Statements in Debates
I'm encouraged to hear that. You know, it's coming. I'm really worried about our communities, our elders, people who we represent in our communities, because we know all of them. I really think that we really should think about this, from now until June, take all limiters off. The Minister could make that happen. Would the Minister commit to me today to getting that done?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions today for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation on being proactive and not reactive, Mr. Speaker, in supporting our communities' action plan with regard to safety of lines, power lines that are in the communities that need to be redone before this COVID-19 our communities. Because I really worry about, if a blizzard hits and a lineman being sick and come to attend to our community, how do we fix that, Mr. Speaker? Will the Minister commit today to make sure that all the Nunakput communities, the line crews go in and then start working...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, with staffing, we have 33 communities, and not all communities have nursing stations. We have nursing stations, but no staff, such as Tsiigehtchic. For the next three months, are we going to be providing a nurse in Tsiigehtchic, and making sure that all of our nursing stations are properly complemented with nursing staff? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to make sure that the communities across the territory, not only my riding, have portable health breathing equipment for them in regard to if anybody does get COVID-19, making sure our elders and that are properly cared for. I know that they're working hard. Our frontline staff are working hard, and just to make sure that equipment is in the community prior. Like I always say, it's better to be proactive than reactive.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The payment plans, I guess, for all our riding of Nunakput would have to go through Inuvik because we don't have any Power Corporation offices and that would be basically for the whole Delta. Would the Minister provide numbers for the people for our ridings of the whole Beaufort Delta in regard to if they're in arrears with the power corporation, to make sure that his staff know in Inuvik that the payment plan will be signed, and they don't have to worry about it, so the limiters will be not put on? That's the worst thing that we need, because it's still cold weather...
Mr. Speaker, I didn't get the answer I wanted. Will the Minister support the local DEAs on their decision that they make? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That's not what I want to hear. We have [inaudible] like they do in the South, here. We have to make a stand in regard to this COVID-19. People are worried; people are panicked. The thing is, I'm not trying to put people into a panic, but I'm just making sure that, when the teachers are coming back from the South, or anybody coming back from the South for spring break, if the DEA says, okay, we're going to shut down the school for two weeks after, making sure that the teachers get paid and the Minister supports the local DEAs on that call.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I rise to welcome my Pages from Sachs Harbour, Tony and Rylan. Thank you for doing a good job here this week. I really enjoyed having them in the House, here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Going over the motion and going over the bill, we, as Members of the Assembly, have to look at the big picture. We have to make sure that we are creating jobs and employment for the people in regard to projects where, basically, free money is coming from the federal government. I think what the biggest thing is, how I look at it is, when Yellowknife does good, we do good, and this is jobs for Yellowknife. There's a potential opportunity to make change in regard to the socio-economic agreements between the mine sites that are going to have access to that. We're going to...
Well, I'm making a stand right now. As MLA for Nunakput, I am going to be talking to my local DEAs and requesting them to shut down the school for two weeks for the self-isolation when the people come back from the South, to self-isolate. Will the Minister commit today that there will be no harm in pay, or anything? Will the Minister support this? Thank you.