Michael Nadli

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I recall about two decades ago, people from the Dehcho communities decided and wanted to establish health boards so that they could have more local control of their health services within the region. That was two decades ago.

When people go to the health centre, they're seeking help. Most of the time, they want help in terms of critical care that they might need in emergency situations, or simply, diagnosis of their conditions. My questions are to the Minister of Health and Social Services: how are patients' experiences with healthcare services being monitored for quality...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Everyone is pretty well aware that there's a new health hospital here in Yellowknife, and it's been an interest of elders to continue the diets, and one of them is country foods. My question is: what arrangements are being made to ensure that patients have a choice of country food, especially elderly patients? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My view of the legislation is that it has almost taken the form of provincial light powers and authority of lands and waters, and the jurisdiction, of course, of within the Canadian federation, but I also understand, you know, the region that I come from called the Deh Cho, have not ceded, surrendered, and extinguished, or asserted Aboriginal title, and there are still ongoing negotiations. Those treaties were bilateral in nature between First Nations and the Government of Canada or Canada back in 1921, and so that was a bilateral process from what I understand, and so a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think I have an understanding of the protected areas initiative, and having worked on it from a community perspective for some time, understanding the PAS, in some communities, believing the process, and committed that there was a positive outcome. My understanding of the process is that it used to be in my time, maybe it would be about 10 years ago, a seven-step process. About 10 years ago, some communities were trying to advance areas within their traditional lands. In the interim of a land claim settlement, they took the steps to involve both levels of government. It...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My first real job was doing mapping, doing traditional land use and occupancy mapping with elders and traditional harvesters and storytellers and people, my people, who basically made the land their home. Their land was basically their life.

I have, perhaps, a fairly good understanding of the PAS movement since its inception, how it was drafted out, how it was processed, and so I have observed some of the evolution of the whole initiative. In some ways, I have seen a lot of its failures, and I have seen some of its successes in some respects. At the same time, I think that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, too, wanted to commend the committee, but also at the same time the department that drafted and put forth this piece of legislation, which could be in some ways unprecedented since devolution gave responsibility of lands and water to the Tlicho Government from the federal government. I think this is a rather ground-breaking initiative in advancing, at least, the idea of environment and conservation initiatives that have been going on for some time. I think it brings the reality a step closer to realizing some key initiatives that have been long put forth by Indigenous...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in my questions, the Minister had stated that she has posed to the chairs of the various education authorities throughout the NWT in terms of addressing the attendance issue and who is responsible for it. My question is: can the Minister please advise of the department's plans to address the issues of low attendance with the proposed changes to our post-secondary landscape? Mahsi.

Some very good initiative in that. I actually ran out of space in terms of writing about seven key initiatives that the Minister has undertaken. There are some challenges. One of the challenges that we are well aware of is attendance rates in small communities. Can the Minister please tell us why attendance rates are not improving?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It is often said that children and youth make for a smart investment, and that the best way to effect change is by educating our young people.

Over the years, we've seen the Department of Education, Culture and Employment shift directions and invest more resources towards achieving better student outcomes. as evidenced by a school attendance advertising campaign, the Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practices initiative, junior kindergarten, more counsellors in schools, and. most recently, proposed legislation that could lead to the establishment of a polytechnic...

Can the Minister please tell us whether she will support a reduction of funding to schools where attendance and enrolment rates decline?