Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much. So I guess the main thing is to indicate to the leadership of Fort Simpson, the village, the band and the Metis Council there about their intent to engage them as they move forward with the planning study. I think that’s important. As well, I know there was some preliminary work done as well. I guess what’s important to the community is exactly where the new facility may or will be located. So a bird’s eye view, has the department had any overview of potential locations? Thanks.

Yes, okay, a further response, yes.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. We have an ambitious plan here for delivery into our small communities, and I just wanted to commend the Minister and the staff that working with the committee and trying to find an equal balance here. The biggest thing was about addressing devolution, or decentralization, getting jobs out to the community, and I think that the plan somewhat addresses that.

I don’t have too much to say specifically on the capital, but I’m more interested, if you’ll give me the leeway there, Mr. Chair, on the release of the latest housing needs survey and when that will be done.

A...

While the policy may be there, I don’t believe that it is being followed out, because in our Health department, which is also a stand-alone department, they involved Human Resources right throughout the selection committee and to the hiring committees as well. But there’s no such thing that happens with our education authorities. Human Resources is not involved, nor are they with the selection committee and our interview committee and I think that’s an issue and that’s what I’d like to see our education authorities do. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the difficulties of our Aboriginal teachers and new northern teachers in getting into our education authorities.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to advise me how is the current hiring process set up with our district education authorities. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. In the Minister’s previous response, he was talking about schools in small communities and I did a Member’s statement last week. Most particularly for Trout Lake, in the budget here, we have renovations to the Charles Tetcho building. I have consistently made the case that is a community hall that was shared with the school. It looks like the renovations are to make more space for the schooling needs. Sorry, Trout Lake is one of the communities in the North that has a growing population, most particularly from zero to 10 years old, so they definitely need more...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. It continues to be a rough ride down Highway No. 7. Kilometres 0 to 20 were scheduled to be chipsealed this summer, and the contract went out to a southern company. The Department of Transportation told me it had done its due diligence and assured me that Fort Liard and other Northerners would still receive some benefit, even though this contract went south.

In order to secure the contract, the BC company provided certain assurances as to their intention to use services from two northern companies out of Fort Liard. My constituents inform me that this did not occur at...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the Minister and staff for that answer. I think it’s important for me to hear that definitely it’s not meant to be a long-term solution. As you do the planning study, I think a few things are important to engage the community, to engage the chief and band council and let them know that. Chief Dolphus Jumbo has told me, he says, Kevin, I’ve seen this before. They’ll come and do temporary, but it will end up permanent. I don’t want to lose that stand-alone school that we’ve been working so hard to get. I think that’s important.

I don’t know if part of...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m very happy to recognize my partner, Lucyanne Kendo, in the gallery this week, and also my stepdaughter, Brittany Jewel, who’s showing off her haircut to the whole of the Northwest Territories today. Welcome.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. News media in Canada and the world are talking about the decline in gasoline prices. The reason is because of the international glut of oil, which is causing the decline of global oil prices. The southern media reports that in New Brunswick a gas pump buyer said it’s just like winning the lottery, he was so happy gassing up.

The average price of gas across Canada has declined about 23 cents since the end of June. The decline is forecasted to continue well into Christmas, giving people an early Christmas present, so to speak. But closer to home in our small and remote...