Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement on the Housing Appeal Committee. Like I said, I’m glad to see that in operation. I just wanted to ask a couple questions on the operations and its mandate. I know that the Minister had announced it in the House. When exactly was the start date for the committee? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just want to reiterate my colleagues from the smaller communities who are certainly supportive of policing the smaller communities. I know initiatives of getting safety officers into the community of Wrigley have been supported by this government and I look forward to continued support of maintaining those positions in Fort Simpson.

I did speak with the Minister earlier this year about a continuation of plan to have a full operating detachment in Wrigley. It’s interesting. I spoke in the House earlier about how I raised the issue of getting RCMP policing into...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I noticed that just overall it looks like there’s an increase over last year’s mains of $2 million. But when you go down to program delivery details, you see a reduction in expenditures in the Nahendeh district. Perhaps the Minister can explain what’s going on here. Some other districts did not reduce by that much so I’d like an explanation.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I was just doing some of the budget considerations and I notice in there, with the committee’s indulgence, in an earlier page there’s a reduction in job positions in the regional allocations in the Sahtu and the Deh Cho. Could I get the Minister to explain that?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I like Minister Beaulieu’s response. He said yes. The Minister here says no.

I am asking the Minister if they can examine it, because there is merit in it. I am not looking for new people to start questioning housing standard construction, but in the past, serious issues and arrears are serious concerns for my constituents and in all ridings. I really believe that this must be examined. I think that was one of the real reasons I really championed the appeal system, because someone has to look at this. Someone has to address them. I believe that this appeal board can do...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. When it comes to tourism, I think, especially in my riding, I always couple it with Highway No. 7, surprisingly. First of all I would like to thank the Minister for our recent trip to Fort Liard and actually driving Highway No. 7 and into Fort Simpson and meeting the leadership. I really appreciate that and I have a Member’s statement for later on in the week. Constituents are very, very happy that he took the time and effort to come and see and feel Highway No. 7, as well as listen to the different tourism related concerns that are tied directly to Highway...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the agenda, please. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

We’ve said it on this side of the House many, many times, the time for reviewing is over. You’ve already done those reviews. You know the needs of my communities. When is the Minister going to work towards returning nursing services to Wrigley?

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions about nursing services in the community of Wrigley. I know my colleague from the Mackenzie Delta raised it last week in the House about nursing in our small communities. I know that last term we almost had a deal where nursing services would be provided in the Mackenzie Delta and Wrigley. I just want to know what initiatives has the Health Minister been working on lately in returning these health services to these small communities.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am very pleased to rise today to talk about an issue that is important to each of us in this Assembly. That issue is drowning prevention.

We all know people in our communities whose lives are lost needlessly due to drowning. It is a needless waste of human life and potential. It is a devastating loss for our communities, people and families.

Between 1998 and 2008, an average of seven people annually drowned in the Northwest Territories. Eighty-four percent of the drownings were male and alcohol played a factor one-third of the time. Failure to wear a lifejacket was...