Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I get started, I'd like to send thoughts and prayers home. Today they're laying my Uncle Henry Steen to rest. So thoughts and prayers are with my family back home.

Mr. Speaker, I've said in this House many times before, housing in Nunakput faces major issues. Residents in my riding deal with the highest cost of living in the territory. We face overcrowding. We don't have enough homes. And the homes that we do have are in need of major repairs.

In Nunakput, the riding as we know, 13 percent of our homes are overcrowded. 28 percent of our homes need major repairs...

Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, just in regards to, like my colleague, Mr. Johnson, I am liking the new format of the spending on our and I see so much that says Nunakput on it, so I'll be supporting this for sure. And it's good to see. But just a couple of questions I do have with the contracts that we do have out, the numbers I got start off with the Mangilaluk School.

We have a contract that's out. We asked for reports I guess, on who's hired, like for community, because I know there's not too many community hires in the community of Tuk. And it's all seems to be outsiders, so. And we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation receives $76 million last year for housing. Is this Minister working with the Inuvialuit to try to work together to combine funding to get houses into the communities? And then my last one or not my last one. But the people in Sachs Harbour, for say, they paid two years into a program that they were told that they had the unit. But there was the two years that they paid the rent without the House being signed over. Will the Minister commit to that couple once, that verbal commitment was made by the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in addition to my statement today, NWT housing crisis, we're facing a health crisis also. But it stems work like, living together in overcrowded units, it's really drawing a lot of a lot of hurt and hardship between families because there are just not enough homes.

Mr. Speaker, I reference since we started sitting in for this 19th Assembly, 15 times I've made Member's statements in this House in regards to the housing issues that we do have in the territory. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister plan to reduce overcrowded homes in Nunakput riding and when that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker I'm bringing up again that barging in Nunakput how we I wouldn't say how we failed but how we're working together to try to provide service. You know, like I told you in my Member's statement earlier today that all of our the people that were having to fly in goods, groceries and the young families having to fly Pampers in and that into Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok, Mr. Speaker, is there any way that we could work together with them if they brought receipts back from that certain timeframe, would the Minister be able to entertain that we'd be able to help them in refunds...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Report on Bill 52, Elevators and Lifts Act. Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide the Report on Bill 52, Elevators and Lifts Act, and commends it into the House.

Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, Bill 52 Elevators and Lifts Act.

Bill 52 Elevators and Lifts Act is the creation of a standalone Act aimed to align the NWT legislation with other jurisdictions. Bill 52 deals with regulation of the installation, use of, inspection of, elevating devices, including lifts and amusement rides.

The bill was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, us being, I guess, laid up or tied up, I guess, for the rest of the season, say for instance in Paulatuk, will there be any employment opportunities for security or watching the vessels and stuff like that for community members and because I did get a call from a young man that was looking into something doing something like that to provide that service for MTS; is that possible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I thank the Minister for that. I just want a commitment in regards to being able to hand in a receipt if it's possible to MTS in regards to getting funds back to the constituents as my constituency is the most northerly constituency, and it's highest cost of living besides yours, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, second by the honourable Member from Deh Cho, that the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report, Bill 52, Elevators and Lifts Act, to be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to the issue of barging services in Nunakput riding. Since the GNWT, Mr. Speaker, has taken over barging six years ago, our communities continue to be at risk of barge schedule and weather, and they always run out of supplies in the communities which is costing our community members more to fly in materials off the airplane and whatever is needed.

Mr. Speaker, the barge schedule is set every year. So why are the community resupplies not the first priority to be complete? Why do our communities consistently wait to the end of shipping season and hope their...