Michael Nadli

The Minister has stated that there is lots happening in terms of dealing with the crisis that we are facing in the NWT. One reality that we are facing is that, within the period of a year, we will likely see the legalization of marijuana. Perhaps that could precipitate statistically more people using marijuana and perhaps enhancing the problems that we already have. With this government, at that point, I would seriously consider the idea of a treatment centre for the North.

I would like to at least acknowledge the efforts of the department in terms of ensuring that we take steps to ensure that, indeed, our languages are preserved and enhanced. There is a lot of good work that is going on, and I think that has to reach the ground level, at the community level.

My other question is, this is a four-year funding announcement. I think last year, it was part of a transfer of dollars, so one year of a full four-year program has passed. I wanted to ask the Minister: at the end of this funding period that has been committed $19.6 million, at the end of the process which...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, in light of the federal government's announcement in terms of funding Aboriginal languages for the Northwest Territories. First, of course, we have the federal government making the announcement of four-year funding. The GNWT is involved with Aboriginal governments, as well, so I wanted to ask the Minister: how could these three partnership arrangements ensure that there is a strong community involvement with the preservation, enhancement, and revitalization of ongoing efforts to ensure that our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister had stated very clearly that there will be a position of a linguist established, and that is very good. One thing that I have observed over the years is we have made a lot of great effort in terms of preserving the stories of elders. A lot of them more likely are archived with the various Aboriginal groups and communities. Would part of the strategy consider establishing, perhaps, a central bank? A lot of those interviews of elders who have passed could be safely kept. At the same time, maybe they are in analog form. They could be digitized for...

In the residential school experience, there was no place for Aboriginal languages or culture. Some might say that the pride and personal responsibility that a person takes to take ownership of our Aboriginal languages is not there. How does the GNWT envision that healing and wellness can play a part in preserving and enhancing our Aboriginal languages?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Last week, a Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic, Michael McLeod, on behalf of Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage of the federal government, announced $19.6 million in funding for the next three years for Aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, the role that the government plays in providing resources is good. What is more important is being able to assist in ensuring that all levels of government and Aboriginal groups work together and make use of the funding...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has a special relationship with Canada's Indigenous peoples, which carries with it certain responsibilities and obligations. This fiduciary relationship is complex and evolving in law, even as we speak. Simply put, a fiduciary is a person or agency required by law to place another person's interest ahead of their own. A "fiduciary relationship" is one in which someone in a position of trust has rights and powers they are obligated to exercise for the benefit of another.

Canada's Indigenous peoples have always held a unique legal and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, often we are asked this question. I will field this question to the Minister, as we were often asked, you know, ask the Minister on behalf of our constituents that live in public housing, whether it’s in Kakisa or the 33 other communities that we have in the NWT. What will she do about it? This, of course, referenced the need for after-hours service. Mahsi.

Members in the Housing Corporation have often talked about training and employing local community-based skill workers to deal with day-to-day repairs and maintenance of public housing stock. What is the department currently doing to make this a reality in every community with public housing?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first, I'd like to welcome my colleagues back to the House and acknowledge my constituents, whether they're watching from home, listening on the radio, or sitting in the gallery.

Now, Mr. Speaker this is a short sitting, but there's a lot of work to do, so I'll get down to business. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation operates more than 2,400 public housing units in 30 communities. With our small population, think about just how many families those units serve.

Now, when you're in market housing, it might seem that something always goes wrong on Sundays or...