Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems like every time we bring up issues related to what’s needed in the communities we get the same answer, “We need to hear what the communities need in the community.” Well, the communities are telling us as their representatives what is needed in the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. That’s more of a comment; but, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member’s point of view and his concerns. Absolutely, as a government we’re committed to working with our communities and finding solutions that work for all people, but I do also have to remind the Member, as well as everybody else in the House, that we do have 33 communities, we do have fiscal limitations with what we can do and it might prove to be fiscally impossible to have individual women’s shelters in every community in the Northwest Territories. But working with the communities, finding solutions within the communities, by the communities, for the

communities, I’m sure we can find ways to start meeting the needs of the residents in this particular area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. The department is involved in working with other departments in trying to amass a ground ambulance and also a highway response system.

What steps has his department taken and other departments to address the areas of limited cellular coverage in some communities? Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’d like to see all of our communities have access to cellular service. I think it’s improved quite a bit in the last couple of years. As far as what we’re trying to do, we would obviously work closely with those that are providing the service, have them inform us as to what their future plans are. Thank you.

Thank you. The overall idea in terms of the goal that the departments are undertaking is to establish an overall and a long-term 911 system here in the NWT.

What immediate steps has the department and this government taken to ensure that there is at least a sequence of events that will happen before we get to a 911 system? Mahsi.

Improving our telecommunications was one of our challenges when we first had the discussion on 911. Since then, telecommunication has improved quite a bit. We have had a report commissioned. The report is done and we are looking forward to having some time before committee to give them an update on some of the work that we are doing and some of our plans going forward. Thank you.

I would like to thank the Minister for his reply. The Minister has stated that there have been some improvements and there are other parties that are involved.

To what extent have discussions been undertaken with companies such as NorthwestTel that have a community responsibility to ensure communities have sufficient and at least adequate cell coverage? Mahsi.

We will have discussions with all those that provide the service to see what their plans are and see where we can go from there. Obviously, as I stated before, telecommunication is improving across the Northwest Territories. It is getting to a point where you go out on the land now and you still have cell phone access, so that part of it is improving, and once we do that work we will take the next step in the work that we are doing around the 911, the update that we are giving to committee on our way forward. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister ensure by this spring hunt that those communities that have limited cell coverage out on the land, that efforts will be made to increase the services? Mahsi.

That is not our call as to improving the cell phone coverage. Obviously, that is the providers’ plans. We can work with them to see what their plans are and we give committee an update on some of the work we are doing. If we have conversations with providers, we can pass some of that information on to committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. 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. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Influences on the Quality of Life of the Older Adult in the Northwest Territories.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Beaulieu.

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 9, 2015, I will move that Bill 49, An Act to Amend the Deh Cho Bridge Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. 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: Bill 12, Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Act; Bill 36, Health and Social Services Professions Act; Committee Report 10-17(5), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2013-2014 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories; Tabled Document 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2015-2016; Tabled Document 205-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2014-2015; Tabled Document 206-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015; and Tabled Document 207-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016, with Mr. Dolynny in the chair.

By the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 10-17(5), I here authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider business before the House.

Good afternoon, committee. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We wish to continue with Tabled Document 188-17(5), NWT Main Estimates 2015-2016, with the Department of Education and, time permitting, Public Works and Services.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. We’ll commence after a short recess.

---SHORT RECESS