Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to doing a survey of those households specifically without access to basic services, and develop a strategy to deal with this need based on core housing needs? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I was going to speak on the core housing need in the Tlicho region, and also for the North, since the topic happens to be the Housing Corp.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, it’s a real shocker that in this day and age there are many families in the Tlicho region, and I’m sure the rest of the Northwest Territories, that still get their water from the lake, and have outhouses in their backyards. Mr. Speaker, many of the residents have trouble accessing programs and services of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Can the Minister tell this Assembly how NWT residents living...

(Translation) Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m talking about the students, I’m talking on behalf of the Tlicho students, the students from the Tlicho region, the Deh Cho, Sahtu, and Yellowknife. What will the department do specifically for the students living outside their communities, such as the students from the Akaitcho, the Tlicho, the Deh Cho, the Sahtu? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker… (Translation) At this time, I’d like say I’m sorry that my phone rang, but maybe the call was from Fort Smith.

Mr. Speaker, it takes a lot of effort, patience and persistence to find the right high chair match for a child in your home community. You can well imagine, Mr. Speaker, the time and effort it would take to locate and interview, and select and pay an individual that will meet your child's and your family’s needs when you are living outside of your home community. Compound this with the fact that if you are a student or a single parent, you can well imagine, Mr. Speaker...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My next question is, when can the Minister commit to visiting the Tlicho region to address this serious issue? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with that in mind, can the Minister inform the Assembly how the corporation determines the allocation of repairs, renovations, new home construction funding, and whether access to adequate water, sewer and heating services is a primary consideration? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

(Translation) Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m talking about the three students from the Tlicho region. I know that next week there will be no more day care. What is the Premier saying he’s willing to do? Another question is, what has the department done to ensure these parents are being resourced to help with the day care services?

(Translation) Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that you are right, so I know that we do help the students with student financial assistance. On top of helping with the student financial assistance, the organization is under the government, but I don’t want any of my students to drop out and any of my constituents who are in courses to drop out. What is the Minister willing to do about it?

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

(Translation)…day care in Fort Smith was emphasized yesterday by my colleague from Range Lake.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I received an e-mail from one of my constituents: a single parent attending the Aurora College in Fort Smith. Mr. Speaker, there are currently three of my constituents who are attending school in Fort Smith, and they have families. I am proud to say that these students are studying to become teachers, and that they are very concerned about the closure of the day care. This is a cause for concern.

I ask, Mr. Speaker...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated in my Member's statement, the RCMP workload is impacting on the service levels in the isolated communities. Can the Minister inform the Assembly whether there's a plan to increase the number of RCMP officers in the communities so that they can take a proactive role, rather than a reactive role in community policing? Mr. Speaker, mahsi.