Good afternoon, colleagues. Colleagues, I will now provide my ruling on the point of privilege raised by Ms. Bisaro on October 21, 2013, with respect to comments made by Mr. Menicoche on Friday, October 18th on the capital plan. The Speaker’s role

when a point of privilege has been raised is to determine whether the matter was raised at the earliest opportunity and whether, on the face of it, a breach of privilege has occurred.

I do find that the point was raised at the earliest opportunity.

A breach of privilege occurs when individual Members are obstructed in the performance of their duties. It is a very serious matter. In this case, while Ms. Bisaro may have been offended by Mr. Menicoche’s comments, she was not obstructed in the performance of her duties. I, therefore, find that there has been no breach of privilege on the face of it.

The point of privilege is to address very serious matters like harassment and intimidation that could prevent a Member from doing his or her job. I would like to discourage Members from using a point of privilege to tell the House that they have been offended by others’ comments.

If this were to become a common practice, I suspect we could be dealing with points of privilege every day. There are other times to challenge each other's positions, like Members’ statements, Committee of the Whole, and replies to the opening address.

At the same time, I have heard some comments over the last few sitting days that could be taken as offensive. We work as a consensus system. You have some difficult issues before you, but I am sure you can find a way to make your point in a respectful way.

As I’ve said a couple of times already in this sitting, remember why we’re all here: to work for the

betterment of the people of the Northwest Territories. Let’s make the best use of our time here and get to work. I remind all Members why we are here. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to rise on a point of order under clause 23(k) with regard to the use of insulting and abusive language and (l) speaking disrespectfully of Her Majesty, any member of the Royal Family, his Excellency the Governor General, the Commissioner, the Assembly or any Member.

I rise on that point, Mr. Speaker, because I listened yesterday with great interest and intensity to the exchange between Mr. Hawkins and Minister Beaulieu. I listened carefully to the volume, tone and content of the exchange. I am of the opinion that when you look at those three items with the type of discourse and exchange that happened, the comments by Mr. Hawkins are contrary to our rules of order, hence my point.

I wanted to look at Hansard, which I did, and I’m rising on my first opportunity to speak. I want to refer to page 27 of unedited Hansard from yesterday during one of the exchanges in a question to Mr. Beaulieu. Keep in mind the volume, tone and content. Mr. Hawkins said, “Who is in charge of this department and if he isn’t, come on over here. We’ll welcome you back in great arms because we’ll put someone over there that can do the job because this Minister doesn’t.” Same page, second question: “Again, I ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, other than doing nothing, put something on the table that he’s truly done to improve the lives of Northerners, or get out of Cabinet because you don’t belong there.” It was clearly a very aggressive and insulting tone of voice, in my mind.

Then when you go to page 28, Mr. Speaker, the Minister, near the end of this last question, was attempting to respond and in Hansard it says “interjection.” That interjection was the Member for Yellowknife Centre interrupting the Member, Mr. Speaker. Immediately following that interjection, you, yourself, cautioned Mr. Hawkins, “Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins, Member for Yellowknife...” Right after that, there’s another interjection, which

was Mr. Hawkins once again speaking off mic but interrupting you, yourself, Mr. Speaker.

We appreciate frank and earnest debate, the give and take, the repartee and the parry and thrust of discourse, but there are limits in this Chamber. We pride ourselves on the decorum of this House, the propriety of the way we do business. We hold ourselves above the other Legislatures.

The point of order has been contravened; our rules have been contravened. I think this was beyond what is acceptable in this Legislature; hence, my point of order. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I’m going to allow some debate on this point of order. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate Minister Miltenberger bringing this forward for some type of public discussion and I certainly welcome it. At the same time, this would be the same Minister telling me in the back hallway right after that exchange that he was thinking about calling a point of order just to calm me down. Now that’s a conversation we had; hence, his point and, hence, his point of order here today.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of volume and tone, I think, is quite exaggerated. I think one is not identifying the passion and concerns about seeing issues ignored, repeatedly brought to the table and I think that’s confusing. It’s normal in any parliamentary process to have discourse amongst sides. The fact is if decorum is changed and elevated to an ever-so-slight level that is recognizable of whisper, whisper there, whisper back here, people think we aren’t doing our jobs and Cabinet, in my experience, thinks we’re picking on them.

I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker, I don’t disagree with the fact that… It’s almost saying you can’t raise your concerns, elevate your concerns with your passion. I’m here to do my job and demand results, Mr. Speaker, and sometimes that does cause one to raise the energy in the debate.

Quite frankly, I cannot sit here and ignore the lack of results and Cabinet sit over there and expect that we don’t call them out when they don’t do their job. They find that offensive and rude, and I certainly welcome another point of order if they want to keep calling it on those types of things. It’s very frustrating on this side of the House. I have every right to say to the Minister, in my view, that if he doesn’t do his job, and I look right at him again and say, if you don’t want to do your job, you can come over here. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate your guidance on that. What I’m trying to say is I have every right to call the Ministers out for not doing their job. The public demands it and I’m sorry if it hurts the feelings of Cabinet, but I stand by the fact that this passion must be brought to the job and sometimes it raises

the tone and elevates the volume of the job. If they all want to stand up in successive order and say they don’t like it, I’m sorry; they’re going to have to live with it in some capacity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the point of order. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the opportunity to stand up as somebody who has been in this House for a long time and have heard a lot of exchanges and have been known to spar and argue and fight with the best of them on the other side of the House, but, Mr. Speaker, I did find Mr. Hawkins’ comments, questions to Mr. Beaulieu yesterday to be offensive and it did, in my opinion, reduce the demeanor of our House.

Mr. Hawkins was asking Minister Beaulieu questions you really couldn’t answer, like, can you do your job. Some of it is even what I would put in the context of asking him for an opinion and the tone was disrespectful and it was demeaning. There was no answer that Mr. Beaulieu could have reasonably provided to those questions. I tried to project myself in that position and if I was being asked those questions, there is no reasonable response when you’re under that kind of attack.

Like I said, I’ve stood up and berated Ministers before. I’ve told them everything I think about them, but I don’t think that it was done in a way that… I like lively debates in this House too. Sometimes it does seem a little dull in here, a little dead, but I think that the tone, the words, the questions that were posed to Mr. Beaulieu yesterday, there was no reasonable response he could have possibly made. Whether Mr. Beaulieu is doing his job or not is entirely a subjective observation and I think there are ways of communicating it without degrading each other. That’s all I’ll say about it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. To the point of order. I will take this under advisement and bring it back to the House sometime before the end of session. Thank you.

Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, community safety is a critical priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories. We need to look out for each other and make our neighbourhoods places with a strong sense of well-being. Everyone needs to feel safe and be safe.

Earlier this month Yellowknifers came together to hold a conversation on community safety. My thanks to Ms. Bisaro for the role she played as moderator for the evening. I was also pleased to welcome other MLAs and community leadership to the discussion. The meeting was well-attended by the public and included members from the Coalition Against Family Violence there, continuing their advocacy for victims and efforts to stop violence. Community safety has to be solved by the community and I was pleased to see so many people willing to take on that challenge.

