David Ramsay

Mr. Speaker, my fear is the investment that should come as a result of the new policy, the jobs that should be here, my belief is we might be losing these cut and polish folks who have moved to Yellowknife if we don’t bring in the new policy sooner rather than later.

I’d like to ask the Minister if there’s anything the department can do to try to evaluate if we may lose people, and I’m talking about the cut and polishers that have shown up here in Yellowknife and live and work, or they’re not working now, but live in Yellowknife. Has the department done any kind of study to see if these folks...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if he has an estimate on what it is going to cost the Government of the Northwest Territories and the taxpayers here to get out of that concession agreement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today about the proposed changes to the supplementary health benefits. I’ll begin by stating that I am encouraged that Premier Roland and Cabinet Ministers actually were listening to what Regular Members and the public were saying about the proposed changes.

We’re looking now at a joint working group formed between Cabinet and Regular Members to come up with a plan to move this forward and I appreciate Cabinet wanting to work through the issues with Regular Members. I’m hoping for positive results from this effort. In the spirit of consensus government we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In such circumstances, does the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs second somebody to the community government in Behchoko? How does that work? I just want to have a better understanding if there is going to be departmental staff on the ground in the community. Are they going to be downtown Yellowknife trying to help the community? I think they should be on the ground. If I can ask the Minister that question. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, judging by the Minister’s response to that, all community governments across the Northwest Territories, whether they are in settled land claim areas or not, have an obligation to follow Government of the Northwest Territories legislations through municipal statute and if that is the case, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what the role and function of MACA is when it comes to the situation currently at play in Behchoko. Thank you.

In her handling of the issue, the Health Minister has shown a propensity to be narrow minded and not listen to the arguments put forward by Members on this side of the House, and I want to go on record today as saying she has got to improve her listening skills. Thankfully some of her Cabinet colleagues understand what consensus government means and what it means to listen to the Regular Members of this House and the public of the Northwest Territories. I want to thank them for that.

Mr. Speaker, I think that is good news. The department is taking an active role in this situation. Does the Minister have any idea of how long the department’s involvement with the community government there in Behchoko is going to take place or is it an indefinite period of time or is it until the community is back on its feet? What is the time frame like? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I wanted to ask some questions about how the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs deals with communities in the Northwest Territories that find themselves in difficult situations. I want to ask the Minister, if a community is located in a settled land claim area where they have a community government act such as the Tlicho Community Government Act, does the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs treat that community any differently than they would a community outside a settled...

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve got no reason to believe that this isn’t happening. I’ve used these cards myself and there is a discrepancy between the minutes you get in the Northwest Territories when you dial the supposed toll-free number and what you get when you’re in southern Canada. I’d like to ask the Minister if the government, I guess it would depend on the findings of consumer protection, but would the government or can the government write a letter to the CRTC suggesting that the CRTC have a look at the ongoing issue with the surcharge to calling cards here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you...