Charles Dent

Legislative Assembly photo

Roles

In the Legislative Assembly

Elsewhere

Historical Information Charles Dent is no longer a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Last in the Legislative Assembly September 2007, as MLA for Frame Lake

Won his last election, in 2003, with 63% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 2nd, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the chairman of the standing committee on finance said, nobody wants to take anything away from Pond Inlet, but as Members of the standing committee, we felt it was very important that the government have some process in place to demonstrate why this money was needed, and we were not certain that we saw that. We would be quite willing, I think, at the standing committee, to consider a supplementary appropriation should this be shown to be necessary; but the government was not able to show us a policy for the development of regional schools. We were told that such a policy does not exist, and if so, how were we going about expending this money for regional extensions in the first place? We were not told whether or not there had been any assessment as to whether or not regional schools were being successful, and until we see such an assessment it would be fiscal irresponsibility to approve the expenditure of funds.

I do not think any of us have any opposition to spending the money to provide for better schooling for the students in the Northwest Territories. But we want to be sure that what we are seeing is an expenditure that will actually accomplish that goal. We have not been convinced of that, especially not with this sort of thing. So fine, spend the next couple of months preparing that kind of rationale, justify it to us, come back with a supplementary, and you will find it approved very quickly. But at this point in time we have not seen enough justification, and therefore cannot support this expenditure.

Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 1st, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Although the Minister has indicated that he was going to move toward implementing the grade extensions and dealing with the overcrowding in Yellowknife, I thought it was important to have a motion approved by the House setting out the direction that we would like to see things go. So this is really just for further certainty and confirming what we have already heard in statements in the House. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 1st, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just in order to provide even more certainty in terms to how the process will go, I would like to propose a motion that will deal with the Yellowknife situation and also community grade extensions.

Motion To Provide Grade Extensions In Various Communities And Fast-Track New High School In Yellowknife, Carried

I move that the committee recommends that grade extensions to grade 12 be provided to the communities of Cambridge Bay, Fort Franklin, Fort Simpson and Edzo and to grade 10 in Coppermine; and further that the funding for grade extensions be taken from other projects contained in the 1992-93 capital estimates; and further that the need to address the overcrowding in Yellowknife schools be planned for immediately, based on the proposals of the Yellowknife School Districts No. 1 and 2; and further that the design and construction of the planned new high school in Yellowknife be fast-tracked to the 1993-94 capital estimates.

Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 1st, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Based on the Minister's explanation, I will now support this motion.

--- Applause

Motion To Increase 1992-93 Capital Estimates For Education To Add School Planning, Yellowknife, Carried

Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 1st, 1992

Mr. Chairman, I guess I am going to have to speak in opposition to this motion. I think it is extremely important that the government and the department move ahead in a manner which was proposed by the two Yellowknife School Districts, No. 1 and No. 2, and that we deal with the situation in Yellowknife to make sure that the whole problem is fast-tracked and solved within the next couple of years. That means that we have to move ahead with design, tender and contract documents within the next fiscal year in order to be able to achieve the construction in the 1993-94 year.

I am also somewhat concerned with the Minister when he talks about the three boards planning. I think it is very important that we get to a point in Yellowknife where we have two school boards dealing with kindergarten to grade 12 in a comprehensive fashion. When the Minister is proposing this motion, saying that he is going to have planning money for the three school boards to deal with the problem, it does not satisfy me. It does not deal with the problem the way I see it, and that means that Sir John Franklin has to become a school that is part of the Yellowknife system, not part of the territorial system. Mr. Chairman, I am afraid that I would have to urge people to vote against this motion.

Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 1st, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Maybe I could ask the Minister to clarify this for me. Is this $400,000 considered enough to take this project through design, tender, to contract documents within the next fiscal year?

Question W15-12(2): Contributions By The Northwest Territories Development Corporation March 1st, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Would the Minister please table a list showing all contributions by the NWT Development Corporation from its inception to the present, including equity injections and purchases of companies?

Question O220-12(2): Fire At Expo Site In Seville March 1st, 1992

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Mr. Speaker, on February 13 of this year, the Minister advised this House that he would provide us with a report done by Mr. Fred Abbott on our participation at Expo as soon as it was received. Can the Minister advise me whether or not he has received this report?

Question O220-12(2): Fire At Expo Site In Seville March 1st, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Mr. Speaker, I heard recently that there was a major fire at the Expo site in Seville. I am wondering if the Minister could advise the House if this fire may have saved the Government of the Northwest Territories a considerable amount of money by creating a situation where we would not have to go forward with our participation at Expo?

--- Applause

Lack Of Consultation With Ordinary Members Re Implementation Of Beatty Report Recommendations February 25th, 1992

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I also rise to express my disappointment and dismay over the government's apparent decision not to involve ordinary Members when they were developing the strategy for implementing many of the recommendations of the Beatty report. I, too, feel that there are many sections in this report that are well worth considering very favourably, but I think the fact that the ordinary Members were not involved leaves us in a difficult situation right now.

We have often heard this government promise a new process of more open government in which ordinary Members will have a greater voice. Despite this promise, Mr. Speaker, and despite the fact that there has been no consultation with the public nor with ordinary Members, the government seems to be using the Beatty report as the basis for the proposed changes in government structure contained in the Government Leader's document, Reshaping Northern Government.

Although we have heard that Reshaping Northern Government is a working document and only a starting point, a detailed report such as this must have required considerable discussion and could not have been formulated without making some policy decisions. Only now that the planning has been completed, the government is seeking the involvement of ordinary Members. This is not consultation. Consultation starts at the beginning.

Mr. Speaker, the government had an opportunity with the Beatty report to demonstrate its commitment to the promise of a new and open approach to government. But, I am afraid they have chosen to waste this opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause