NORTHWEST TERRITORIES LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 3rd Session Day 24 14th Assembly HANSARD Wednesday, November 15, 2000 Pages 891 – 942 The Honourable Tony Whitford, Speaker i TABLE OF CONTENTS PRAYER................................................................................................................................................................................891 MINISTERS’ STATEMENTS..................................................................................................................................................891 34-14(3): MINISTER ABSENT FROM THE HOUSE (KAKFWI) ..................................................................................................... 891 35-14(3): PROPOSED HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION (KAKFWI) ............................................................................................... 891 36-14(3): OLDER WORKER PILOT PROJECT (OOTES)............................................................................................................ 891 37-14(3): STATUS OF WOMEN COUNCIL OF THE NWT (GROENEWEGEN)................................................................................ 892 38-14(3): WINTER ROAD TO WEKWETI (STEEN).................................................................................................................... 892 39-14(3): PERSONS AWARD TO MRS. ELIZABETH MACKENZIE (GROENEWEGEN)..................................................................... 892 40-14(3): RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WEEK (KAKFWI) ................................................................................................................ 893 MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS...................................................................................................................................................893 ADHERENCE TO THE HAY JOB EVALUATION SYSTEM (KRUTKO) ............................................................................................. 893 NATIONAL ADDICTIONS AWARENESS WEEK (DELOREY) ......................................................................................................... 893 INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAM (LAFFERTY)............................................................................................................................. 894 BENEFITS OF ORGANIZED YOUTH SPORTING EVENTS (LEE) ................................................................................................... 894 CHIEF OF STAFF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT (ROLAND) ........................................................................................................... 894 YELLOWKNIFE ASSOCIATION OF CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR SENIORS (OOTES)....................................................................... 894 FORT SMITH SOCIETY FOR DISABLED PERSONS (MILTENBERGER).......................................................................................... 895 DEFINITION OF MÉTIS PERSONS (MCLEOD).......................................................................................................................... 895 NWT HIGHWAY STRATEGY: INVESTING IN ROADS FOR PEOPLE AND THE ECONOMY (BELL)..................................................... 895 CLIENT TRAVEL TO CLEARWATER TREATMENT CENTRE (NITAH)............................................................................................ 896 FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN THE WINTER ROAD SYSTEM (BRADEN)........................................................................................... 896 STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (DENT)............................................................................................................. 896 RETURNS TO ORAL QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................................897 RECOGNITION OF VISITORS IN THE GALLERY ................................................................................................................897 ORAL QUESTIONS...............................................................................................................................................................897 WRITTEN QUESTIONS.........................................................................................................................................................909 TABLING OF DOCUMENTS .................................................................................................................................................909 MOTIONS ..............................................................................................................................................................................910 FIRST READING OF BILLS ..................................................................................................................................................911 SECOND READING OF BILLS .............................................................................................................................................911 CONSIDERATION IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OF BILLS AND OTHER MATTERS..................................................912 REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON THE REVIEW OF BILLS AND OTHER MATTERS ..................................942 THIRD READING OF BILLS..................................................................................................................................................942 ORDERS OF THE DAY .........................................................................................................................................................942 ii November 15, 2000 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HANSARD Page 891 YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2000 MEMBERS PRESENT Honourable Roger Allen, Mr. Bell, Mr. Braden, Mr. Delorey, Mr. Dent, Honourable Jane Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Nitah, Honourable Jake Ootes, Mr. Roland, Honourable Vince Steen, Honourable Tony Whitford. ITEM 1: PRAYER a law that satisfies people’s wishes and meets national requirements. -- Prayer Once the draft Human Rights Act is tabled, it becomes a public SPEAKER (Hon. Tony Whitford): Thank you, Mr. Roland. document. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues here and Good afternoon, colleagues. Orders of the day. Item 2, the public to consider this draft and take part in the consultation Ministers’ statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi. process, that way, we will create a law that meets our needs and stands the test of time. Mahsi. ITEM 2: MINISTERS’ STATEMENTS MR. SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers’ Minister’s Statement 34-14(3): Minister Absent From the statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, House (Kakfwi) Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes. HON. STEPHEN KAKFWI: Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Minister’s Statement 36-14(3): Older Worker Pilot Project Members that the Honourable Jim Antoine will be absent from (Ootes) the House for the rest of the week to attend a Resource HON. JAKE OOTES: Mr. Speaker, I want to share with you Development Council Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. today the details of an exciting new program designed to Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. reintegrate older workers back into the workforce. The Older Worker Pilot Project is a joint effort of the Department of MR. SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers’ Education, Culture and Employment, divisional boards of statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi. education and district education authorities in the NWT and Human Resources Development Canada. Minister’s Statement 35-14(3): Proposed Human Rights Legislation (Kakfwi) Mr. Speaker, the Older Worker Pilot Project was developed to help Canada address the issue of unemployment among HON. STEPHEN KAKFWI: Mr. Speaker, later today, on behalf workers between the ages of 55 and 64, by creating innovative of the Minister responsible for Justice, I will table a proposed ways for older workers to acquire new skills, while at the same Human Rights Act for the Northwest Territories. Tabling of this time making a meaningful contribution to society through draft bill is the latest stage in our consultation with the public. participation in the labour force. As you no doubt remember, earlier in the fall we released a discussion paper on the proposed act. I am pleased to report In the Northwest Territories, the Older Worker Pilot Project will that response by concerned groups to this discussion paper employ 19 workers between the ages of 55 and 64 in schools has been positive so far. in the Deh Cho, Beaufort Delta and South Slave regions, as well as in Yellowknife. We are taking a somewhat unusual step in tabling this draft instead of introducing it in the House for first reading, that is Mr. Speaker, these workers are elders with unique life because we want the public to review this draft and give us experience and special language and cultural skills from which their opinions. This draft will be included in the consultation young people will benefit. Through interaction with elders package that we are preparing now. employed in the schools, as elders in residence, special needs assistants, literacy mentors and program support assistant The Department of Justice has two goals: to create legislation trainees, students will acquire knowledge of their traditional that meets the needs and expectations of northern people, and values and language. Self-esteem and self-worth in both to meet national requirements such as rulings by the Supreme groups will be enhanced. Court of Canada.