We talked about things everyone can do to make this a safe community. Victims showed great courage; they told us what happened to them, and they encouraged everyone to keep using the trail and the parks, not abandoning our public spaces. We talked about the need to get offenders the help they need, not just arresting and releasing people. Over and over, residents stressed that sexual violence is a crime of power and control, not of chronic addiction or homelessness. We also talked about the crimes that are the biggest threat to women throughout our territory: family violence and other assaults within the home at the hands of intimate partners who are well-known to their victims.

We are already taking action on what we heard at that community meeting. I have directed the department to work with the City of Yellowknife and the RCMP to explore approaches to improve communications and coordination between the RCMP and the municipal enforcement division. We are also looking at options for supporting community-based actions, like the Citizens on Patrol program. Working groups from the organizations involved in the community meeting are being established to act on the issues and ideas we heard, and we have committed to holding another public meeting in the new year.

Over the past two years we have been holding other community safety meetings throughout the Northwest Territories. These meetings have brought together residents, elected municipal officials, Aboriginal government leaders, RCMP and GNWT officials to discuss community concerns and issues and how we can all work together to solve them.

Community participation in these meetings was also critical. We all need to find ways, as organizations and individuals, to work together to make our communities places where people feel safe, look out for each other, and know where to go for help when they need it. At the end of the day, it isn’t governments that make a community, it’s the people who live in it.

Our Community Safety Strategy is being piloted in Tulita, the Hay River Reserve and Inuvik. Through this strategy, we support communities as they

identify their priorities and the resources they have to tackle issues. We must take advantage of the wisdom of the communities if we’re going to successfully address community safety. The results of the pilot project will be of real benefit to Yellowknifers as we expand the program throughout our territory, addressing root causes of crime and drawing on the strengths of our own people.

Mr. Speaker, our communities are ready for this type of work to be done. There is a growing demand from our citizens that we address community safety. But it is a complex problem with many causes and we have to deal with them at the root. Dealing with the symptoms is not enough. That is why the GNWT has launched a number of strategies to deal with the social and economic challenges that often limit people’s potential.

These include initiatives such as the Early Childhood Development Strategy, to ensure our children start off on the right foot. We are addressing the critical piece of economic well-being and social health through the Anti-Poverty Strategy, Economic Opportunities Strategy and Mineral Development Strategy. The Mental Health and Wellness Strategy plays a key role in eliminating barriers. The work we are doing on educational reform will give everyone in our territory more opportunities for lifelong learning so they can take advantage of every second, third, or fourth chance.

We are taking a strategic and effective approach to supporting our people and working with partners and stakeholders just as we are asking communities to do. As Minister responsible for the Anti-Poverty Strategy, which several Members here participate in, I can say the concept is working. Through this multi-level approach, we will make a difference.

We are listening and we will work as a government providing support and playing our part. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Mr. Speaker, holding both the transportation and economic development portfolios, I very much appreciate the strong contribution that transportation makes to a strong and prosperous Northwest Territories. Transportation has always been at the forefront of enabling Northerners to grow and develop our economy. Never has the role that transportation plays been more important to guaranteeing our future growth and prosperity than it is today.

Transportation infrastructure is a fundamental requirement and an enabler of economic

development in the Northwest Territories. It allows an economy to begin, grow and prosper through increased access to essential goods and services and to natural resources. Linking communities within a region provides jobs, fosters social development and trade, and allows for social interaction. Infrastructure improvements such as the construction of new roads and rehabilitation efforts across the system stimulate job creation and make our economy more competitive in the long term. It also reduces the costs of freight and the cost of living in our communities. Available and reliable modes of transportation attract private investment within an economy, and create the potential for value-added growth. These sentiments were echoed throughout the consultation processes undertaken toward the development of the Economic Opportunities Strategy and Mineral Development Strategy being led by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to announce that the Department of Transportation is building upon this strategy work and embarking on a process to develop a multi-modal Transportation Strategy for the territory. This strategy, which was included in our 2013-14 Business Plan to be completed in 2014, will guide our path forward toward a transportation system that will enable the Northwest Territories to realize its full potential. Achieving our government’s vision of a strong and prosperous territory requires that adequate supporting infrastructure, such as the transportation system, is in place to effectively link communities to opportunities for social growth and economic prosperity.

The process to develop this strategy will be officially kicked off at the Northern Transportation Conference, being organized by the Van Horne Institute, which will occur here in Yellowknife, October 29th and 30th . The conference theme,

Developing a Northern Transportation Strategy, sets the tone for discussions and engagement with stakeholders, industry, transportation partners and other levels of government on the development of the Transportation Strategy.

As we move forward to further development of our transportation system, continued partnerships will be critical, partnerships with the federal government such as the anticipated new Building Canada Plan funding agreement, as well as partnerships with industry.

Mr. Speaker, much background work has been underway. In June, Corridors for Canada III – Building for Prosperity, the Department of Transportation’s strategic infrastructure funding proposal was tabled and submitted for the federal government’s consideration under the new Building Canada Plan. The proposal includes a $600 million investment over 10 years to improve our winter

roads, highways, bridges, marine and airport infrastructure. Corridors for Canada III is an action plan that addresses transportation infrastructure needs across all regions of the Northwest Territories. These investment priorities will be incorporated into the strategy.

The department is also working to finalize a Climate Change Adaptation Plan, Road Safety Plan, as well as studies assessing options for improved road access into the Tlicho region. A financing study for improved access into the Slave Geologic Province, a marine system review and an Environmental Strategy, titled Green Light, have also been completed. Airport development plans as well as a runway issues and lengths study are currently being updated. The Transportation Strategy will build upon and incorporate the results of this research work that has been underway. It will also be developed with input and engagement, including all MLAs, Aboriginal and community governments, transportation and industry stakeholders.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Transportation’s multi-modal Transportation Strategy will guide the development of our transportation system and help shape our plans, priorities and policies for the coming years. I encourage Members, other levels of government, industry stakeholders and the public to get engaged and support the development of this important strategy as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Before we head into Members’ statements, I’d like to welcome again back in the House today a man who has held every position in this government, almost, Mr. Anthony W. J. Whitford.

---Applause

It’s always good to see you, Tony. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak about the marina for Fort McPherson. The community has set their priority in their community and that is to build a new arena. The current arena they have now was built in 1987. The location was built on the grounds of the old Fleming Hall that’s affecting the foundation. That’s their plan over the next couple of years. They figure the rough estimate is roughly $5 million. That’s one thing that the community has said.

