Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that the Minister is going to do something, that he’s going to talk to board chairs. But I think this goes beyond board chairs and I think this is something the department could do directly with the schools. I’d like to ask the Minister when I could expect him to provide some concrete action… Sorry. When he could report to me that there’s been some concrete action on developing policies in all our schools.

Before the end of session I will get back to the Member on the status, what my department is pursuing on this particular subject on the Safe Schools Policy and working with the YK District No. 1 and other research that we’ve done within Canada and will provide that information to the Members.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next line of questions are for the Minister of MACA concerning a CBC news report on 2016 Arctic Winter Games, which indicated that there’s going to be limited sports on the ice surfaces. What involvement has MACA had with this Arctic Winter Games planning?

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a cause for some concerns; however, it’s a decision that’s made by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. They make the decision and I think they take into account the location of the games and the fact that they don’t have some of the facilities. Obviously, we’ve relayed our concerns, because a lot of the ice sport activities and games are a core part of the Arctic Winter Games. It’s a decision that’s made by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee and we have relayed our concerns on to them. However, I’m expecting that we’ll be hearing a lot more about this particular issue in the future

because it does affect a lot of folks out there across the Northwest Territories.

Obviously, it’s a concern to me. I know Hay River and Fort Smith put a proposal back a couple years ago to combine the two communities together to host the Arctic Winter Games and they were declined because they didn’t want to put the two communities together to host all the events, yet they’re allowing this one community to do it with limited sports. What is the next step for MACA involved with the Arctic Winter Games planners to ensure that these games are included for the youth of the North?

We can have discussion with our representative on the International Games Committee and see if there might be a way that something could be worked out, because a lot of kids look forward to the opportunity to compete in the Arctic Winter Games, compete in the sport of their choice, and having to respect the next host, which is actually Greenland and their lack of a lot of ice facilities, I think some kind of alternate arrangements might have to be worked out. We’ll have to have those discussions to see where we go from here, because it is going to be a concern for a lot of people in the next year or so. Thank you.

Has the department looked at any, as he indicated, alternates for some of these youth that would be deprived of their opportunity to be in the Arctic Winter Games at this time?

Mr. Speaker, we have had some initial discussions as to some of the alternatives that might be available. We have to further those discussions and see, because we have a lot of athletes that take part in the ice portion, which I said before is a core part of the Arctic Winter Games. We have to try and ensure that they have an opportunity during the Arctic Winter Games season to gather and compete. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no further questions, but I am concerned with this issue. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further answers. I am also concerned with this situation. Thank you.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, replies to budget address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of standing and special committees. Item 14, reports of committees on the

review of bills. Item 15, tabling of documents. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table a number of documents today. The first package of documents is the e-mail from the Minister of Transportation to me dated February 14

th .

The next package I would like to table is a note, plus a similar package of information, an e-mail Monday, May 28

th .

The third part of this compendium would be the copy of the Hansard particular page I was referring to that highlights a bunch of commitments.

The next item I would like to table is off a Twitter account under the name of Tait Communications, notably page 3. It cites Det’on Cho Construction in Halifax at the Marriott hiring for construction in the NWT. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 16, notices of motion. Mr. Bromley.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that the Government of the Northwest Territories reinstate funding at least equivalent to the budgets devoted by the 16

th Assembly for programming and support

of renewable energy generation and more efficient use of energy;

And further, that comprehensive planning and implementation of new hydro generation and grid

connections be reinstated towards the achievement of both reduced and stabilized power costs and expansion of hydro zones to communities currently relying on diesel generation of electricity;

And furthermore, that the government provide a response to this motion within 120 days.

Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Item 17, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, I will move that Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Item 18, motions. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called.

---Carried