Jackson Lafferty

Masi, Mr. Speaker. The Minister talks about choices. We don't really have many choices here in the Northwest Territories. We have six southern institutions that we send our own people there. They come back. I've witnessed myself, in my region, one individual came back from treatment, ended up back on the street, and unfortunately, the individual passed away this past summer because there was no after-care program. This is a real issue, a real live issue, Mr. Speaker. The Minister talked about the on-the-land treatment program funding. What kind of funding is available compared to the southern...

Obviously, there is a bit of a challenge here to accept that six new southern institutions that we've continued to send our people for some sort of addictions treatment there. People leaving the North, again, funding and money leaving the North, we're talking about millions. We're not talking about ten thousand here and there. Millions, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to know what option is the Minister considering for the return to residential addictions treatment here in the Northwest Territories. Once we had that before, could we have that again in the Northwest Territories?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] We have a motion in front of us today. Sometimes it is very difficult to speak on a motion, and it is to remove one MLA. It is a very difficult decision to make, but we do represent the people of the Northwest Territories. We have to make decisions on what they think, as well. Today, I am going to speak on this motion. A lot of people don't know the background information. A lot has been asked as to what has been happening here. Regarding the government and Ministers, I am going to speak on some of these issues. Mr. Speaker, we are live, so I would like to say...

I'd like to thank the Minister for her follow-up on this, because, again, this is coming from my constituents, so there are more detailed questions being asked of me to the Minister. My Tlicho workers, who are approximately, as the Minister indicated, 24 out of 70, or according to the workers there it's around a hundred or coming to a hundred, so it's a small number that we have there, who have years of experience as heavy equipment operators through their diamond mines experience, but they are not given the same treatment as Southerners wishing to advance. Could I have the Minister's...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, about the new road to Whati, I would like to ask questions to the ITI Minister [translation ends].

I have additional questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Some questions may be for more detailed information, which the Minister may not have at hand, but this is coming directly from my constituents. It's their words, Mr. Speaker. What is the current status on the Tlicho All-Season Road project? More specifically, to the northern, southern, and Tlicho hires. Last time I asked the Minister, southern hires were 50-percent-plus. Masi, Mr. Speaker...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the Minister is new to the file. I'm glad she's going to follow through. That agreement was before she came on board, so I'm glad she is going to be monitoring this. The last question I have is: can I get a commitment from the Minister that she and/or her senior staff, departmental staff, visit the Tlicho All-season Road construction site and meet with the Tlicho workers to simply hear them out and follow through with their concerns, Mr. Speaker? Masi.

I am glad that the Minister is committed to monitoring the progress that is happening there. That's my next line of questions here. We are fortunate to be living in the North. It's small enough that we run into our constituents, or people, who actually work at the TASR site, Tlicho All-Season Road. I was yet again, Mr. Speaker, informed by one of the current workers yesterday that southern hires keep increasing, and friends and relatives of Southerners get on heavy equipment faster than my own Tlicho people working there. Even those guys, my Tlicho workers, have been waiting for a number of...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would like to send out a huge congratulations to grads in the Tlicho region, some of them have graduated. There are quite a number of people who have graduated in my community. They will be on their way to post-secondary. Also, for post-secondary, there were quite a number of students who have graduated from post-secondary education. I am very thankful for that [translation ends].

Congratulations to my Tlicho high school graduates and, also, the post-secondary graduates class of 2020. We are very proud of their accomplishments, especially during the whole...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. As you know, a lot of our community members, especially the elders and seniors, do not speak English, in my communities especially. Obviously, I would like to know if this Minister is committed to providing more of an enhanced educational awareness on programs that are available to our elders, to our seniors, in our language, whether it be broadcasted on CKLB or other programming, because a lot of elders don't know that these programs exist and, if we reach out to them, I think a lot of these issues can be prevented, Mr. Speaker. Masi.

Moving onto the question I have: we talk about integrated approach and interdepartmental collaboration, as well. I would assume that all are departments that work together, Justice, ECE, housing, and also, the Minister responsible for Seniors, pertaining to these issues that we are faced with. I would like to know, Mr. Speaker, are there inter-agencies in the communities that deal with these issues, such as senior abuse in the communities, and do all communities have these inter-agencies?