Community arenas are vital for small communities in the North. Our youth, elders and leaders make use of these buildings on a daily basis. A good example of that, I know it’s our neighbouring

territory, but NHL hockey player Mr. Jordin Tootoo is a growing success and I think that if we provide these facilities, we’d most likely see more NHL players in the future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to touch base on devolution. Phase one and phase two of devolution is well underway for implementation in 2014. However, there is still no confidence in the regions and communities that we are all working towards decentralization. The plan is status quo and no movement to the communities. It’s no wonder that we have to spend more in Yellowknife, because we support and put more people here. But as a representative government of the people, we must take this opportunity to ensure all of our regions benefit.

We, as Regular MLAs and regional MLAs, must ensure growth in our communities across our great Northwest Territories. For example, how would 12 person years affect Fort Simpson? This would add 12 new homeowners and all the salaries that will make this community grow. We all hear stories about the marvelous bouncing buck and here’s a case of 12 full-time positions, as well as with a secretary, that can add to the growth of this one community. If we plan it properly, we can do this across all of the regions in the Northwest Territories and help all of our communities grow.

As I indicated, phase one and phase two of devolution are well underway. Once again, we aren’t going to be able to transfer anybody now because of the lack of infrastructure, of homes and of office space in the community. However, I want to let this government know and Mr. Premier that the phase three plan must include supporting communities and supporting further decentralization.

I will be asking the Premier questions at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The well is definitely running dry in Norman Wells. As a matter of fact, by next year, October 31, 2014, taps will be turned off to heat the residences in Norman Wells.

We need to help the people in Norman Wells keep their homes heated and keep their businesses running. At this critical point of survival, now is the time to switch, time to make it a priority of this government to help the people through these types of situations.

I want to state, clearly, in this critical situation for us in the regions, we need to put the people first. We must not leave anyone out in the cold. Seventeen percent of all residents’ homes have been converted in Norman Wells. That’s 27 out of 159 homes. It costs about $10,000 to $15,000 to revert the homes to heating fuel. Also, there is a solution to the propane conversion. This is about $1,500, but it costs more to operate than the heating fuel.

We do have a solution within our hands to have alternative energy education workshops on grants and programs under the Biomass Program. Biomass is a solution with wood pellet initiatives that are now popping up. It would greatly help our people in Norman Wells. We need to seek funding to help with the businesses and residences, and homeowners in this situation. We need to help to plan to reduce gas usage by 40 percent. Better yet, if we could reduce it to 50 percent.

We must not allow the people nor the town of Norman Wells to fend for themselves. It is not right. I call on this government to launch a full-force strike to help with the conversion in Norman Wells and put our focus on the people, securing them, knowing that this government is here to help them, and to look at funding that we can help the people from freezing this winter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the next few years, the people of the Sahtu and the people of the Northwest Territories will have to make a decision: Do we frack our land or not?

Today companies are telling us we can make lots of money fracking the land and selling the oil that comes out, but unlike the past, we can also do our own research now and we can understand that this is dangerous.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released its latest report. It repeats what we already knew from the last report in 2007, and the one before that, 2001, only now with greater certainty. Burning fossil fuels causes the planetary climate to become unbalanced with severe consequences.

One new and startling discovery was that natural gas, or methane, is a much more dangerous greenhouse gas than we thought. We now know that methane is 34 times more unbalancing than

CO2. That number used to be 25. This means that natural gas is not the clean alternative to coal that the gas companies say it is. Consider that oil fracking operations in North Dakota flare a billion dollars’ worth of methane each year.

Mary Robinson is familiar with the role of government. She is the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and was the President of Ireland. She recently said, “There is a global limit on a safe level of emissions. That means major fossil fuel reserves must be left in the ground.” In publications last year, Bill McKibbon made it very clear. The fossil fuels that are left in the ground right now are five times more than what can be allowed to burn and still avoid dangerous changes to our climate. Most of it has to stay in the ground.

We need to step up and say now is not the time to extract this resource. We have the chance to make a responsible choice. Really, who wants to find meaning in their lives by driving around trucks full of toxic chemicals for a living? But there’s a truly sustainable alternative. We can choose to develop an economy based on renewable energy like biomass, wind, hydropower and solar. Instead of putting our money into infrastructure for oil companies, let’s build healthy communities. We can fix up our homes and buildings so they are warm and energy efficient. We can install wood pellet heating systems and build small hydroelectric power plants.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Besides environmental sustainability, such an approach would restore earth systems, ensure diversity and self-sufficiency of community economies, support our cultures, and yield distributed benefits across all of our residents. Let’s take charge of this parade and make it happen.

I will have questions for the Minister of Environment. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the past number of years, the Gwich’in people of the Inuvik region, as well as other Aboriginal groups throughout the Yukon Territory, have been fighting to get the Peel River and the Peel River watershed protected. Earlier this week in the news, we saw that the MP for the Northwest Territories tabled a

bill in the House of Commons to try to get that Peel River and Peel River watershed protected.

This ecosystem is an integral component to the survival of the Gwich’in people’s way of life, their traditions and their culture. I am of Gwich’in descent and I have seen the effects of a depleting culture within our communities. More important is the critical survival of these wide-ranging wildlife, specifically the Porcupine caribou herd, which is very important because it provides a lot of substance for people living in the Inuvik region. That’s just not the Gwich’in people but also people throughout the Yukon Territory.

I do understand that this government and other governments throughout Canada need an economy and need development, but at what cost? The cost of culture? The cost of traditions? The cost of people’s way of life? There are some people that do work in industry, but sometimes it’s not the industry that we talk about in the House. We talk about hunting. We talk about trapping. We talk about harvesting fish and other wildlife in the territory. Some people also live industry in terms of living off the land and don’t get into the types of industry or get into education. We have to respect that. We have to respect the culture and traditions of people who came before us, who lived off the land for centuries.

I applaud the MP for his hard work and working with the Gwich’in people of the Inuvik region to look at trying to get the Peel River and the Peel River watershed back into being protected. I commend all the people who have been working hard in the Protect the Peel campaign. I’m glad I was able to speak to it today in this House, so that it continues to build momentum so that we can continue to keep our culture, traditions, values, ways of life strong and thriving and prosperous for people in the Inuvik region, in the Yukon and everybody that lives off that ecosystem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is Small Business Week across Canada and specifically I want to acknowledge Small Business Day tomorrow, October 25th . Small business in

Canada is defined as having from five to 100 employees, but small business owners represent the best of the Canadian spirit. They are entrepreneurs, innovators, job creators and an integral part of our communities, large and small. From coast to coast to coast, Canadian small businesses help drive local economies and keep our communities strong.

Small businesses with less than 50 employees, including businesses with no employees, represent almost 98 percent of the total business establishments in Canada; 98 percent. Across the NWT there are hundreds of hardworking small business owners. In my Frame Lake riding alone, at last count, there are over 50 small businesses.

The GNWT has recognized the need to create a better environment for small and medium-sized business by taking a number of actions including the launch of a new Invest NWT website. However, a quick scan of this website shows that it leaves much to be desired in terms of serving the needs of small business owners. Website resources are outdated and include information about non-existent groups.

