I know it can be a challenge in the small communities to deal with housing.

Has the Minister and the department been working with the communities to ensure we fill those positions in my riding? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to also join my colleagues on this theme day today on population growth initiatives.

As I mentioned earlier this week, we do have to do a lot of things different to try to get our people to stay here in the North. One of the things that we really need to do is find a way to keep our cost of living down in the territory. As any Northerner knows, the cost of living here in the North is very great, and I believe that’s why a lot of people from the South just come up here to work and fly back every two weeks.

Over the last week I believe some of the mining companies...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a few comments and concerns to raise with the Minister. First off, it’s been about two years now that through the department we’ve had a commitment to implement the Beaufort-Delta health board back up in the Beaufort-Delta region, and the residents up there are still waiting for a voice from the community to represent them. That’s really lacking up in the region. Although a lot of services are improving, the residents still would like a voice on the board. I think all we need to do is do a bit more training in the financial area. That’s where a lot of the past...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement today, I’ve been told by my constituents that the Minister of Health and Social Services informed the chief of Tsiigehtchic and others that a nurse would not be hired for Tsiigehtchic. The Minister did not even have the common courtesy to inform me of this.

I’d like to ask the Minister, why is the Minister of Health retracting the commitment made by the former Minister of Health and Social Services on February 7, 2013? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a few comments to the opening remarks and the budget for housing as a whole.

I’m glad to see they’re planning to actually replace some new stock in the communities. This year I believe there 19 older public units that are going to be replaced. I hope that one of those units is Bennett Apartments in Aklavik. I believe that is older than I am. I recall in the ‘80s when I went there for the Northern Games, that building was there and I believe it is time to make changes to that.

Also, as I’ve explained, there are a lot of people moving back in the riding that I represent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From what I understand, the policy doesn’t actually affect the licenced practical nurse as it does a full-time nurse. So will the Minister ensure that we make adjustments to the policy to make sure that communities like Tsiigehtchic have a proper nurse? Thank you.

The Minister actually brought up a good point and that point is that the community has a full-time nurse there five and a half months out of the year. So why is it so difficult for the Minister to ensure that we have a nurse in Tsiigehtchic for 12 months out of the year? Thank you.

For far too long Tsiigehtchic residents have not had reliable access to health care. This government has to do better. The Minister of Health appears to be someone who can’t follow through on commitments. He will have an opportunity to repair his reputation during oral questions today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On paper, this government provides quality health care to all residents no matter where they live, yet a select group of NWT communities does not have year-round nurses. Tsiigehtchic is one of them and it’s a stressful situation not to have reliable access to care, Mr. Speaker. Residents are fed up.

Being without a nurse in Tsiigehtchic isn’t for lack of trying. For years the community has been petitioning the Department of Health and Social Services for a year-round licenced practical nurse. The idea made it into the Health and Social Services 2010-11 Business Plan, but...