Frieda Martselos

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of returning Fort Smith Regional Airport runway to former specifications.

Mr. Speaker, the petition contains 550 signatures, including 127 electronic signatures and 344 written signatures of Northwest Territories residents, and Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request that the Government of the Northwest Territories return the main airport runway at Fort Smith airport to its former width for reasons of public safety and economic growth.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I have a short presentation. Further to my Member's...

Can the Minister explain how often reviews of airport infrastructure are done in the NWT? Are reviews done periodically within a set time frame, or are they done subjectively, based on the decisions of the Minister and the government of the day?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On May 27, 2020, I asked the former Infrastructure Minister about what specific directions were given to our government from the federal government about the Fort Smith airport changes. This Minister told me that Transport Canada provided this direction in a form of updated standards and regulations for airport runways. The former Minister also offered to share these Transport Canada standards with me. My question is: will our current Infrastructure Minister commit to sharing with me these standards, along with any information regarding previous Fort Smith airport...

[Microphone turned off] ...questions.

Mr. Chair, I'm wondering about the Fort Smith clinic. There are a few things that I feel that are not there that we had before. I know that they are trying to get a speech therapist; I know that for sure. We used to always have a dietician. We don't have one anymore. A dietician is very important. We have lots of seniors in the community, and the population at large. I'm just wondering about the dietician. The other area that I want to make sure is stabilized in the Fort Smith Health Centre is the lab services. We had full lab services there, and I know that we are going to be doing the blood...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm looking at page 180. Just for clarity, Mr. Chair, the Fort Smith Health Centre would come under community clinics and health centres? Am I correct?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Infrastructure insists that the changes done to the Fort Smith airport addresses both the current and future operational needs of the airport. If that is indeed the case, the Minister explain, then, why the entire leadership of Fort Smith, along with 550 citizens, disagrees with this statement? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chair, affirmative action is about P1s, P2s, and so on. Yes, I agree that Northerners have to also be part of the whole concept of employment, and we have a lot of that. Most of the people who work for the territorial government are P2s, and the advancement always seems to be a P2 and not a P1. I'm not saying that all P1s are perfect, either, but when you have people who are in place who could be mentored within an organization, why aren't we taking that opportunity?

The terms of reference with HR, I have a concern about that, especially with Lands. Two main things in Indigenous governments...

Mr. Chair, were these P1 employees?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no problem with the out-of-territory treatment. The teams that deal with mental health and addictions problems are not available here. We don't have the qualifications for that. Yellowknife might be able to have that, but anonymity is very important to uphold. Therefore, would the Minister consider pursuing after-care facilities as a priority within the life of this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.