Let’s talk about what small businesses really need in terms of support from government. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business – the big voice for small business in Canada – has called on the GNWT for further action in the following areas: First, the NWT’s small business tax rate is one of the highest in northern and western Canada. CFIB advocates reducing taxes by lowering the small business income tax from 4 percent to zero. Second, there’s been no action on regulatory reform by the territorial government, although it was talked about over a year ago. This government can help small business by cutting red tape through meaningful and sustained regulatory review efforts. Third, the shortage in qualified labourers is becoming worse in the NWT. The GNWT should introduce a training tax credit for small business as a way of recognizing the time and cost that small businesses invest in training their employees.

Tomorrow is Small Business Day for 2013. I encourage all NWT residents to help small business in your community by shopping small tomorrow, and whenever you shop in your community, shop small business. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Before we continue on Members’ statements, I would like to welcome into the House Mr. Leon Lafferty, a former Member. Welcome back to the House, Mr. Lafferty.

---Applause

The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Speaker, I often hear how disappointed the public is about this bureaucratic style of government. Yet again I’m going to provide, if not illustrate, another example of how Northerners feel continually disappointed by this Cabinet.

The citizens of the territory keep calling for 911, but the MACA Minister won’t pick up the call for action. Citizens are struggling to understand why in the

North, why in this modern time the Northwest Territories does not have 911 services for us to access. It is a reality of life. It’s beyond a doubt that 911 makes it a lot easier to call for emergency services and time makes the difference between life and death. Report after report will illustrate that. Any delay can cause dangerous causes and effects.

The MACA Minister has been called to answer this question many times. What is stopping you? Yet he calls back and says nothing, and the fact is it comes down to, well, it’s not everywhere, we can’t install it because we don’t have cell phones. We must be at the end of the line of excuses by this government.

Recently NorthwestTel has put cell phone services in almost three-quarters of our communities across the territory. Basic 911 service has now become such a pervasive issue across North America it’s a natural instinct. You ask any young person what’s the emergency phone number. An eight-year-old will say 911.

So what is the delay? Northerners want this as a priority. The NWTAC wants this as a priority. Yes, the City of Yellowknife wants this as a priority. It has now reached a public safety priority.

I remind the Minister of MACA that he also includes Yellowknife in his mandate as Municipal and Community Affairs Minister. Often it’s seen as we wouldn’t want to support a Yellowknife initiative, but this is a territorial initiative which will help the safety of many of our Northerners, one thing that should always, always be on our mind.

If you go to the CRTC website, the website states, “basic 911 is provided in Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.” We should be calling 911 on the fact that they’re wrong. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

The 2014-15 Infrastructure Budget fails to meet the needs and investments in education of our youth. Youth need access to facilities and programs to help them succeed. They need a safe place to go after school and on weekends. Young adulthood offers a unique opportunity to discover where your interests and talents lay, and develop lasting skills in areas such as traditional activities, sports, arts and trades in a way we can only experience once in our lives.

Recently, I’m very proud that two young people from Fort Providence, Zachary Lesage and Alvin Minoza, took the initiative to come to my constituency office to let me know how much they

would like an area for skateboarding, a BMX track and a play zone for paintball as early as next spring or summer. We need to develop these areas for our youth and teach them the skills they need to get involved in building it for themselves.

Young people have a lot of energy that can be channeled for the good of their communities, schools, friends, families and themselves. Participating in various activities in a supportive atmosphere builds the confidence and social skills we need as people in order to build healthy relationships and achieve individual and collective goals.

Each community in the NWT should have at least one facility dedicated to youth. Everywhere you go you see a real need to have established and operating youth centres in small communities.

Schools and youth centres are so much more than buildings. When we invest in infrastructure for youth, we are contributing to some great programs that offer young Northerners opportunities like never before. When government neglects infrastructure in schools and youth centres, it shortchanges their own investments in quality programs, including youth development projects, sport and recreation programs and strategies, high performance athlete development, Youth Ambassadors, Northern Youth Abroad, youth leadership development, and components of afterschool physical activity and the Healthy Choices Framework.

Over the coming year I want to see the Government of the NWT, communities, industry and local businesses work together to enhance facilities and programs in all our communities for the benefit of the youth and the general public. I strongly support a balanced approach to investments in our capital infrastructure. We need to ask ourselves what are we teaching our young people. As we spend heavily in one area, what compromises are we willing to make in another?

Ultimately our future will be determined by the value, leadership and decisions of our youth. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a sunny day in June 2013 – the first day of summer break for Yellowknife students – our Yellowknife suffered the loss of a young, vibrant little seven-year-old boy, Lodune Shelley. Lodune was in a tragic drowning accident at Long Lake beach within our NWT Fred Henne Park. Through you, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Legislative Assembly, our

sincere thoughts and prayers go out to the families who are with us today.

In the wake of tragedy there is always the opportunity for growth and positive outcomes. This unfortunate event saw the birth of Lifeguards for Lodune, an initiative started by Tanya Silke and a number of heartfelt volunteers who, in their spirit and in their words, came together to encourage community spirit, empower people, get involved and make a difference.

Get involved they did. The volunteer group quickly joined forces with spirited individuals and the business community for supplies, finances and, in some cases, expertise. In no time they were patrolling the beach at Long Lake, being that extra pair of eyes and ears and having on standby that much needed lifesaving equipment. All were volunteers, many were trained in First Aid and all were putting their faith in the hands of the Good Samaritan Act. Looming over their shadows, liability was, and continues to be, the barrier to their ultimate success.

Sadly, during Lifeguards for Lodune’s early phase, they were strongly discouraged by this government to continue, but many in this House and all of Yellowknife were supportive and encouraged them to continue their cause, promising them that we, the elected, would battle for them in this House.

Therefore, I stand here today with many of my colleagues in support in saying, Minister Ramsay, bring back our lifeguards.

Now, we know that much awaited Lifesaving Society of Alberta report will be tabled later today. I haven’t read it yet, but we know from earlier department spokespeople that we shouldn’t hold our breath under water. Many are encouraged and thankful to the Lifesaving Society for providing 33 personal floatation devices at Long Lake beach this summer, but the majority of citizens are discouraged without the single recommendation we all hoped for.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

We spend millions upon millions of dollars in infrastructure such as highways. In fact, one kilometre of new highway construction could fund a lifeguard program at Long Lake for 142 years, or put it another way, 23 feet of new highway could fund our lifeguard program for one year. Ask yourself, can the Minister spare a couple feet of highway each year to help save lives? Let’s ask him later today in oral questions. Thank you, Lifeguards for Lodune, and thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Thoughts and prayers are with the family in the House. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In June of this year I talked about the importance of showing our support for families across the Northwest Territories who have experienced the tragedy of losing a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Last week, October 15th was recognized in many

countries, provinces and states around the world as a special day of remembrance for pregnancy loss and infant death. This day of remembrance has been honoured annually by all 50 U.S. states since 1988. In Canada, six provinces have observed October 15th a special Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Awareness Day, as has the United Kingdom and some Australian states.

