Michael Nadli

Madam Speaker, what is the position of the GNWT in terms of selecting areas for candidate areas for PAS initiatives at the local level? Mahsi.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. On behalf of the people in my region, I want to say welcome to Kakisa. Kakisa was founded in 1962 when the Slavey people living near Tathlina Lake moved closer to the Mackenzie Highway. It is now home to 54 NWT residents. Close to 80 percent of the residents can speak in their own Aboriginal language.

Kakisa is a progressive, independent mining community we can be proud of. People recognize that the community can become more self-sustaining much more easily than a city. Leaders have expressed an interest in alternative energy in the central heating system and are...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the Housing Corporation, just in the short time I’ve been here, are just trying to set up some signposts in terms of a quick evolution. I think last fall we heard it quite clear, the overwhelming concerns about people in terms of trying to aspire at the end of the day to maintain a living in communities and, at the same time, become homeowners in their own home community. As a result, it was an ongoing effort in terms of trying to remedy the rental system to make it fairly equitable so people in communities found it at least doable at the community level, and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the exercise on this budget is, the intention in the end of this process is to create a very conducive climate to ensure that we have a very invigorating economy, so that we create opportunities for that, at the pan-territorial level, at the same time right down to the community level. We’re trying to create a very good climate so economic development and investment could happen and so people at the local level have opportunities and take advantage of them.

One of the things that I’ve always emphasized is that in order for us to reach that point, this government...

Madam Speaker, is there a position at the GNWT in terms of ensuring that there is a balance between conservation and also economic initiatives? Does the GNWT have a policy on that? Mahsi.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. As you all know, the Protected Areas Strategy initiative is a collaborative effort from two levels of government, including the federal government and the GNWT, also along with NGOs, First Nations, and it has been an initiative that has been fairly successful throughout the Northwest Territories. It makes the effort to identify special ecological cultural futures of community initiatives and to try and set aside those lands for protection. Can the Minister give an update of the various PAS initiatives...

Thank you, Madam Chair. My question is not so much on a monetary matter but in terms of timber permits and licences. I think the Biomass Initiative is a fairly positive and forward initiative that complements local skills. I think one of the obstacles that some organizations have is access to lands and areas where there has been an effort to do an inventory and analysis in terms of the tree species and whether they are prime for harvesting. My question is: How is the department trying to mitigate access to forested areas in terms of trying to make biomass successful?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I speak in favour of the motion. Why? I think this motion is visionary and provides leadership. At the same time I think it creates options for what the public expects at this time. At this time in the North we’ve seen very dramatic rises in the cost of living, of course. As the economy improves, so does the cost of goods. Particularly energy costs. I think the public would expect this government would try to create some options and alternatives to the mainstream energy sources that we have at this point. In speaking to this motion I believe it’s visionary and provides...

I thank the Minister once again. Could the Minister distinguish for this House on the differences regarding the community comprehensive-based land claim versus comprehensive claims? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the status of the Hay River Reserve within the Northwest Territories. So my question is to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. What is this government’s role in the K’atlodeeche First Nation negotiations with the federal government? Mahsi.