Jackson Lafferty

In the past, we have closed the doors to the public. When flu season came around, there was a direct impact on the seniors. We have done that. We have the authority to do that. I am advising the Minister to follow up on that with the communities' health organizers. I have a third question pertaining to school, the school closure. We have the highest person who advises us. The Chief Public Health Officer advised today to close NWT schools until after Easter. We are saying, "Well, it's up to the DEA to deal with that." This is the highest decision-maker coming down, advising us to close our...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] When I talked about the Member's statement, I talked about the COVID-19. The COVID-19 that I was talking about, I know it's pretty dangerous. It still hasn't come up here, but let's prepare ourselves. [Translation ends]

I did a Member's statement on COVID-19. I talked about the seniors' homes, the tourists, and the industries. The first question I have could be departmental, I am not sure, but since it's related to health, Health and Social Services. We received a statement from the Minister of health that states that we are strongly advising all travellers on...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Around us, throughout Canada, a lot of activities are happening. There are a lot of closures, whether it be schools, public places, and so forth. Here, we are reacting slowly to it. We need to be proactive as a government going forward. The final question I have is pertaining to industry, mine workers. As a stated in my report, the Baffin iron mines tells its Nunavut workers to stay home to limit COVID-19. What is our stand? We have so many workers who interact with international workers, as well, at the mine site. What is our stand as a GNWT working with the mine workers...

As you know, as we all know, it only takes one to have an impact in our Northwest Territories. It's great that we don't have COVID-19, the coronavirus here in the Northwest Territories, but we have to be proactive instead of reacting to certain things. Why couldn't we have a seniors' care package that Members identified and also the possibility of having workers work from home? Those are some areas that we can easily do within our mandate as the Government of the Northwest Territories. I am afraid that, if we are not proactive on self-isolation with interaction towards coming into the...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] We know that this is a very serious illness, the COVID-19. Even though it's not here yet, but it will eventually be here, so at this time what we're talking about, there are a lot of people who are tourists. Some people are overseas. Some people are coming from overseas. They still continue. When you talk about self-isolation, once they come here, will they be self-isolated. Not only that but, Mr. Speaker, we're talking about the elders. We want our elders to be really well taken care of, like in my community for the last two weeks, there's been two weeks off...

Masi, Madam Chair. [Translation] Today, we know this is a big issue. We know for a fact it has been an ongoing issue for a very long time, and now it's in front of us. All of us today, all of the Ministers and MLAs, have spoken, and some support it. Some do not support it. Right now, the federal government had money there. We see $2.5 million. That is a lot of money that we are looking at, seeing it today, and we see for a fact, in the communities, we know we need training in all communities and departments, and also we know that we have concerns about the caribou because we know, when the...

As it stands, obviously, we would like to follow what the Chief Medical Officer recommends, and I understand that she has stated that she doesn't have the authority to stop this from happening, people coming from the South. It is this government that is responsible, and we have had experience with PDAC participants who came back and there are some issues. This is becoming a pandemic, as it has been called. We have people coming in from the South. We don't know where they have been, but they are it bringing into the Northwest Territories. Not only the Northwest Territories, but small and...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I am glad the Minister is recognizing the importance of language and cultural preservation. It should be. I fully support a stand-alone department. My final question, basically, is: we do have interpreters here in our booths, as you know, with so many years of experience. Most of them are on the verge of retirement. I would like to know if there is a plan in place, either now or if the department is working on one, that can be provided to me. In the next five years, next 10 years, how is that going to look? We have valuable services here. They are going to be retiring sooner...

[Translation] When we are speaking in our language, without the interpreters, if we don't use our language, we will lose our language. I would like to ask the Minister at this time [Translation ends] [microphone turned off] ...partnerships in the past over the years, even through the Language Bureau back in 1990s, what is the responsibility of Indigenous governments or organizations on the language interpreter training? I understand that there are set allocated funds to these groups. Are there set targets on an annual basis, five-year, 10-year plan, to produce these qualified interpreters from...

Mr. Speaker, I did have questions for the Premier, so if you could put me back on the list. Masi.