Later today I will be asking this Legislative Assembly to please add our voices to those already raised in support of grieving families, by supporting a motion to observe October 15th as an annual day

of remembrance for pregnancy and infant loss in the Northwest Territories. As I said before, a pregnancy and infant loss day of remembrance is a small but important gesture for every family who has been touched by this tragedy. It shows our support and our sympathy and reminds us of the research and awareness that still needs to be done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Social Programs is pleased to provide its report on the review of 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act, and commends it to the House.

Introduction

The Standing Committee on Social Programs commends the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for advancing this bill in response to motions passed in this Assembly.

A year and a half ago, MLAs Dolynny and Yakeleya introduced a motion urging the Minister to develop legislation to help stop bullying in the Northwest Territories, supported by a comprehensive awareness campaign.

The motion was passed unanimously by Regular Members. The message was reinforced this year in

a motion by MLAs Bisaro and Bouchard, who called for our government to support federal and provincial efforts to help control cyber-bullying including changes to the Criminal Code of Canada.

The misuse of new social media has had tragic results across Canada sometimes leading young people to take their own lives. The GNWT decision to amend the Education Act as a first step to curb bullying in the Northwest Territories was based in part on compelling independent research. A survey of 1,600 NWT students showed significantly higher levels of bullying here than most of Canada.

For example, 81 percent of girls in Grade 6 through Grade 8 reported that they had been bullied compared to 69 percent across Canada; 72 percent of boys the same age reported that they had been bullied, 9 percent higher than the rest of the Canada. These numbers are disturbing. What is worse, behind the numbers are young victims. In some cases of unintentionally hurtful pranks, but in others of real malice and cruelty.

The purpose of the amendments proposed in Bill 12 is to define bullying, including cyber-bullying, and provide, through regulation, for a territorial school code of conduct and safe schools plans. District education authorities would be required to develop a discipline policy consistent with the territorial code of conduct.

While bullying is defined and must be addressed in safe schools plans, bullying will not be explicitly prohibited in the Education Act itself. It is the intention of these amendments that measures against bullying will be included in the territorial code of conduct, safe schools plans, and other school rules described in the discipline policy enacted by each education authority.

Similarly, duties and procedures dealing with bullying will be contained in future regulations. In this way, the bill places the determination of responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, principals and education authorities squarely in the Minister’s hands.

These decisions were made following the Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s review of anti-bullying legislation across Canada. Prior to writing Bill 12, the department also sought feedback from major stakeholders including unions, the RCMP and the public. Approximately 350 responses were received. ECE also consulted with the NWT Teachers’ Association on how bullying should be dealt with in NWT schools.

The bill before you today includes three amendments introduced at the committee’s public clause-by-clause hearing in Yellowknife on October 24, 2013. These represent changes adopted by the committee after being recommended during previous public hearings. The amendments provide

clarification and more explicit definitions of bullying and cyber-bullying. The committee is grateful to everyone who attended hearings and commented on Bill 12. Your input has been a great help in improving the bill and providing guidance for the government’s future actions against bullying.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to pass the report off to my colleague, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to Mr. Moses.

Public Comments – A Discussion

The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted an active and thorough review of this bill. For the first time in the history of the Northwest Territories, the committee held hearings in schools to solicit the views of students. To facilitate discussion and openness, the format was much less formal than a typical public hearing on a bill.

These sessions took place at the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River, Ecole Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells, and the East Three Secondary School in Inuvik. An additional session was done with a video e-learning link to a class in Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk. Members thank the many thoughtful students and teachers who took part, as it represents a new milestone in our territory’s democratic progress.

The committee’s small survey amplifies the findings of the independent research cited earlier. Virtually every student had been bullied or had seen bullying at school. A much smaller but very encouraging number – perhaps half – had reported bullying. This speaks to the timeliness of Bill 12 and the need to take positive action.

Students’ comments at the various schools had much in common, but differences were evident including issues related to the size of the community and student body.

In each school, students provided at least one new and useful idea for the committee to consider and sometimes more.

For example, in Hay River a student suggested that schools identify a group of students willing to speak up about bullying incidents on behalf of others. They also suggested bringing in motivational speakers to address bullying issues.

Empowering victims and bystanders to report bullying or even to intervene in some cases was a key theme among students. As one young woman put it at East Three Secondary School in Inuvik, “what I hate the most is that nobody ever does anything about it. They just stand and watch.” The territorial code of conduct and safe schools plans should address this issue, ensuring support to

bystanders who come forward. Students must know help is easy to get. The committee encountered some who said they did not even know who to go to for help.

I would like to now pass the reading of the report to my colleague Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Cyber-bullying is a “live issue” for students at all the schools visited by the committee, though it appears to be a bigger problem in the larger more urban settings. Students identified several websites that they consider to be problematic because the participants are anonymous: whisper.com (“but everybody talks about it”), Ask.fm and Omegle.com (including Omegle Canada). The latter involves live chats with strangers including video. Awareness of these sites and sites of this type should be part of ECE’s communication plan for students, parents and schools.

Students frequently spoke about the need to “call them out on it” – the bully, that is – but admitted it can be hard to do and often is not done. The rise of cyber-bullying contributes to that problem. “There is more cyber-bullying than regular bullying now,” reported a student in Inuvik.

Public hearings were also held in Inuvik, Norman Wells, Yellowknife and Hay River, between September 23 and October 7, 2013. The unifying theme of these meetings is that bullying “is a community and societal problem, not simply a school problem or a family problem.” As one concerned observer said in Yellowknife, the goal should be to replace a culture of bullying with “a culture of peace and non-violence.”

From this general theme came recommendations to draft separate legislation specifically to address bullying in our society, community, cyberspace, workplaces and public venues. This may be a desirable approach, and Nova Scotia may serve as a national example in this regard, but it is well beyond the scope of Bill 12.

Some frustration was also expressed with the vagueness of Bill 12, due to the absence of information about the contents of the territorial code of conduct, safe schools plans and regulations. It remains unknown exactly what these policies will require of teachers, principals, education authorities and perhaps even parents.

Similarly, it came up in several public hearings that there is no reference in the bill to adults in schools who may be victims of bullying. This is a significant oversight which should be addressed in the territorial code of conduct, safe schools plans and regulations.

Many thoughtful and effective practices to reduce bullying are already in place at NWT schools. However, the committee also encountered inconsistency among teachers in the way bullying is handled, let alone across an education authority or the territory. While one teacher might stop bullying at the teasing level, another might say, “Handle it yourself.” Students often cited cases in which they believed nothing was done after bullying was reported.

At one hearing a young man said that after two years he finally just beat up the bully, but then saw the bully’s fear, and felt sorry. In Inuvik, a woman, now well-advanced in her studies for a Bachelor’s of Education degree, said she had been bullied so much, “I just wanted to give up and say, ‘this is it, I’m done.’” She said some students in Inuvik from Sachs Harbour have done just that, and put their education aside. Bullying is preventing students from getting the education they must have to succeed in today’s world.

