Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement on the Seniors’ Home Fuel Subsidy Program to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

At this time of year we’ve got our elders that want to access this program. Maybe the Minister can just tell me a little bit about the program and some of the guidelines around it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

Another issue that the elders are raising there is the department officials usually ask for T-4s, Revenue Canada statements. So they’ve filled out applications before and they just don’t understand why they’ve got to keep filling out applications every time they ask for a program. Their situation is not going to change very much over a year, especially if it’s a senior. It’s like a fixed income. So they don’t understand why they have to keep filling out applications, Mr. Speaker. Do they have to fill out one application or for every program? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Housing some questions. I just recently got a call from Trout Lake and a lot of the elders are getting letters asking for more information, T-4 revenue statements. These letters are directed to the elders, but they’re actually non-English speaking. Slavey is their first language and they’re getting these letters, and Housing, for good reason, is getting non-responsiveness. So when that happens, programs are in jeopardy of being cancelled or else transferred to other people. The band manager said can Housing at least cc the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I wish to speak on vandalism and how it is hurtful to people. The Deh Cho Drum reports that it has been a very disturbing time for a family in Fort Simpson. The grave of Marc Andre Lapierre, who died at the age if 18 in 1996, was desecrated last week. Mark Andre loved fire trucks, so a model of a red fire truck was placed under protective glass as a memorial on his grave. However, vandals damaged the fire truck beyond repair and left the site in disorder. This is a terrible thing. It causes a resurgence of grief to the family. My sympathies, Mr. Speaker...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In this community’s case, I think the request is simple, that the elders need a better understanding of how the programming works. So can the Minister look at, I don’t know if it’s an elder workshop with a particular focus on the programs that they have for them? Can the Minister work towards that? It’s probably something that many, many small communities have challenges with throughout our North as well. Thank you.

How much work would it take to, like the band manager suggested, if they’re going to write a letter to an elder, to cc it to the band office so that they can at least know that there’s a request for more information to the elder or even, indeed, if it’s an approval letter, the elder is not even going to know that either, Mr. Speaker. Often -- and I’ve brought it up in the House before -- elders will receive a letter and they’ll just put it on the table until somebody comes along that understands English, had some schooling, et cetera, then they’ll open it up and ask what that letter is. Thank...

Like other communities, vandalism occurs in Fort Simpson. It is usually in the form of spray painted words on signs, sidewalks and sometimes it goes as far as damage on empty buildings. Vandalism is a costly problem and can make a community look unsightly. It shows a lack of respect.

In this case, one or two people did something worse, with the desecration of a grave. The RCMP are treating this case very seriously and have asked anyone with information about the vandalism to phone the RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers. As the Deh Cho Drum said, this particular incident by vandals hurt and...

I’m pleased to see that they’re going to provide some resources in the upcoming year, in the 2010 budget year. Currently, what practices are being used with regard to screening for cancers or chronic diseases, as the Minister has indicated? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner and commends it to the House.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations met on September 28, 2009, to review the 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner and the special report Speaking of Health: Official Languages as part of Quality Health Care in the Northwest Territories. The committee would like to thank the former Languages Commissioner, Ms. Shannon Gullberg, for presenting these reports. The...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Last week I was talking with a constituent who had concerns about aboriginal elders. He thought that too many elders are diagnosed with cancer too late for them to benefit from treatment. There have been, in the past, cases of an elder living a very healthy lifestyle, who came to the health clinic in a very bad state. He was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in less than two weeks. It was a terrible shock for the family and the community.

Treatments for cancer have improved a great deal over the years. If there had been some kind of screening process to...