Herbert Nakimayak

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, you know, it sounds like somebody was asleep at the wheel somewhere along the way. In this case, it's the wheel house in this area for MTS for them to wake up into freezing ice and not be able to move anywhere.

I appreciate the work that the Minister is doing, and I appreciate his work all around. However, somebody needs to be accountable somewhere and we cannot deflect this any further. My question to the Minister is: with this air-lift affect the future rates to be paid by MTS customers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response, and it's good to see. I looked on the website this morning. There were no tenders awarded, and hopefully that process can start soon.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister stated that this error for not delivering fuel was due to ice. However, will the Minister commit to ensure that petroleum products are inspected and meet the requirements before allowing onto any MTS barges so that this doesn't happen again or commit to other shipping methods?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize one of the Pages, Ms. Tori Haogak, who is my cousin from Inuvik living here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Partnerships are essential, especially when it comes to housing. Partnerships can possibly eliminate some of the errors that have happened in the past, where homes have remained unfinished.

Mr. Speaker, with the cancellation of the MTS shipments to the region, MTS has declared that only essential equipment, gear, and dry goods will be delivered. Mr. Speaker, there are building materials that are stuck in Inuvik.

Homes are essential to the region. Mr. Speaker, will the building materials that were scheduled on MTS barges be delivered to the communities in Nunakput region on the upcoming airlift?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about housing issues in Nunakput, and my questions are for the Minister of the Housing Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, with the agreement between the GNWT and IRC being a step in the right direction, my question is: will this agreement bring up the number of housing units needed in Nunakput in 2018? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, housing continues to be one of the biggest contributing factors to social ills within the Nunakput region. Although $15 million was delivered directly to the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation from the federal government, the need for more homes to be constructed is bleakly felt by those who continue to remain on the waiting list. With the cancellation of MTS barges, this means four homes aren't being built to completion this winter.

Mr. Speaker, housing can be more than just a building; housing can be an opportunity for social progress. The communities have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, they mentioned that they are replacing homes, and hopefully the four homes that are being replaced are not taken offline before completion of this, which may be next year if we don't get the materials.

Mr. Speaker, my final question: with the population growing in the Northwest Territories and in Nunakput, how many more homes will this open up, specifically in Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Tuktoyaktuk, with the agreement between the IRC and the GNWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response, although, with the population rising in all of our regions in the territory, I think housing needs to grow as well with the population.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister give detail to the agreement and the importance of hiring local subcontractors in the four Nunakput communities and the need to grow local capacity?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too, have a constituent from Tuktoyaktuk, Ms. Sandra Elias, who is one of the directors for the family violence shelters in the Northwest Territories. Welcome, Sandra. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's good to see that the department is going in that direction, where they are consulting with communities and their needs.

Mr. Speaker, the community of Tuktoyaktuk is also dealing with the issue of a funded GNWT economic development officer, the EDO. This position was set up through the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and there are some uncertainties as we speak. Mr. Speaker, the contract is on a year-by-year basis. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is: can this position come directly through the Government of Northwest Territories like other surrounding communities rather than through the...