Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will be supporting my colleagues Ms. Bisaro and Mr. Bromley on this motion, because of the poverty situation that exists in Nunakput already and all of the Northwest Territories. Communities, like Mr. Krutko said, he said it all regarding the way things are happening in the communities. We have people with no jobs; there’s no work going on. You never, ever heard of a food bank in the communities, but now they’re coming up to the community of Tuk. They’ve started a food bank and that was not heard of. Rich to resources and now it’s time we all step up to the...

In Nunakput right now the economy is not heated. I wish some of the diamond mines would start hiring from our region. Will this government progressively work with the Members of the Legislative Assembly and the Government of Canada to adopt changes to the Food Mail Program that will actually assist residents in the small, remote communities to eat healthy and live healthy?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my questions are for the Premier. Considering that in Nunakput we have the highest cost of food in the NWT, will this government get more aggressive, comprehensive when calculating GNWT salaries and northern allowances for smaller northern communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Almost one year ago today several Members’ statements were dedicated to the high cost of foods in small, remote communities across the Territory. In Nunakput the highest cost of food then was the highest cost of food in the NWT. Earlier this week my colleagues were very passionately describing the seriousness of the situation in their communities.

This government calculates northern living allowance based on the location and the cost of living compared to the central communities such as Yellowknife. In addition, they fund various offices and programs based also on...

I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really want to commend my colleague Mr. Beaulieu for his statement. I feel the same because housing is such a big part of our problems in Nunakput. Either a shortage of houses, young families can’t have a house due to none being there. There is a rental market, no private industry to bring in units for the housing market.

I really like what I see in regards to the infrastructure investment summary. I just have a couple of comments in regards to that. I am happy for Paulatuk. We got the six major retrofits coming up. One replacement and a fourplex which is going to be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the cost of living in the most northern communities makes healthy living a luxury for only the privileged that have government jobs, and given that currently the residents of Nunakput could pay up to $10 for small bags of salad and you can’t get anything else for $10 in Tuk, given the current approach, it seems just the revised status quo. Will this government place current review program on the food mail for the elders and assistance programs and priorities to get them involved?

Considering that two GNWT jobs, one in Yellowknife and one in the small, remote community, are doing the exact same things, requiring the same level of education, with an income difference of only a few thousand dollars, will this government finally implement realistic initiatives and policies that truly calculate salaries and earnings and other benefits for small, remote communities?

What I found unfair in this government is not considering is that the Nunakput cost of living is 81 percent higher than it is in Yellowknife. Having our residents access healthy food must be the highest priority for this government and anything less is unacceptable.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For myself I’m not going to be supporting this. I think the $400,000 that the Minister is speaking to, Mr. Bromley, in my communities that I represent this breakfast program is a big thing in the communities and I cannot take this money away. We can’t allocate it anywhere else. We just could take it away and I’m not going to do that. So I’m not going to support the motion. This program is needed in the communities. Families can’t go and buy $18 for a thing of cereal and $22 for milk. They go to the schools. If they get into the schools early enough, the kids will get a...