Michael Nadli

The community that I represent, Kakisa, I think the recent effort in 2012 was participating with ENR to develop at least a baseline to prepare for the eventuality that a fireguard will be established.

How often are community wildfire protection plans reviewed and updated? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Forest fires pose a threat to many communities in the NWT. Every year millions of taxpayers’ dollars go to fire management efforts, from public education and prevention, to staff training, to air tankers and firefighting crews.

Last summer forest fires destroyed many hectares of forest in the Deh Cho region, demanding significant public resources to manage.

The community of Kakisa is at high risk of damage due to forest fires. This small hamlet, in the dense forest of the southern NWT, could be destroyed within a few hours, if not minutes, given the right conditions. Kakisa...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The comments that I wanted to make are surrounding the recent and very public cases involving harvesting of either wood or else some caribou. This goes to the heart of treaty rights and Aboriginal title. I understand there is a process to the courts and we have to respect the due process; however, I want to find out, in terms of the Department of Justice dealing with treaty rights and Aboriginal title, with the understanding of governments with the way that they are usually structured is that there is a divide between the judiciary plus the executive, and at the same...

Is the Minister aware of any actions taken by the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nations in response to recommendations made in the Community Protection Plan? Mahsi.

I’d like to thank the Minister for what’s in that outcome in terms of furthering my understanding of the process.

There has been some discussion of streamlining. It’s fairly obvious that the department is internally assessing its resources. At what point would there be a formal decision in terms of amalgamating boards? As you’ve indicated, departments and divisions, or divisions mainly are, or district offices are mainly working in silos and there needs to be linkages.

At what point would there be a formal decision point that the department will be undertaking to look at moving towards...

I’d like to thank the Minister for clarifying that. I know there has been some discussions or perhaps overtures in trying to at least come to the point where we recognize we are fiscally challenged in meeting the objectives of providing quality care and programs and services to the citizens of the NWT. Has there been an assessment or cost analysis in terms of savings having been done?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to remind everyone again this year that February is Heart Month, an opportunity for all Canadians to learn about the risk of heart disease and stroke and for the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation to raise funds for life-giving research.

Heart disease describes many heart conditions. Coronary artery disease is the most common of these and occurs when blood vessels in your heart become blocked, preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching your heart. It can cause chest pains or even a heart attack.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. This can...

Initially my intent of asking questions is to seek some clarity. Again, if this streamlining effort is in the spirit of amalgamating, which the Minister says it’s not, then are we in fact in an exercise of centralizing the health authorities?

In that process of streamlining, I think you’ve outlined the scope and parameters of the efforts and activities associated with that. Have there been perhaps some figures that have been determined on some fiscal strategies to ensure, indeed, there are enough revenues to address the expenditures of delivering programs and services? Mahsi.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Minister has publicly stated some signals in terms of the movement of the regional boards and how they fit within the organization of the Department of Health and Social Services. I just want to clarify whether indeed his comments were in the context of assessment mode where the department is undertaking or has there been a cost-analysis of cost-savings measures for downsizing regional boards. Thank you.