Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was asking the Minister that we do have existing roads that do need improvement and I’d like to ask the Minister, are we developing a territorial strategy? I just want to point out as well there, Mr. Speaker, if you allow me, that the Minister is talking about new highways and building new roads, but that’s the mandate of the federal government. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just would like to follow up to questions on my Member’s statement to the Minister of Transportation, just with respect to, and also support, the Member from Mackenzie Delta’s idea of pursuing a territorial highway strategy which includes chipsealing of all our highways. I just would like to ask the Minister what exists in our current strategy. Does it include a movement towards chipsealing of all our territorial highways? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be speaking on transportation as well here today. I would like to talk about the beauty of the Deh Cho and the great opportunity that we have with the Deh Cho Tribal Connection. I am talking about the Deh Cho trail and portions of Highways No. 1 and 7 that make a perfectly round trip on the lower NWT for tourists coming from Alberta passing through Hay River, through several smaller Deh Cho communities providing a connection to Fort Simpson before winding down beside the Liard River and Fort Liard to British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, this portion of our public...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment with respect to the large Deh Cho Hall building in Fort Simpson that’s going to be shut down sometime next year. I know that the government is fully engaged in their own transition planning, but I’d like to ask the Minister if he’s willing to look at assisting the non-government organizations in doing transition planning, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was just trying to get at that as there is definitely a need. They have not only relocated to Yellowknife but to Hay River as well. I would just like to get assurance once again that it’s not being moved off the capital plan. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. During the last Assembly, I did lots of work on behalf of constituents in Fort Simpson getting a dialysis machine and dialysis located to Fort Simpson. I think it was in the plan for 2008. I would just like to ask where is it in the capital plan at this date.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps the next question, I know I thought I saw it in the newspaper, but how many incidents in our northern territory of the use of taser was recorded? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the government is open to discussion. What I’m asking for is to send someone to help begin those discussions and if the Minister can do that. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know if it was because it was an election year or anything like that, but the non-government organizations have been left out in the cold and they’re going to be faced with being left out in the cold there, Mr. Speaker, if the government doesn’t jump in and assist them with some transition planning. I would like a commitment from the Minister if they will re-engage the community and the non-government organizations in these discussions. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, for decades the Deh Cho Hall has been a central gathering place for the community of Fort Simpson. Not only has it housed government offices, but it is home to a library, a family resource centre, and many other non-governmental organizations serving the whole community.

Over the last few years, the government has wavered back and forth on whether to renovate and upgrade the aging building or to find new spaces for its offices. This see-sawing back and forth has left the NGOs who share the Deh Cho Hall in a state of uncertainty and unable to make...