These incidents speak strongly to the need for action against bullying. This should include support and, if necessary, training for teachers and principals tasked with responding to incidents of bullying.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to turn the report over to my colleague from the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya, for continuance.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. A consistent and predictable response to bullying is desirable, but that is not the same thing as hard and fast, inflexible actions and discipline. In each community, the committee heard the desire to tune responses to the local environment and the case at hand. In short, education authorities, principals, teachers and students need a compatible set of integrated tools. Taken together, these tools should be delivered in the territorial code of conduct, safe schools policy guidelines and regulations attached to the Education Act.

Another consistent theme is the view that suspension from school is not an effective form of discipline. It is not considered effective in any community, by adults or students who spoke to the committee. Suspension is seen by many as a “holiday” for the bully that results in him or her falling behind in school, a practice that actually encourages absenteeism. Community service was suggested as an alternative form of discipline by students in Norman Wells, Yellowknife and Inuvik. We heard many times from teachers how disruptive it is when a suspended student returns to the classroom.

In sharp contrast to suspension, there is general support for restorative processes to meet the needs of victims and perpetrators of bullying. This, coupled with a progressive, “tiered” set of responses linked to the severity of the incident and its circumstances, was recommended in every community visited by the standing committee. A student in Tuktoyaktuk recommended “a ladder of consequences.” An experienced teacher in Inuvik stressed that “bullies need consequences, and counselling support.”

Counselling is universally seen as essential to both the prevention of, and as a response to, bullying. As one young woman put it in Yellowknife, but speaking of her experience in Ontario, “I honestly think that [counselling] saved me for those two years.” The committee was told repeatedly that resources for counselling are insufficient now and will be further taxed by new anti-bullying measures. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment must be prepared to address the critical need for counsellors in every NWT school.

Opinion was divided on whether there should be mandatory counselling for perpetrators of bullying. But many students and some teachers believe it is worth the attempt, and could help bullies come to understand they are hurting people, and change their ways. The committee is convinced that mandatory counselling should be an option available to schools.

Some teachers and parents advised focusing preventive efforts and education about bullying in the early grades, involving parents from the beginning of their children’s school years. This makes eminently good sense. As one student sagely advised, “teach respect” from the start.

Now I turn the report over to my colleague Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dolynny.

Recommended Actions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Social Programs recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment:

1) review and build upon existing curricula and

practices related to bullying in schools across the NWT;

2) emphasize restorative processes in dealing with

bullying, dealing with root causes to the greatest extent possible;

3) provide counselling support for both victims and

perpetrators of bullying;

4) use a tiered approach to discipline, with

suspensions as a last resort;

5) provide schools the option of using in-school

suspensions to deal with bullying behaviour, and provide adequate resources to schools choosing this course;

6)

provide schools the option of adopting mandatory counselling for bullies, and provide adequate resources to schools choosing this course;

7) ensure that both large and small schools are

adequately resourced to provide counselling related to bullying and other matters;

8) the territorial code of conduct, safe schools

guidelines and regulations should be provided to the Standing Committee on Social Programs and other stakeholders in education for review and feedback in advance of their enactment;

9) the territorial code of conduct, safe schools

guidelines and school practices should empower bystanders to report bullying, and ensure protective measures are taken afterwards;

10)

research best practices and ensure that

responses to bullying are appropriate in cases involving students with special needs;

11) ensure accountability of parents in preventing

bullying and disciplining of bullies;

12) design and implement a territorial awareness

campaign, as directed in Motion 5-17(2). This should be a made-in-the-North campaign with strong northern content;

13) consider gender-specific approaches to bullying

prevention and awareness;

14)

to the extent practicable, ECE should stay abreast of website developments that pose risks to students, and provide an updated list to education authorities of those that should be blocked on school communication systems;

15) the Department of Health and Social Services

should add a link to the Kids Help Phone website to its My Voice, My Choice website; and

16)

immediately begin work on broader anti-

bullying legislation that addresses bullying in general society and cyberspace, beyond the school environment.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to turn it over to our chair of the standing committee, Mr. Moses. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Good job.

Conclusion

It is the considered opinion of the Standing Committee on Social Programs that the bill is a reasonable first step in the NWT’s efforts to prevent

bullying. However, it cannot be the last step. In fact, committee members expected more and so do residents of our territory. Further work must address the root causes of bullying.

It is significant that Bill 12 does not amend the Education Act to prohibit bullying outright. This surprised some students. In Inuvik, for example, one said, “It should be law. It’s wrong.” It is hard to argue with such straightforward logic. This should be considered in any subsequent legislation related to bullying.

At this time, the Standing Committee on Social Programs advises that it supports Bill 12 as presented to Committee of the Whole.

Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize Aurora College students in the Social Work Program in the gallery. First their instructor, Vanessa Rankin. The names of the students, Cheryl Cleary, Alice Mawdsley, Jolene Donovan, Lidya McLeod, Stephanie Rabesca, Vanessa Temple, Fiona Wray, Denise Mackay, Jessica Landry, Tanya Snowshoe and Lucy Kay.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce through you, with your permission, Lodune Shelley’s family. I have Lodune’s mom, Dehga, here with us today and we’ve got Lodune’s grandparents, Patrick and Gabrielle. Thank you. Welcome to the House. Thanks for coming and joining us here today.

It also gives me great pleasure to introduce Lifeguards for Lodune, the volunteers who I spoke about earlier today in my Member’s statement. I would like to introduce their founder, Tanya Silke,

who is with us today. We have Daryl McDonald. We have Summer Silke, Violca Memedi. We have Kimberly Galbaransingh, David Silke, Jennifer Pitt, and Lindsay Ohrling. I would just like to thank them and tell them, keep up the good work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Blake.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two Pages from Tsiigehtchic, Danieka Lennie and Jared Blake, my nephew. I would just like to thank them for all their hard work this week. They really enjoyed their experience and I hope to see you back. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to welcome a constituent from Frame Lake who is a Lifeguard for Lodune, and Violca Memedi is here and I would like to specifically welcome all the Lifeguards for Lodune and thank you for your service.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Bromley.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize a Lifeguard for Lodune, Kimberly Galbaransingh. Welcome, Kimberly. I would also, as always, like to recognize Tony Whitford, our illustrious man of many hats. I would also like to recognize Vanessa Rankin and all of the social students who are here today. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and thank two students from the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River who have been Pages for this week, Sean Smith and I don’t see Michaela Crook here, but she also served us. Thank you guys for a great job.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Menicoche.

---Interjection

Okay. Mr. Yakeleya.

