Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address the Assembly on the subject of devolution resource revenue sharing and why it is so important to the riding I represent in the Inuvialuit.

In my riding, we have some serious social and economic problems. For example, Canada in 1991 had a graduation rate of 61.8 percent. The Northwest Territories had 59.9 percent. In the Inuvialuit settlement region, including all students, was 53.8 percent, a difference of 6.1 in the Northwest Territories and 8 percent in Canada. By 2009, it increased to 17.8 percent to 79.6. The Northwest Territories increased 9...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to start off with thanking the Minister in regard to getting the maintainers positions in Sachs Harbour and Ulukhaktok and I hope that it’s five out of the six, I hope it’s not the sixth person in one of my communities I represent that has been hired and they’re still looking for who will provide the support to the settlement maintainers.

Getting back to the PWS with the digital communications network contract, it expires in September 2011. The highlight of the importance and how we need the high speed Internet in the communities for the schools, for the nursing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Homeowners in my riding need preventative maintenance assistance to replace wooden pilings and aging fuel tanks. The Housing Corporation’s Contributing Assistance for Repairs and Enhancement, the CARE program, is available for some homeowners but needs to increase to fit the needs of people in my riding.

Wooden pilings underneath the homes in communities are rotting. They are deteriorating in the sunlight. They’re directly affected by melting permafrost and soil erosion. Some of the pilings are decayed so much that you could punch a screwdriver through the wood. A house...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would also like to thank the Minister for the grand opening of our carvers and print shop in Ulukhaktok. I think it’s going to be a big success for the community, the region and for the Territory in selling our quality prints and carvings.

Highlights, especially in the report from Nunakput include the $350,000 in additional funding to support entrepreneurs and economic development in the SEED program, which we really need. The $1 million in Tourism 2015 program, the initiatives are attracting people to the Nunakput region to see our beautiful country up in where I’m from...

Yes, an open invitation to Paulatuk. Getting back, the units for the road licensing equipment, I asked last year is it possible to get road licensing units for the hamlets to work with them to purchase these units so they have them in the community and then it’s no more hassle to get general identification and licensing upgrades. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Bonus question. For myself, would the Minister, for the private homeowners, like, we have some elders that are retired and the family is still working. They still say that under the last fiscal year, would the Minister reconsider looking at the pre-qualifications and opening that up with the Housing Corporation to be able to allocate more monies to the individuals in the communities?

Does the NWT Housing Corporation plan to address the pilings that are beginning to decay for private homeownership? I think the cost for one to repair is about $1,500. I mean, some people are barely eligible to stay in those units that are being given under the programs that they fall under through the Housing Corporation. Can the Minister elaborate a little bit more on the process and what the department can do to help enhance the program to get these pilings done for the private homeownership?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation. What support exists for homeowners in remote communities who need to replace oil tanks and wood pilings underneath their homes?

Mr. Chairman, well, we can put it under the hamlet staff in the community at the local hamlet office. I think we don’t have a high turnover in those offices for staff secretary or SAOs. I would just like to make sure that the Minister does try to see if we could get this equipment into the community of Paulatuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just in regard to my colleague Mr. Abernethy saying how good services are getting here in Yellowknife for licensing, we do need the portable unit to be heading into the communities a little bit more often than it’s being sent in. We’re having people calling me again stating that the general I.D. that they could provide and the licensing for the upgrades and stuff. I would like to ask the Minister if that could be possible to start sending in staff into the communities again. Thank you.