Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this motion. I would like to just put out a few points, some of which may have been presented already by my colleagues and I think they have done a great job at listing many of the benefits.

First of all, would an ombudsman impinge on an MLA’s work? This has been something that I’ve thought about for quite a while, and I have concluded today, no. MLAs are adept at seeking the best support for their constituents. They will quickly identify the ombudsman as a critical tool, a critical arrow in their quiver when needed, but also Cabinet, I believe, will learn to appreciate this tool for the clarity it can bring.

I had the opportunity to visit with the Ontario ombudsman over lunch just the other day. The record is clear that an ombudsman improves performance and transparency, something I am

really big on. Would it be costly, is clearly a responsible question to ask. I don’t think so if it is done appropriately and well. An important element of this is empowering the ombudsman to be able to seize documents, subpoena witnesses and so on, while maintaining strict confidentiality, even in a court process. This has been characteristic of ombudsmen and it allows them to provide that efficient and timely process, which is quite a bit different than a court process, which is often what the public and complainants have to rely on today. So this provides an economic alternative to the often unaffordable and lengthy court process.

Again, visiting with the Ontario ombudsman, I learned that in Ontario there’s a separate Environmental Commissioner to share the load. Obviously, I don’t think we need to go to that point without seeing how an ombudsman would be able to cover off environmental complaints, as well, and I think that would be included with the broad definition that is being proposed here. Duties and responsibilities can include Crown corporations, and I think that’s something that we would need to consider.

In the Yukon they adapted legislation to allow Aboriginal governments access to ombudsman services. This might be worthy of consideration here in the Northwest Territories. Also in the Yukon, I note that they combine the ombudsman with the Privacy and Information Commissioner office, which is something we might contemplate.

Again, I would like to thank committee and the chair for bringing this forward, and in particular I would like to tip my hat to Ms. Bisaro, MLA for Frame Lake, for her focus and persistent, some might say dogged, pursuit of this opportunity throughout the 16th and 17th Assemblies.

I wasn’t supportive in the 16th Assembly. What has

changed? For me it’s devolution and the complexity of our government and all of the issues that we can expect coming out of devolution. I support devolution, but with it comes the added responsibility and an ombudsman is a very critical tool, I believe, that’s been well demonstrated to help deal with those sorts of things. So that’s the difference. After 22 years of discussion that we’ve heard, I’d say the time is now and there are some good reasons for that.

So in conclusion, as my friend Lois Little says, we live in turbulent times that are bound to continue into the foreseeable future. The Government of the NWT and Northerners as a whole need all the help we can get to manage fairly, justly and responsibly through these times.

As the ombudsman for Ontario aptly pointed out at the public meeting on November 3 at the Great Hall and was explained by the standing committee chair and Members in their thoughtful and positive comments, the time is right for a maturing

government to establish just such an office. An ombudsman office will support MLAs, the GNWT and residents to handle the intricacies of new powers and responsibilities associated with devolution and changing indigenous public government relationships.

An ombudsman’s office can help the GNWT to fulfill its duty of care, which is, and likely will continue to be, complicated by a growing number of vulnerable citizens, the impacts of climate change, historic and, some would argue, current colonial and patriarchal dynamics and global forces, including corporate rights agreements. I think that’s well stated and certainly speaks to the need and appropriateness for us to be talking about an NWT ombudsman’s office.

I look forward to supporting this motion. Mahsi.