I imagine we look alike, Mr. Speaker. I just found out I had a family that was a Page from Hay River. Michaela was part of my family, so I wanted to recognize her and I found out something new this week. I also want to say thank you to Tony for words of wisdom that he told me some years ago that saved my life. I just wanted to say thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you,Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a Lifeguard for Lodune, Mr. David Silke, a constituent of Yellowknife South. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome the Scott family to the gallery here today and, as well, I wanted to say thank you to the Lifeguards for Lodune, volunteers headed by Tanya Silke. Tanya is a former constituent of mine in Kam Lake. I’m sorry to have lost her to Yellowknife Centre. I also have another constituent that I want to recognize, too, and that is Lindsay Ohrling. Again, thank you so much for all you do. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize one of the Lifeguards for Lodune from the Great Slave riding, Ms. Jennifer Pitt. I would also like to recognize Lodune’s mother, Dehga, as well as Lodune’s grandparents, Gabrielle Mackenzie-Scott and Patrick Scott, all constituents of the Great Slave riding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I, too, would like to recognize from the school, Aurora College, the students and also the young person, how they formed the lifeguard, I would like to thank them and also thank the grandparents, Gabrielle and Patrick, and also their daughter. I would like to recognize them. She is from Yellowknife but she’s living in Yellowknife. I would like to thank them. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize and welcome the social work students here joining us today in today’s proceedings. Specifically, Jolene Donovan and Tanya Snowshoe who are residents from Inuvik. I’d also like to recognize and welcome the Scott family and the Lifeguards for Lodune. Good job on the work that you’re doing. I really appreciate it. And of course, always, Mr. Anthony Whitford. It’s always an honour for you to join us in today’s proceedings. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First off, I want to pay tribute, of course, and recognize the Scott family, Patrick, Gabrielle and Dehga. I cannot imagine what they’re going through, and it’s such a horrible thing. Dehga, I’m very sorry about this experience and I don’t know if words can certainly ever fill the hole that’s in your heart, but you and my son, little Hudson, asks and wishes him well on the journey he now has taken.

I want to use this occasion, as well, with my other colleagues to recognize Yellowknife Centre

constituents. I have Daryl McDonald, Brittany King, Summer Silke, and Tanya Silke. Although it’s not a Member’s statement, I do want to finish by saying I admire the hard work, dedication and passion each and every one of you brought to this cause and it won’t be forgotten. You continue the legacy of Lodune by doing your work and we’re all grateful for it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I’d like to welcome my constituent who is taking Arctic College down here, Ms. Jolene Donovan. Welcome to the House. I look forward to you, once you’re done, moving back home. Thank you.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For my Member’s statement today, I’d like to ask the Minister of MACA a couple of questions. I would like to ask the Minister of MACA if he is willing to assist the community to develop and design a plan for the new arena in Fort McPherson.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re willing to have our staff go in there and assist the community in developing a plan for their future infrastructure. Then, at the end of the day, the decision will be the community’s one to make. But we’re more than willing to do our part in assisting.

I’d like to ask the Minister if he will commit to work with the community to secure funding and enter into a long-term lease in order for the arena to be constructed when the time comes.

The community has an allocation from this government for their infrastructure and they will determine on their own what they want to use that money for. If it goes towards an arena, again, that would be their decision, and our role in it is to support the community and help them find other sources of funding or secure bank financing if the need arises. But we will work with the community and explain to them what some of their options are.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in my Member’s statement I spoke about decentralization and the huge opportunity for us to grow the whole of the Northwest Territories. I know that we have lots of work ahead of us with phase one and phase two, and we still have lots of heavy lifting up until April 1st , but my questions are

more specifically towards phase three of the devolution plan, when we can start focusing on decentralization. Perhaps I can ask Mr. Premier about what’s the bird’s-eye view of phase three in devolution and decentralization. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Member for asking this very important question. As we’ve spoken about decentralization and devolution many times, we talked about the three phases. Phase one is where we decentralize a number of existing programs and services. Phase two is devolution, where we said we were devolved and then evolved, and as part of that, we were able to move a number of positions out into the regions, something in the neighbourhood of about 90-some positions.

In the past we’ve been talking about decentralization for a long time, as long as this government has been in existence, and we’ve successfully decentralized quite a number of positions, and we are going to do that again. Decentralization, or phase three, is a priority of this 17th Assembly. We are developing concrete policies

and strategies for housing in the communities and office space in the communities, and we have identified the lead department, the lead Minister in the Department of Finance, and we will take a very active approach to decentralizing positions.

I’m glad the Premier is speaking about it being a planned and measured approach to devolution. I just want to get more about the planned and measured approach only because once we start establishing infrastructure like housing, more office spaces in the regions and the communities, then the plan is not just about plucking lives out of Yellowknife and sending them to the regions. I guess it’s about everybody being told up front that these jobs, these positions will eventually be in the communities. I know that there are lots of big deputy minister committees and everything on planning the move for April 1st , but at

the same time, I just want to impress upon the Premier that we cannot lose the fact that we must grow the whole Northwest Territories.

That is exactly the approach that we’re taking. We feel that by moving programs and services out into the regions, we’ll be

able to better serve the people of the Northwest Territories, and we have a very developed approach in how we do that and also in how we deal with affected employees. Also, we will be introducing… The Minister of Human Resources talked yesterday about our strategy for human resources in the regions, a Regional Recruitment Strategy, so we are approaching it on all fronts.

As we go through recruitment, I guess part of the strategy – I don’t know if it’s there – is that new employees must be informed that the potential for decentralization is there. Is that part of the Regional Recruitment Strategy as we move forward and hope to fill all these empty positions? Because I understand not all the Ottawa jobs are basically unfilled.

For sure, as we go forward with phase three, we will have a very detailed and structured plan so that nobody will be caught by surprise.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that in the past, there was some devolution work getting out to the communities, and during my last constituency tour, some of the smaller communities would still like to know more about devolution. Once we achieve, I guess, phase one, which is getting to April 1, 2014, making the transfers and doing all the legislation that’s there, I’m wondering if the Premier is looking at a second round of devolution to be explained to the communities and regions.

We have a Cabinet committee that will be working on decentralization, and at the appropriate time, will be going out and talking to people in the regions, because I know already when meeting with municipal governments and other organizations, they all have ideas on the kinds of programs and services that should be decentralized.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10 years of age in Canada. We can, we must, we need to do what is right and not what is easy, to prevent further tragedy at our territorial park beaches.

In reference to my Member’s statement earlier today, I want to ask the Minister responsible for our territorial beaches to do the right thing and bring our lifeguards back.

Since many of us have not read the soon-to-be tabled report from the Lifesaving Society of Alberta, could the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment quickly walk us through some of the highlights that he shared earlier today in a press release, so that he can ease the minds of many concerned about water safety at our territorial beach parks? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We didn’t just react when the tragic occurrence happened at the Fred Henne beach here in Yellowknife earlier this summer. There is a process. We got the Lifesaving Society of Alberta to get involved and provide an audit at both Fred Henne beach and also the beach in Hay River. The report on the beach in Hay River will be coming out later this fall. Certainly, there are a number of recommendations contained in the report that will lead to a much safer beach and waterfront at Fred Henne Territorial Park. That is fundamental to all of this, is we want to ensure that we have, as much as possible, the safest beaches that we can here in the Northwest Territories.

