Katrina Nokleby

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There are a lot of people before first, I'd like to acknowledge Tom McLennan who is one of our newly elected Yellowknife city councillors. Welcome to the Chamber.

I also have a group there's a group here from I believe it's pronounced Videa. And in that group we have Kate Herchak, Taleetha Tait, Diane AnawakDunford, Ruth Kaviok, Delaney Drachenberg, and Twyla Etchinelle. I'm not sure if I'm saying everyone's name right, I apologize, but as a Nokleby I feel that pain. So thank you, and welcome to the Chamber.

Sorry, just chatting about housing, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the chair rise and report progress.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Speaker. And again, I guess I just really struggle with the idea that we have to rely on NGOs who are notoriously underfunded in order to take care of our most vulnerable people. I just really find that to be unacceptable, and I do hope that the department is looking and considering that they do need to continue on being the operator of the shelter. My question, though, is around I know that when we were in Inuvik with social development, that there was a lot of conversation around even just proper food for people at the shelter. You know, we brought in some fruit and...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I do understand the trouble of trying to get an NGO in a community to run something when there aren't really any NGOs in that community that would want to take that on. And as a result of that, you know, and given the sensitive nature of this type of work, you know, hiring minimum wage workers here and that are not going to be adequately trained, as the Minister said, is not the solution. So can the Minister speak to whether or not the department is considering running the shelter themselves and having workers there be GNWT employees? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm going to segue a little bit on the housing minister. And could she provide us with an update on what's happening with the Inuvik shelter and whether or not a contractor has been found there? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, before I ask my questions, it's been a very long session and I appear to have mixed up two very strong men in my Member's statement, Chief Vital Abel and Vital Manuel. So I would like to apologize to Mr. Manuel's parents. I did mix that up, and it has been a really long session. So my apologies there.

My questions are for the Minister of Housing. As I mentioned yesterday, there were issues with accessibility for some of the residents in the Lanky Court Apartments. Can the Minister speak to whether or not the snow clearing of the boardwalk has been done...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, November is Indigenous Disability Month. According to the most recent data, in 2012, there were over 2700 persons with disabilities in the NWT. Of those, 62 percent were Indigenous yet the total Indigenous population of the NWT in 2012 was only 48 percent.

Vital Abel was a former NWT Legislative Assembly employee who left behind a legacy of strength and inspiration. Vital Manuel Abel would have been familiar to MLAs in the '90s as the former assistant to Premier Stephen Kakfwi. Vital was from Fort Good Hope, where he was born with developmental...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think one thing that's really important to remember here is that even if the government feels that their application process is not onerous and that it doesn't take much time, the fact that there is an application process will deter a lot of people from applying for this money. And that's shown by the fact that only half of the money was spent in the last fiscal year. So therefore I support this motion, and I would like really strongly for the government to consider what they think is a burden or is onerous is not what residents or other governments think is not onerous...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that consideration of Tabled Document 72319(2), Capital Estimates 20232024, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 72319(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I just wanted to say "thank you" to Mr. I'm not going to say your last name right either, Thagard, Brian, for all of his hard work for us and for keeping us safe. I know that our Assembly has been a particularly challenging Assembly, and I know that that's definitely made Brian have to stay on his toes. So I know it's a welldeserved retirement, and I look forward to seeing him riding his bike on the highway. Thank you, Madam Speaker.