Michael Nadli

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This government's mandate calls for expanded post-secondary education for our students and to act on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Right in the mandate, it is stated that 83 per cent of our people with post-secondary education have a job.

Despite pressure from standing committees, Regular Members, and the public, we have seen course offerings from Aurora College cut, not expanded, even in areas where future demand will be high.

Neither have we seen expansion of post-secondary opportunities at other institutions. There is still no practical...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to speak on my biological mother, the Late Monique Sabourin of Fort Providence, in honour of International Women's Day.

Monique Sabourin (nee Lefoin) was an elder featured in the book Nahecho Keh, which was written in the 1980s. Here are her words of experiences: [English translation not provided].

Mr. Speaker, my mother had TB, and I was born at the Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton. I was adopted to another family as a child. I was blessed to have had the experience of having two sets of parents in my life. I want to thank my biological mother, the late...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of Infrastructure. Just in a couple of days, thousands of people will be in Hay River, and a lot of them will be travelling to the Hay River Reserve, via the smooth and cool natural ice road, but of course, right now, spring is coming. People will be converging in Hay River. The whole world will be watching. No pressure to the Minister, but what is the status of plans to repair and resurface the access road to the K'atlodeeche First Nations community at Hay River? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for clarifying a few things. My last question is: what steps has the Minister or his department taken to resolve this matter with the Government of Canada and their obligations to the K'atlodeeche First Nations? Mahsi.

One role that I understand that the Minister takes quite seriously is public safety. My next question is: what is the Department of Infrastructure's assessment of the safety of the Hay River Reserve access road?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dare I say it, Mr. Speaker? It seems that spring is coming to our land. The sun is back, and we will soon see melt water at the ends of the ice crossing between the town of Hay River and the reserve. The people of the K'atlodeeche First Nation love the spring, but the closing of the ice crossing over the Hay River is very inconvenient for them. Unfortunately, people will soon be dodging the pockmarks and potholes that riddle the chip seal of the all-season access road linking the reserve to the highway and into Hay River. Last fall, the access road was at its worst...

Just recently, the Minister had indicated that there were some funding commitments from the federal government in terms of the transportation corridor. I want to understand: what barriers, if any, stand in the way of getting this work done?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister of Lands. Will the Minister come to Deh Cho communities to speak with our elders and leaders to explain his position on this and what is he doing about it? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, you know, despite the modest decrease in terms of the rates, the bills are still piling up for elders and has put them in a very stressful situation. What will the Minister do to remedy this injustice?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We live in a strange world. There are many aspects of our lives that are simply not fair, but I'd like to think our government is ending any unfairness it is responsible for. This is especially important where our elders are being treated unfairly, as they are when they have to pay to lease for our government's Commissioner's lands.

Dene people used to live on the land in small villages along the Deh Cho or inland lakes where the hunting and fishing was good. When residential schools were built, the federal government and RCMP forced children to go to school in the...