Mackenzie Delta

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too will be supporting the motion. I, for one, do feel that we have to fill the gap between market and non-market communities and we have to be fair to all our working residents in our communities. I think that we as government have provided housing in the past, whether we called it staff housing. We still provide housing in our communities for the nursing staff in our communities. They have a fixed rate. They know what their rent is when they go into those facilities in our communities. They know exactly how much they’re going to have to pay for that particular unit...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier of the Northwest Territories.

What is the total cost to date of radio, print and other media advertisement on devolution since the signing of the agreement-in-principle?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 4)

Mr. Speaker, just on the issue of what the question should be, I just sort of wordsmithed a little bit of that in regard to: Do you agree the Government of the Northwest Territories have signed the Northwest Territories lands and resources devolution agreement in January 2007? Do you agree or disagree? Yes or no?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Premier. It’s in regard to my Member’s statement and one of the options we can look at to get feedback from the public through a plebiscite in regard to the devolution agreement that was signed by the Government of the Northwest Territories and federal government, also to try to get input from the general public. I know we’re putting a lot of advertisements out there, there are radio announcements and whatnot, but again it’s how do you measure the public insight into this issue. I’d like to ask the Premier if he has considered the...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I would like to thank the Minister and department. Again, I have to encourage her that we do have to go back to the public. I know we had a public meeting in Aklavik. We had over 100 people in attendance. Can we basically host another public meeting, say in mid-April, to ensure the transition has taken place smoothly and we basically continue the dialogue with our community with the Minister and myself? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 3)

Mr. Speaker, the concerns are more coming from the family members who have had residents in the Joe Greenland Centre who are now being asked to either move out or be taken care of in a home setting. Those individuals, the reason they were in the Joe Greenland Centre is because they need that specialized care. What are we doing in regards to the area such as respite care and ensuring that those people with disabilities, either visual disabilities or physical disabilities, are going to be taken care of in the community of Aklavik and ensuring that the health care side of this program will...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last couple of weeks I have raised issues in regards to the Joe Greenland Centre, the closure of the long-term care side of the facility. Mr. Speaker, I am still getting calls from a lot of the residents of Aklavik and especially concerns of their loved ones, and more importantly, the elders, and also what is going to happen to them.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important as government that we relay the message that there is a transition taking place, but more importantly, what is going to change.

Mr. Speaker, we have to improve the quality of life for our seniors...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also would like to respond to the amendments made to the Executive Council Act. I think that you have to be realistic in most cases, that the North is a small place where everybody knows each other. A lot of times people who got into politics were in politics one way or another, such as myself where I was involved in Aboriginal politics and the consultant business. I think we also have to be realistic that there is a close-knit tie between the Aboriginal leadership and municipal leadership and those organizations, that we’ll probably end up being employed at in the...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 3)

Mr. Speaker, in regards to any type of transition or change of a program, residents do have problems trying to adapt to it. Can the Minister give me some assurance that her department will continue to work closely with the family members in the communities, the elders in the communities and the community leadership to basically work through this transitional period and basically have an open dialogue and try to have as much openness as we can so that people are aware that this transition is happening but include them in the discussions that are taking place? Can I get that commitment from the...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services in regard to improving the quality of health services to our seniors, and more importantly, providing them more independent service and also meeting their needs in regard to our aging population.

Mr. Speaker, my question is in regard to the situation we’re running into in Aklavik with the closure of the long-term care program at Joe Greenland. People are concerned about what’s going to happen to the elders that have moved out of there. What’s going to happen to the remaining elders in the community...