The report by the Lifesaving Society of Alberta looked at a beach and provided recommendations for a beach that was unsupervised. That’s not to say that we aren’t going to be looking at the feasibility of putting lifeguards at Fred Henne beach next summer. That is something that I will commit to, to taking a look at. We are going to, again, employ the services of the Lifesaving Society of Alberta to help us with that study on lifeguards.

There is a lot more to it than simply putting lifeguards on the beach at Fred Henne. We have to look at the swimming area. It’s going to impact, potentially, the hours of operation, the access to that beach. Before we do that, we have some time here this winter to ensure that we get this right. We also want to have some public consultation take place on how the public feels if we have to look at reduction in the hours of access to that swimming area, the reduced swimming area. These are things that take some time. We are going to ensure, and I give my commitment again today to the House, that we are going to do everything in our power to ensure that that beach is as safe as possible. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Yellowknife residents, I accept the commitment, but we also hope that there is action behind that.

Let’s start with an easy question for the Minister today. It has been documented, You Tubed and in the media a number of times now, the issue of the dangerous holes in the swimming area just 30 metres from the shoreline of Long Lake beach. We’ve heard that, due to shifting sand, they could

be filled, but we have been encouraged that warning buoys in the water could be used.

Could the Minister once and for all tell the people of Yellowknife exactly how he is going to solve the issue of the holes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, one of those ideas could be to reduce the swimming area. The Lifesaving Society, in conducting the audit, I believe there were divers out there who had masks and snorkels and surveyed the ground under the water at the beach. A lot of this they believe is caused by the way the lake moves and whether or not you fill those holes in one day, they may in fact be there a few weeks later.

There are ways we can mark those holes if they are there. We wouldn’t want to have a swimming area where there were these holes and opportunities for people to get into an area that was with water that was over their head. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I think people are feeling a bit more comfortable that this issue will definitely be addressed in the summer of 2014.

If the Minister is not going to support beach lifeguards in the immediate future, it is clear from the current volunteer group, Lifeguards for Lodune, that liability is their main concern and continues to remain as their number one issue.

What is the Minister willing to do to assist this volunteer group? We have bona fide First Aid volunteers, policies, procedures and a soon-to-be board of directors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to look at lifeguards, putting in proper lifeguard services at Fred Henne Park, and I’ve made a commitment to do that. If that is the case, I still believe there would be a role and a function for a group such as Lifeguards for Lodune to be involved, perhaps as safe water practice ambassadors or helping out in various capacities. That all remains to be seen, what role and function a group like that could have, but our anticipation is to continue the dialogue with that group and certainly we would like to fit them into the plans going forward in some capacity. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s commitment here. The true test of this Minister will be his willingness to defy the bureaucracy of the ivory tower and rule in a way that many remember him as a Regular Member.

Will this Minister commit to this House officially, and to the volunteers of Lifeguards for Lodune, and to the people of Yellowknife whether he works with the City of Yellowknife or not, to re-establish a Long

Lake beach lifeguard program for the summer of 2014 and thereafter? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have been in politics now for about 16 years and I do pride myself on being able to make the right decisions. In the case of having lifeguards at Fred Henne Park, I’ve committed to doing my best to ensure that we get all the answers. It’s not an issue of funding and it shouldn’t be an issue of funding. If it is going to make Fred Henne beach safer, there will be lifeguards at that beach next summer. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ENR. I would like to talk about the situation in Norman Wells. I was reading through the Biomass Energy Strategy document. It is very impressive. I want to ask the Minister in regards to the programs that are offered in the alternative use of energy and fuel in the Northwest Territories, can the Minister state to the House in regards to the programs that are now offered? Is it somewhere in this document that they can help the residents and the businesspeople in Norman Wells to look at conversion that is needed in this year before October 31, 2014?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of programs that are application-based. The ones delivered by ENR are the Alternative Energy Technologies Program, which is about $300,000 a year. Unfortunately, that program already has a waiting list. It has been subscribed Energy Conservation Program, which supports reduced usage of electro heat energies and water. Maximum grant contribution is $50,000 available. We are operating with a budget of about $200,000 this year. The Biomass Energy Program has a broad range of support programs to help people to convert to biomass. It is a $400,000 fund. We, as well, provide funding to Arctic Energy Alliance through their Energy Efficiency Incentive Program that has a range of programs that are available anywhere from $50 to $4,500 depending on the issue. We have a Commercial Energy Conservation and Efficiency Program, which provides rebates to businesses to support commercial operations that has a budget of $200,000. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. It is quite an impressive list, the resource dollars that are allocated to these programs. The Minister did

indicate that there were programs that were over-subscribed or some are on a waiting list and the numbers that are given don’t seem to be enough for what I’m going to ask in terms of helping out the residents and businesses of Norman Wells.

Can the Minister then make a request to the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee to top up the funding to help the people in Norman Wells? As I stated, the conversion is quite high in Norman Wells and we are looking for some support from this government to help them out with their energy solutions.

This issue is regularly on the agenda for the Ministerial Energy Climate Change Coordinating Committee and we’ll monitor those issues and those requirements. We recognize the unique nature of the challenges faced by the community of Norman Wells and the people who are converting. We will also continue to invest millions of dollars to make sure that our infrastructure, as well, is converted. But I will commit to the Member that that issue will be reviewed at MECC as we gather for our next meeting. Thank you.

I certainly appreciate the Minister’s willingness to have more discussions with your colleagues on this issue. Is there any type of scheduling or programming for the Department of ENR, through Arctic Energy Alliance, to look at workshops or meetings in Norman Wells to look at the different types of programs that could be available to help with the residents? Like I said, there are 27 people out of 159 that are making this conversion and this would greatly help the town on the natural gas situation.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. In fact, there is a position in Norman Wells that is dedicated to assist people to navigate those very specific program areas the Member mentioned. I will make sure to have a conversation with the deputy minister and the superintendent in Norman Wells. They are already engaged, but we will make sure they are aware of the concern expressed by the Member in this House.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I’m really happy with what the Minister is saying because of the situation for families in Norman Wells and the businesses. Is there any type of indication from this government or through the Ministers as to the number of people who are willing to look at biomass energy or wood pellet or situations that will help them with their conversion? Is there any type of updated report that says, yes, we can do 10 families now or we have to wait until later on? Is there a status report? Thank you.

As it pertains to the conversion to biomass, people have made their own determination in many cases, businesses have made their own determination. There is a migration to that alternate heating source. There is, we understand, development of a private industry there in terms of supplying pellets. In terms of access to these particular assistance programs for alternative energy changes, those are there. I will follow up with the staff, with the deputy, to make sure the folks in the region are aware of the Member’s concerns. All that is happening as we speak and we will work with individuals through the various programs we have available. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.1