Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government has been involved with providing support to the trapping industry for many years and when I count up all the programs that we have, we’re providing approximately $1.75 million that we make available to assist trappers, and that’s not counting the $14.250 million that we’ve made available over the past some years since division as part of the Western Harvesters Assistance Program to allow harvesters to purchase new equipment. Thank you.

If you are an employee earning leave credits for the amount of time that you worked and the amount of usage that you have, you are entitled to so much sick leave. If you use more than you are entitled to, then you have to enter into other arrangements, either leave without pay or you go on disability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I didn’t say that. I just said that anybody that applies for medical leave, there are some requirements. If it’s for more than three days, you have to get a medical certificate, and Human Resources or managers don’t have the medical skills to be able to determine whether it’s valid or not. So generally if it’s for a longer term, it has to be vetted through our medical process. I think it’s involved with Stanton Hospital. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I like to think that trapping is a success story. We are contributing $1.75 million in assistance for 800 trappers, and I think it’s a very important way to maintain a way of life.

The diamond industry and about 1,200 miners that work and it contributes significant dollars to our GDP. The diamond mines and the mining industry have resulted in the Northwest Territories having the highest GDP for the past 10 years. So it’s very difficult to compare a billion dollar industry to a maybe one or two million dollar industry. But we are contributing to try to make all sectors successful in the...

The federal government recently announced the CanNor program. It’s headquartered in Iqaluit and it has district offices in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Also they do have programs that are operated out of there. The Member is correct; in the past there was ARDA programs, special ARDA programs, and when I questioned the federal government about was there ever any potential for ARDA programs coming back, they said there were already ARDA programs in existence and the funding is going to aboriginal governments. Although instead of ARDA it’s ARHDA funding. So as far as I understand...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend our congratulations to Mr. Robert Alexie Sr. of Fort McPherson and Mr. Glen Guthrie of Norman Wells. These gentlemen were recently acknowledged by the Fur Institute of Canada for their commitment of effort, outstanding achievements and valued contributions in the areas of wildlife management, conservation and trapping in Canada.

Mr. Robert Alexie Sr. of Fort McPherson was presented the Jim Bourque Award for his devotion to the principles of sustainable use of wildlife resources, improved animal welfare, the furthering of indigenous people’s cultures and the vital...

I think anything over three days would require a medical certificate and it’s based on operational requirements. Thank you.

This is something that we are committed to and I think the whole Cabinet is committed to, so we will continue to work with all regions and all communities so that people will continue to be able to make a choice so they can practice a way of life and continue to do so for some time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We’ve had a long partnership with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and working with the schools and curriculum so that we could introduce school children to trapping, because it’s been not only my view but the view of a lot of people in the education system that this lifestyle and ability to go out and earn a living off the land is something that fosters a lot of qualities that help children become successful in later life. Attributes like decision-making, leadership qualities and high levels of self-esteem have been associated with Take a Kid Trapping. Certainly if you look...

Thank you. I could answer that and give my own opinion, but this is a government and we deal with the government policies. So right now, P1s, or affirmative actions, are the top priority. P2s, people that have lived more than half their lives in the Northwest Territories, are second priorities, and then we have P3s. I think that what we’re reviewing is what would it take to give persons with disabilities a higher priority in our Affirmative Action Policy, and that’s what we would be looking at. We are looking at ways and then, at that point, we would bring it back to see if we could change our...