Kevin A. Menicoche

It just doesn’t make sense why this rule’s being applied to this student in this case where it didn’t really work out. It happens to many, many students over the course time, where they go down for the course, but it doesn’t work out, so they come home immediately. But she was gone, like, two weeks. We have had employees who take longer holidays down there. Are they non-residents down there as well, Mr. Speaker?

I would like to urge the Minister’s office to review this case carefully and allow this young student, this young adult, to act as their programming and policy intends. Mahsi.

I guess one of the biggest things, Mr. Speaker, is that outsiders continue to make money from our land and our resources. And our people are tired of that.

I’d like to ask the Premier: what kind of hammer can he discuss with the other aboriginal groups so that we can stop this flow and start keeping some of the resources that rightfully belong to us and our land? Mahsi.

Indeed, that is the focus I was looking at. How do we best work together with all the partners here in the North? One of the ways of doing it, I would suggest, is we still have to have some kind of office or some lead personnel to address this issue, to work the North and garner support from all our partners.

I don’t have to remind the House how many millions of dollars continue to leave the North, how many millions of dollars worth of carats, of oil and gas, et cetera. If I can get Mr. Premier to state what kind of plan does he have in place to address this very important issue of ours?

[English translation not provided.]

I just wanted to translate what I just said. It doesn’t reflect here in the Member’s statement, but just the fact that people are coming here and exploiting our available lands and resources and gas and oil, yet our government is in trouble financially.

As well, for the most part, for our population, our unemployment rate is not that high, especially in the regions and communities. Why are we in this situation?

People expect all of us as MLAs and our government to put us in power to act and govern our Territory, yet we don’t seem to have the strength or the...

To have common ground, Mr. Speaker — and I’ve always said that our common enemy has to be greater than our common differences here in the North. How is Mr. Premier going to…? What strategies does he have in place to speak with other aboriginal groups?

I know in the past we have talked about the heritage fund idea, and it’s a really good idea. Has the Premier addressed this with other aboriginal groups?

The questions are for the Premier with respect to my Member’s statement earlier.

In my language, when we say, Nahendeh it means: “This is our land.” I believe that should be the focus of any discussions the government has with Ottawa or with other aboriginal groups: to build a focus around it. Mr. Premier had discussions in Ottawa which didn’t go very well — if we can ask the circumstances around those discussions there.

Just in terms of impact upon how much of a building can a program like this work….. We’ve got an $8 million building being built in Fort Simpson and approximate $80,000 in arts and crafts to stimulate the region and the whole North. Yes, there’s a cost, but the benefits outweigh the cost in this instance. I’d like the assurance of the Minister that he’ll analyze that as well — not only the cost aspects but the benefits aspects.

I'd like to follow up on my Member’s statement and ask the Minister of Public Works and Services — perhaps the Premier would care to answer as well — a question with respect to our arts enhancement policy. I would like to know where this government stands with respect to that policy. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, the last government passed a motion and it was accepted by the House. I would like to know where the government stands on this issue today. Mahsi.

[English translation not provided.]

During the 15th Assembly I introduced a motion requesting the government to establish a policy that would spend up to 1 per cent of the budget on each G.N.W.T. building or major renovation on Northern arts creations displayed or integrated into the design of that building.

This motion passed, supported by the government of the day. Premier Handley at that time promised an arts enhancement policy that was supposedly already in the works at that time.

I approached the Minister of Public Works and Services about the government’s plans to include arts and crafts...

I’d like to know if the government or the Public Works department is going to look at any art purchases for this new building that’s going up in Fort Simpson.