David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to comment around the area of traditional knowledge, but more importantly, the Traditional Knowledge Policy and if there’s actually a policy. Because I think that one of the things that people used to always assume was that scientific knowledge was the basis for all information, but I think because of the traditional knowledge importance and the way that traditional knowledge is compiled over decades and not thousands of years, that you can basically realize the importance of that and also working in conjunction with the Aboriginal organizations and wildlife and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too would like to thank the Minister for his opening comments in regard to the road from Wrigley to Tuk. I think that the groups have done a lot of work and I’d like to thank the Minister. He made reference to the progress on the road from Inuvik to Tuk. I believe there has been a lot of progress from Inuvik south also, and I had an opportunity to be privy in Inuvik to a presentation on the road from Inuvik southward and I think that they also have done a lot of work and I was pretty impressed with the report that they put together. Again, it does encompass a lot. Again...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the reason I bring the motion forward is realizing that we also have to have an integrated system of care throughout the Northwest Territories and not continue to take these services out of our smaller communities and provide them elsewhere.

Mr. Speaker, for too long we have taken our children out of our communities and basically sent them somewhere else to be either educated or cared for through programs and services of the government-of-the-day that meant well. Yet, Mr. Speaker, the consequences of those decisions are long lasting in regard to the social...

That’s okay. I’m used to that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, because I think we do have some legal standing when it comes to the agreements we have with the Mackenzie basin watershed agreements and the other jurisdictions. I think we also have to, I know Mr. Yakeleya raised this question about water rights and whatnot. I think under the land claims agreement and treaty and rights in Canada, Aboriginal First Nations people do have rights to water, regardless of quality, quantity, rate of flow. It’s in the modern day treaties and is recognized internationally that they do have rights to water...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of saving the Joe Greenland Centre. The petition contains 193 electronic signatures. Of those, 109 signatures identify themselves as resident of the Northwest Territories. The petitioners request that the Government of the Northwest Territories continue to operate the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik as a long-term care facility.

This issue has come up in other departments and also on the previous page. I was going to ask a question earlier, but again, in order to depend so heavily on contract services, is that because you don’t have the internal capacity to carry out this responsibility or because the groups that you require that information from bring a special type of knowledge to the table, which we don’t have? I know that has come up with other departments. It seems like we’re either using a lot of contract services and contracting a lot of stuff that could be done internally. So I’d just like to ask what’s the...

Again I think it’s important that we do deliver sort of elders day care programs and improve the quality of life for seniors in our communities. I think it has to be encompassing that you look at Meals on Wheels or the physical activities. We have to provide programs similar to the other segments of our population and ensure that we have a scheduled program in place in our communities so elders realize they are an important segment of our population and they are included in activities in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to know where we’re going to enhance elders day care programs in our...

I would like to thank the Minister for that and I will be discussing with him further on that issue. Again, I think that, like anything else in the criminal justice system, there is an appeal process and I think that in this case there should be some sort of an appeal process to remedy the situation, because it is no fault of either party. I think that if there is a way we can avoid people having records and avoid them from losing a livelihood simply because they were doing something that they did normally, and basically traditionally, and now they find themselves that they are being written...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services in light of the declining programs and services in the area of seniors’ care. I think we have to be cognizant of the aging population in the Northwest Territories. In my riding alone there are some 120 elders over the age of 70 in Tsiigehtchic, Aklavik and Fort McPherson. Yet we have to realize that as we age we also require more specialized programs and services. In light of that, we have to enhance the existing dollars. Right now in most communities all we have is home care. I think we have to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regards to the Wildlife Act, I know that the caribou issue has been very controversial, in some cases it has had an impact on harvesters, especially Aboriginal harvesters in regards to how they have either been dealt with through, I wouldn’t say the courts, but also in regards to being written up and taking their guns away and whatnot, especially with the Porcupine caribou and everybody was pretty clear that the Aboriginal community was saying that there was more caribou out there than what they counted and yet people were prosecuted and people were tarred. But yet...