Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, for many years, Tlicho families have lived, and hunted, and trapped along the shores of Great Slave Lake. Many of these traditional camps were built near Highway No. 3 because it allowed families to maintain their traditional lifestyle while living in the town of Behchoko for part of the year. Still others maintained their traditional culture year round. When the Department of Transportation changed the structure of Highway No. 3, many traditional camps and homes were affected, Mr. Speaker. In the past, last fall, I raised that issue...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee wishes to consider Bill 4, Northwest Territories Hydro Corporation Act; Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; and Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad the Minister is taking up the offer. I am looking forward to that. Mr. Speaker, my next leading question is, when we identify a contractor in a community prior to 2005, there might have been a case at that time, but today, if you approach a community and say would you like us to clear your roads, they would be more than happy to take on the opportunity. Is the Minister willing to invest from his department to identify a contractor, whether it be DOT or in the community, to clear the access roads to the traditional cabins? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, policy is policy; it can be amended any time. The Minister has the responsibility to make changes to respect the traditional way of life. So I'd like to ask my final question to the Minister. Would the Minister be willing to meet with the leadership in Behchoko to find a solution for this ongoing issue that has been on the books for a number of years? Mahsi.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Question to the department and the Minister: What responsibilities does the department have in maintaining the residential access roads? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, as I outlined in my Member's statement, the importance of having those cabins on Highway No. 3, with the new road being in place just a few years now, that those cabin owners have been left out in the cold, unable to access their traditional road to their cabins. So I'd like to ask the Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, can the Minister direct his department to repair this access road that I specifically embarked on -- Mr. Charlo’s camp -- and dump some gravel in the open ditch that has been created through the...

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, we have Peter Huskey of Behchoko. He’s in the gallery to listen. I thank him for attending. Mahsi.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to endorse my full support for this motion that has been brought forward by Mrs. Groenewegen for Hay River South. This has been an issue in the communities for quite some time now. When I spoke in my language, I spoke about the importance of elders' wisdom in the past, where our elders spoke and kids were quiet around the table or even discussion periods. Nowadays when you go to communities, kids are all over the place. The parents are out somewhere and the kids are running loose.

Now is the time I see...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the program delivery in communities, there is always room for improvements. The current system may not be enough. It may not be working for the communities. As a follow-up, would the Minister consider working with the communities to develop better strategies and programs such as aftercare programs to deal with addictions and investing in people as the Minister puts it? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, I mentioned this in my Member’s statement regarding an Aftercare Program. Is there currently an Aftercare Program in place? That is my question for Health and Social Services. (Translation ends)

I would like to focus today on the Aftercare Program where we send out community members or even individuals going for treatment for a month, 28 days, whether it be down south or Hay River. The Aftercare Program is vital to recovery road. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, can the Minister please outline...