Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Lorna Storr from Aklavik, one of the longest serving teachers in the Mackenzie Delta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to thank Mr. Yakeleya for bringing this motion forward.

Many of our residents who do travel down as an escort from our communities, many of these communities are faced with 35 percent unemployment rates. So, many residents don’t have any part-time or full-time positions. There are many challenges, especially for long periods of time, two, three or four weeks at a time. More and more people are faced with many medical issues and they have to stay in Edmonton or other cities down south for long periods of time. As time goes on, they need toiletries and...

Maybe the Minister didn’t hear me. The funding that’s being provided with the 16 to 1 ratio is not adequate.

Will the Minister ensure that that ratio be changed to at least 10 to 1?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain some of the differences between the Northwest Territories petroleum products supply and Nunavut’s bulk fuel purchases that have allowed them to stabilize fuel costs while prices in the Northwest Territories continue to rise?

I was actually asking about Tsiigehtchic. I wasn’t too concerned about Yellowknife. The prices here are, I believe, $1.38 per litre. The residents of Tsiigehtchic want to know why they feel the communities are always hit with the highest prices. As well, Tsiigehtchic is on the Mackenzie River system.

Can we reduce the cost by bringing fuel in to the community by barge?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of living in our small communities has been brought up to this government before and here we are again talking about the high cost of food, fuel and community services. My community of Tsiigehtchic recently experienced a huge increase in the price of fuel. One litre of gas costs $2.01, which rose 9 cents. Heating fuel is $1.92. Petrol is 19 cents. Also, diesel fuel is $2.05 per litre.

Our constituents want to know why there is such a huge increase in fuel costs for Tsiigehtchic. They are concerned that this increase will affect many of our residents in terms of...

One of our priorities for this government is to reduce the cost of living in our communities.

How does the Minister plan to address the impacts of increased fuel prices on the quality of life in our smaller communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Public Works and Services. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, the high cost of fuel prices in the community of Tsiigehtchic. It’s not bad enough we’re paying $8 per litre of milk, now the price of heating fuel has gone up.

I’d like to ask the Minister: Can the Minister explain the huge increase in the price of fuel for Tsiigehtchic?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we are waiting for the review and revision of the Medical Travel Policy, will the Minister make an exception in this case?

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my statement, my constituent was given a support letter from her doctor, and then once it came to medical travel it was denied.

I’d like to know why was she denied a medical escort after being approved earlier?