Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Minister that there are people living and taking advantage of the seniors and there are people who are there to take care of them. There’s a distinction that we’re going to have to make and we’re going to have to consider that seriously, I certainly agree. I’d like the Minister to use that analogy when it comes to reviewing the income support and the seniors home heating subsidy.

When they’re reviewing the Income Support Program it really covers lots of different areas. I’m just looking to ask the Minister that when it comes to income support, that the seniors home heating subsidy gets reviewed by itself and all the different concerns that I’ve raised and other MLAs have raised, particularly when people are living with the seniors, and why is it impacting their eligibility, et cetera. If that’s something that’s separate and distinct that he can look at when he’s reviewing it.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I rise with my colleagues to speak on the seniors’ issues that are very important to us all. Over the course of this budget session I have raised this issue and many others until my voice is hoarse.

---Laughter

Firstly, constituents who have their elderly parents refused the seniors home heating subsidy believe that our system is broken. Aboriginal seniors in our small and remote communities are faced with government guidelines, procedures and rules, which are often difficult to interpret and understand. Myself and my colleagues look forward to the review of the Income...

Representing small and remote communities I think I'm paying particular attention to how our seniors are treated there, as well, and given the program. I guess one of the other things, too, is that when workers are going to small and remote communities, the documentation is not there and there’s always a need to accept a statutory declaration because some documents are lost. What is the department’s position on using statutory declarations?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement, most particularly with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment in that he had indicated that he was going to review the Income Support Program and the seniors home heating subsidy that is in that program. I’d like to ask what the timing is of that review.

He had indicated that the engineering study was completed. I was just wondering how much additional work was pinpointed by that study and which areas would be worked on this year. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I will be talking about things that are important issues to my constituents. One of the items that I would like to express is the Liard Highway, and since the spring, it has been hard to travel because of the condition of the highway. [Translation ends]

...from washboards to washout to bathtub-size potholes, highways No. 1 and No. 7 continue to challenge drivers in the Deh Cho region and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Poor road conditions in my region have a negative impact on residents, tourism and business, not to mention taxpayers who foot the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just want to begin with the community of Wrigley. I think we spoke with the Minister about this before and in the House, is that striving towards a full-time detachment in the community of Wrigley is still a goal of our government and it’s something I support and the community supports. So as we work towards getting a full-time detachment, I’d just like to ask the Minister once again to raise it with his federal colleagues. It’s still a priority of our GNWT and I understood that it may still be in the federal capital plan but a couple years down the road. Any...

Then the answer is easy: we just have to request $250 million from the capital planning process. Just moving forward, though, Mr. Speaker, I know that the residents of Fort Liard and Fort Simpson travel quite a bit in between. I would like to thank him for the update on the plans; however, the section from the B.C. border to Fort Liard is something that the Fort Liard residents are really interested in chipsealing or else some other alternative methods. Are there any plans to look at that? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Transportation and I have many debates and discussions over Highway No. 7 and I’d like to continue that once again.

This fall he had indicated that there was an engineering study done on Highway No. 7, some samplings of geotechnical work. I just want to know the results of it and was there a report that was completed on that. Mahsi cho.