Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, stand before the House today in support of the Anti-Poverty Strategy. In terms of getting that strategy put forward, you know, if we’re talking about discussion papers, we’re talking about developing the strategy and bringing our groups together. We know what the problems are. Let’s start working on them now. We know what the underlying issues are that are leading our people into poverty. Let’s work on them now.

The governments have some really good initiatives. The departments have some really good initiatives. Let’s tackle those underlying issues now so that we...

With this government we are doing a lot of discussions and priorities around economic development. There is a growing trend that we see most often is when a lot of business happens in part of the country or in this case the Northwest Territories if the oil and gas coming up. Previous, when we had our little oil and gas boom around early 2002-03, there was an increase in drugs that wrought the community, and the same thing here in Yellowknife. Having that presence is very valuable and by looking into our investments into the Beaufort-Delta, I want to confirm with the Department of Justice if...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today reflects on something that results in poverty. It results from the drug dealers and the bootleggers that continue to keep our people hostage in the community and don’t give them a chance to succeed or strive to live a healthy, normal life like most of us do.

The drug dealers and bootleggers in our communities don’t have any morals. They don’t have any compassion for the people. All they care about is the dollar that goes in their pocket, feeding off people’s weaknesses and their addictions. What the government needs to do is develop more...

In my Member’s statement I talked about how the people of the Northwest Territories got to become empowered and speak up against the drug dealers and the bootleggers in the community, but at the same time they also need help from the GNWT and the services that we do provide. I wanted to ask the Minister of Justice if there was a policy in place that would allow RCMP officers and canine units to do more police checks, not only on the roads but in the airports doing bag checks as well as in the cargo and the transportation systems. I am not sure how well those are being looked at right now. Is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Justice. We look at some of the underlying factors that lead people into poverty and sometimes it’s not necessarily the case of their fault; it’s, rather, an outside source. And in this case I’m talking about the drug dealers and the bootleggers in the communities that continue to feed off of the weaknesses and the addictions that people have in the communities. My question today is for the Minister of Justice. What are their plans to increase the RCMP presence in the communities and whether or not they are looking at increasing...

In discussions during our strategic planning there were references made to increasing the prevention budget to 1.5, possibly 2 percent in the prevention budget. Currently, we’re under 1 percent within the GNWT health and social services system. Is the department ready for that increase of funding dollars to be allocated to the communities across the Northwest Territories? There is a possibility that there might be one or two job positions that might need to be created with that increased funding. Has the Department of Health and Social Services looked into possible increased human resources...

Mr. Speaker, just one final question for the Premier. Once the discussion paper is finalized, will that information be available for all Members of the Legislative Assembly?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is also for the Premier of the Northwest Territories in regard to my Member’s statement that I did earlier today on the gas shortage that is happening in Inuvik and the urgency on that matter.

My first question is: Can the Minister provide me with an update on what the government has done to date since knowing of this urgent matter, whether it was from the 16th Assembly or even ongoing talks? What has the government committed to and done since knowing of this urgent matter? Thank you.

I know the current policy within the Health Promotion Fund that is regulated through the Department of Health and Social Services, one of the policies is anybody who receives funding for a project cannot get funding for any subsequent years for the same project even though the project may have made significant differences in the lives of Northerners throughout the Northwest Territories. Will the Minister commit to revising that policy, re-evaluating it and making the necessary changes so that the projects that we do have across the Northwest Territories that make those positive changes can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to make reference to the state of the health and social services system made by the Minister of Health earlier today. There were some strong words put in there that I’d like to make reference to. One was we can make real changes in the health and social services system. The second one was focusing on wellness and prevention at the community level will lead to improved health status over the long term. Thirdly, that the Minister is committed to working with all Northerners to improve the operation of the health and social services system in the NWT.

That’s great...