Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the responsibility for communications in the Northwest Territories falls under a separate department. That is Public Works. However, we have, as the Department of Transportation and Municipal and Community Affairs, had some discussions with some communication companies to talk about a number of things; first of all, the possibility of looking at cell phones or cell service in the Northwest Territories, to talk about what other jurisdictions are doing to bring cell phone services to some of the remote areas. We have also talked about temporary cell phone...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of buffalo on our highways, Highway No. 3 and especially on Highway No. 7, has been something that we have been trying to deal with for some time now. We have been talking to ENR on a number of occasions to see what we can do to enhance the issue of having buffalo on the road, especially at night, to take all the precautions, to drive slower, to use your headlights in the evenings, and those things. As to whether or not we could incorporate a signal where when we are passing vehicles, that is something we would have to take a look at. That is...

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on October 20, 2005, regarding the Food Mail Program pilot project.

In order to reduce the cost of nutritious food and promote healthy eating, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, INAC, with funding from Health Canada carried out a series of Food Mail Program pilot projects in three isolated northern communities: Fort Severn, Ontario; Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik; and Kugaaruk, Nunavut. The GNWT did not participate.

The pilot projects will be reviewed in the near future to evaluate the impact of reducing the cost of priority...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize three well-known and respected northerners who are recent recipients of the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. It is said, Mr. Speaker, that laughter is the best medicine, and with that being the case then George Tuccaro has been curing many people across the NWT for years.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I look behind me and I see all these students from the school here in Yellowknife, and some day they'll be applying for SFA when they go to college. I'm sure people here wouldn't want to have their decisions made from an office in Inuvik or Fort Smith. So I would like to ask the Minister of Education, why are there no regional offices in the NWT with the authority to make decisions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we have spent a lot of time looking at the different ways we can have the service back in operation, and the time frames around it. Early next week, Monday or Tuesday, is probably the earliest we're going to be able to get the service back in operation, if we can get it back in operation. That's all I can commit to at this point, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak on the administration of the Student Financial Assistance program. Although I believe that the SFA in the NWT is one of, if not the best in Canada, there are still some problems with the administration of the program. Inuvik, Hay River, Norman Wells and Fort Smith are some of the larger regional centres in the NWT outside of Yellowknife, yet there are no offices in these communities that have decision-making authority. Everything has to go through an office in Yellowknife that is far removed from the regions.

Mr. Speaker, just...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister spoke of dedicated staff across the Northwest Territories. I'm sure there are not dedicated staff or positions here in Yellowknife that could move across the Northwest Territories. So my final question to the Minister, with this particular constituent that I'm dealing with, the Minister says we can't overrule the decision. So will he look into this constituent's concern and make a good business decision, or is this a final decision? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister talks about regulations. I'm sure these regulations aren't written in stone, and I'm sure we do have the authority, or I'd like to know if the Minister has the authority to overrule some of these decisions, based on facts, not on regulations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is our concern, also. We had some of our people, our staff, go onto the boat last night, and we are taking the steps to ensure that this vessel is safe. It is an asset that is owned by the government, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that it's safe and the security is there. Thank you.