and the spiritual. The Minister is on track on this process right here. I want to ask the Minister, has he looked at other types of programs that we’re talking about today that could be used as the model in the Northwest Territories, across Canada where people, Aboriginal people, all people can use this type of model for healing their addictions?

I’ve asked the department to look at best practices at that type of treatment. We recognize that most of the communities have a cultural area that the communities will frequent, and we want to look at those areas working with the communities. I think the communities understand that addictions are a huge issue. Certainly the health providers understand that addictions are a huge issue. We do want to look at treatment on the land and we want to look at the cultural aspect of it. All of the four aspects that the Member spoke of and their areas and everything and develop a program that would be very fitting for the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If you’ll bear with me, I’d like to read into the record the Standing Committee on Social Programs Committee Report 1-17(2), Report on the Use of Tablet Computers in the Legislative Assembly.

Background

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures of the 16th Legislative Assembly tabled Committee

Report 2-16(5), Report on the Use of Laptop Computers and Hand-held Electronic Devices in the Legislative Assembly, on May 19, 2010. This report provided a summary of the rules governing such devices in other jurisdictions and reviewed the Legislative Assembly’s actions and views to that date regarding the use of portable electronic devices by Members of the Assembly and committee staff in the performance of their duties. The report made the following recommendations:

Recommendation 1

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Members be

permitted to use laptop computers and other hand-held electronic devices only during Committee of the Whole proceedings;

And further, that laptop computers and other hand-held electronic communication devices are not to be used by a Member who has the floor;

And furthermore, that a Member who has the floor must have his or her laptop computer closed and/or his or her hand-held electronic device turned off.

Recommendation 2

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that any electronic device used in the Chamber must be on silent mode at all times.

Recommendation 3

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the use of laptop computers and hand-held electronic devices continue to be administered through the sole discretion of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly or the chair of Committee of the Whole and if the use of any electronic device is deemed to impinge on the decorum or dignity of the House, the offending Member may be ordered to discontinue use.

Recommendation 4

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the guidelines governing the use of laptop computers or hand-held electronic devices be set out in a document entitled “Direction Regarding the Use of Electronic Communication Devices in Committee” and that the document be attached as an appendix to the Rules of the Legislative Assembly.

All of these recommendations were adopted in the 16th Legislative Assembly by motion in Committee

of the Whole: Motions 9-16(5), 10-16(5), 11-16(5) and 12-16(5), respectively.

While no formal guidelines on the use of laptop computers and hand-held electronic devices have as yet been attached to the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, Members have treated these recommendations as conventions to be observed in the Chamber. Formal guidelines will be included in the overall review of the rules now taking place.

Pursuant to Rule 85(5)(e), the Speaker, in a letter dated December 12, 2011, referred consideration of the impact of the use of tablet computers on the operations of the 17th Assembly to the Standing

Committee on Rules and Procedures, in light of support received from Caucus for the use of tablets. The Speaker further referred correspondence from the Member for Frame Lake regarding the use of tablet computers in committee and the House.

The committee considered the matter at its meeting on January 18, 2012, and makes the following recommendation:

Recommendation

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that tablet computers or other similar electronic devices be considered as a type of laptop computer/hand-held device, subject to the existing conventions in the House regarding electronic communications devices.

The committee will continue to review the expansion of tablet computer use outside of Committee of the Whole, based on the Members’ experience in the current sitting and after consideration of an updated jurisdictional review.

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures on the Use of Tablet Computers in the Legislative Assembly.

Therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Committee Report 1-17(2) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called.

---Carried

Mr. Bromley.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) to have Committee Report 1-17(2), Report of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures on the Use of Tablet Computers in the Legislative Assembly, moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to move Committee Report 1-17(2) into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today.

---Unanimous consent granted

Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled “What We Heard from Northerners about Poverty.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table two documents. The first document is entitled “2011 Annual Report of the Public Utilities Board of the Northwest Territories” and the second document is entitled “Northwest Territories Law Foundation Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2011.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table the newspaper clipping from the Northern Journal dated January 31, 2012. The article is “Matrix Program Fights Addiction.” It is a great story about the things that are happening in Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Fort Providence about working on and combatting drug and alcohol addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, 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: Tabled Document 1-17(2), Interim Appropriation 2012-2013; Tabled Document 2-17(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012; Tabled Document 3-17(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012; and Committee Report 1-17(2), Report on the Use of Tablet Computers in the Legislative Assembly, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

I call the Committee of the Whole to order. We have numerous items that have been listed before us in Committee of the Whole today. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Committee Report 1-17(2), Tabled Document 1-17(2), Interim Appropriation 2012-2013, Tabled Document 2-17(2) and Tabled Document 3-17(2).

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. I assume in that order. With that, I will call a brief break and we will come back and deal with those. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. The committee report we have before us today is a report on the use of tablet computers in the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to move a committee motion. I move that this committee recommends that tablet computers or other similar electronic devices be considered as a type of laptop computer/hand-held device, subject to the existing conventions in the House regarding electronic communication devices. Thank you, Madam Chair.