Henry Zoe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister how he foresees the council’s meeting their objectives with this late start. Will the council be able to meet their first meeting in April? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a minute I will be talking about the NWT Council of Sport and Recreation Partners’ implementation plan, but first I just wanted to congratulate the Minister, his department and all their partners in putting together the first ever NWT Games program in Fort Smith for March 18th to 21st. Having a sport event just for the NWT has been a goal of the sport community for a long time.

Mr. Speaker, the last time we were here I spoke a little about my support for the NWT Council of Sport and Recreation Partners and I just want to say a little bit more on this topic...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With no disrespect to the Striking Committee, Mr. Speaker, the honourable Member for Twin Lakes is the only Member who is not appointed to any of the standing committees and there is a vacancy particularly to the Accountability and Oversight committee and to Governance and Economic Development committee. That’s the reason that I’m making this amendment to this motion, so that we can deal with that particular Member to sit on these various committees. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to make an amendment to Motion 26-15(3).

“Mr. Robert McLeod, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, be appointed to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight and to the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development.”

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me his timeline for those discussions that he just mentioned? How soon would they be concluded? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, under the market housing initiative that we heard the Minister of Finance speak of yesterday, there’s supposed to be six housing units going to Rae-Edzo. We also know, Mr. Speaker, from the budget speech, that there will be a new three-person public health unit set up for the Tlicho region effective April 1, 2005. The problem is, Mr. Speaker, there are no places for any of these public health unit staff to stay, never mind any other new teachers, health care workers or government employees. I am not even sure the six units will be enough to meet this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I spoke about the fact that the NWT Housing Corporation has not yet dealt with the land acquisition for the six housing units that are going into Rae-Edzo for the second year of the market housing initiative. Community leaders are concerned, Mr. Speaker, and rightly so, that if last year’s performance is any indication, it may be early winter by the time the Housing Corporation manages to get those units ready for occupancy. Can the Minister tell me when the corporation will acquire the necessary land for these units? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I received some very exciting and welcome news, which is that the Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Act has been given third reading by the Senate of Canada.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to express in words how important this day is to the Tlicho people. It is truly an historic moment, not only for the Tlicho but for all the Northwest Territories and Canada. I am sure that years from now, people will be telling their children and their grandchildren where they were when they heard this exciting news.

I am very happy that many...

Madam Chair, I move that we report progress.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to welcome Mr. Robert McLeod to this side of the House. He’s the newest Member here. Welcome, Mr. McLeod, and to my colleagues.

As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, there are a number of issues that have been raised in my constituency of North Slave, but the highest priority that they have on their agenda is our Tlicho legislation that is currently being discussed in Ottawa.

Mr. Speaker, a number of my constituents have been traveling to Ottawa to observe and monitor the progress of this legislation that’s going through the Senate. Mr. Speaker, everybody...