Samuel Gargan

Roles

In the Legislative Assembly

Elsewhere

Historical Information Samuel Gargan is no longer a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Last in the Legislative Assembly December 1999, as MLA for Deh Cho

Lost his last election, in 1999, with 37% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Motion 19-12(1): Construction Of Community Centre For Kakisa December 10th, 1991

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been a Member for eight years and of the eight years I have basically distributed my priorities between the three communities I represent, one of them being Kakisa. During my first year in office I did a lot of the community of Fort Providence. During my second term I did quite a bit for the Hay River Reserve. In Kakisa, other than getting the allocation of one or two HAP units a year, no extensive progress has been made in that community, although I have been consulted by the communities on their requests and one of the requests is that they would like to have a community centre with a couple of offices in it. There is an allotment for construction to happen several years from now, two summers from now. The motion suggests that we move the capital project ahead one year.

Mr. Speaker, during the next four years -- I have not consulted with the Members of this House with regard to the intention of the motion. I would like to remind the Members that we probably are going to be sitting for one week or week and a half at the most, and in order for me to consult each Member with regard to my intentions, it was very difficult for me to do. Even to consult the ordinary Members would be difficult because of the amount of time required. I apologize to the Members for not consulting them.

A review will be done in two years time and I would like to be able to determine the amount of progress this government has made, based on motions that are made in formal sitting. All the motions that are done by ordinary Members are supported by the Members themselves. Because I am the only one that knows what Kakisa looks like. I am also the only one that knows what Kakisa's needs are, as opposed to wants. I am also the only one that knows the people there and their aspirations. For the Members who are not too sure what Kakisa or the people of Kakisa are like, should not determine it by voting against my motion. They should support or respect the motion I presented on the basis that I am representing them and they are not. They should be supporting me on a motion of the aspirations that the community wants or needs.

Everyone in the Western or Eastern Arctic have a community gym, a multi-purpose hall, a community hall, at least a physical structure where people can gather. The community of Kakisa does not have any such facility. We have a building that I go to when I meet with people. It is the size of this public washroom here. When we have community feasts we find it difficult to have any kind of space available to talk or -- we do not even have a non-smoking section.

I would like to ask the Members' indulgence in supporting my motion. Perhaps I am jumping ahead of other Members by doing as many motions as I can, but that is the only way I might be able to get what I need for my constituency. I would hope the Members support my motion.

Motion 19-12(1): Construction Of Community Centre For Kakisa December 10th, 1991

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the settlement of Kakisa does not have a building that would enable the residents of Kakisa to come together as a community;

AND WHEREAS the capital forecasting plan identifies a community centre for Kakisa to be built in 1993-94;

AND WHEREAS the community of Kakisa urgently requires a new community centre;

AND WHEREAS the existing building that is used as the community centre is an old garage converted to an office space which is heated by wood;

NOW THEREFORE, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that this Legislative Assembly recommends that the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs consider moving the allocation of funding for the construction of a community centre in Kakisa up to the 1992-93 fiscal year.

Notice Of Motion 31-12(1): Change In Voting Age For Elections In Nwt December 10th, 1991

Mr. Speaker, on Friday 13, December 13, I will move the following motion: Now therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that this Legislative Assembly adopts that the voting age at an election in the Northwest Territories, be changed from 19 to 18 years of age; and further that this Legislative Assembly requests that the Executive Council introduce the necessary amendments to the Elections Act, Local Authorities Election Act and Plebiscite Act to give effect to any change in the voting age. Thank you.

Notice Of Motion 28-12(1): Custom Adoption December 10th, 1991

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, December 13, 1991, I will move the following motion: Now therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for High Arctic, that this Legislative Assembly requests the Minister of Justice to undertake a review of all territorial statutes to ensure that, where appropriate, the definition of "parents" and "children" will include custom adoptive parents and custom adopted children, so as to ensure that the parents and children of custom adoption will be afforded the same legal rights as currently exist between biological parents, parents by legal adoption and their children. Thank you.

Question W5-12(1): Funding To Native Women's Association December 10th, 1991

Mr. Speaker, my third question is that the Native Women's Association is an organization more than a decade old, with over 900 Inuit, Dene and Metis members and representatives in every community. It is on the verge of collapse due to inadequate funding. This organization provides programs to communities across the North. In view of this government's commitment to communities having more control over their own affairs and providing solutions at a local level, what funding is this government prepared to provide to ensure that the Native Women's Association does not collapse. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question W4-12(1): Review Of Funding To Women's Organizations December 10th, 1991

In the past fiscal year the YWCA, a Yellowknife based organization, received over $500,000 from this government. However, the Native Women's Association, which unlike the YWCA has a membership which extends to all communities in the Northwest Territories, received only $175,000. Could the Minister please explain why an organization that primarily serves Yellowknife has received such preferential funding status?

Supplementary to that, would the Minister advise the House whether the government is willing to review its entire approach to funding women's organizations?

Question W3-12(1): Funding To Native Women's Organizations December 10th, 1991

Mr. Speaker, my written question is to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women or the Government Leader. The Status of Women Council has a non-native community worker who goes out into the communities to encourage women's groups through workshops and instruction. However, this community worker only visits 10 communities a year. On the other hand, the Native Women's Organization has members in all 34 NWT communities. My question is, could the honourable Member please inform the House why we have not provided adequate funding to native women's organizations at the community level?

Question O66-12(1): Renewable Resources Funding Allocations December 10th, 1991

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Renewable Resources. I would like to ask the Minister how the funding allocations are done for local hunters and trappers associations. It varies. They have what they call the community harvesters assistance program and the organized hunts program, outpost camps, and also regional hunters and trappers associations that are given grants. They also have local hunters and trappers associations. The grants given to hunters and trappers vary from $8000 up to $48,000. I want to ask the Minister if he might be able to tell me how they determine, if there is a regional hunters and trappers association, how the grants are given to local hunters and trappers associations, as well as how grants are given for organized hunts.

Question O62-12(1): Custom Adoption December 10th, 1991

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Social Services. The Minister is aware that I have always been concerned about custom adoption. The process is done by a department, I believe.

The recommendation then is given to the court on whether or not custom adoption should be granted. However, Mr. Speaker, the problem right now is that there is a review on custom adoption and there has been a review now for four years, and while the review is going on there is a stack of custom adoption applications that have not gone anywhere. The people cannot afford to wait for the Department of Justice to do the review. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not he might consider going ahead and direct his department to start processing those applications for custom adoption so that people would not have to wait for another four more years if the review continues as it has.

Question O56-12(1): Transferring Money Through Northern Stores December 10th, 1991

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a concern that I would like to express to the Government Leader. Last week when I was in Yellowknife I went into Northern to transfer some money to my family in Fort Providence. At the same time, I also have one boy that goes to school here and we transfer money through Northern to him. I asked the clerk at Northern at that time what the intention is once Northern is transferred to Canadian Tire; whether or not that service would still be provided. The clerk does not know.

This is going to be a concern for a lot of students across the NWT, not only within my constituency, and also even people in Yellowknife that are broke; it is going to be a concern to them that they do not have the money to pick up at Northern today, when moneys are required.

Has Madam Minister looked at what could be done to help those people? Or have any of the other Ministers thought about the implications that the sale of Northern is going to create?