Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In my riding there's at least two communities that have a highway maintenance camp and there's been a pullback of resources from the communities. I just wanted to get an understanding in terms of the scope of regionalization effort whether this is temporary or this is reposition of resources so that at least you have key personnel on the ground serving smaller communities from regions. So could the Minister provide an explanation in terms of the scope of regionalization of the highways and operations? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask the Minister if he could maybe provide an explanation in terms of I think it's been lately about three years since the bridge came into operation, and it's now, you know, the effect is that we have 24-hour traffic up and down the Mackenzie Highway that travels north and south. So I wanted to get an understanding of whether that has had a negative impact in terms of the resources of RCMP officers and detachments, either in Yellowknife, Behchoko, Fort Providence and Hay River, and whether there are designated resources for highway patrols plus at the...

Mr. Speaker, I don't know if the Minister is familiar with the Yukon Gold, but it's a customized-- or basically a tailored potato that was seeded in part of the Yukon. I'm kind of looking forward to maybe coming up with a unique northern spud.

---Laughter

I think the Minister outlined in general that no applications have been received in terms of providing assistance for community members at the local level. Can he explain how can residents and communities access funding for greenhouse projects and other local initiatives under the Northern Food Development Program?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Escort support of pregnant women is limited. I have had several constituents come to Yellowknife to have their baby, and not one of them had their spouse there to help them. It’s not because they did not want to; it’s because we do not have the support in place for fathers during the delivery of their children. Mr. Speaker, it is a very special moment in the lives of families when a woman delivers a baby. I think we can all agree that we try to make it as comfortable as we can as an experience, in that special moment when a child is born. Mr. Speaker, this government has...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the deputy for giving me that reply. What are the rules of elders and land-based programs then? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the deputy explain whether that initiative could be focused on specifically individuals that are being reintegrated, or is there an effort to look at perhaps people that are going back into the community and working with their families? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister has stated that, in terms of evaluating the merits of continuing the New Day program, there could be an effort to redesign the program. Could the Minister explain: if indeed it goes down the path of redesigning the program, to continue, would it have a local community or else a territorial focus? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t hear a commitment from the Minister. Will he commit once again to support the review of medical travel at the same time with the view of support and follows to be involved and besides their spouses, during the moment of delivery of their children? Yes or no? Masi.

I thank the Minister for acknowledging that. Our challenge with supporting family, yet from small communities, pregnant women have to be brought here for their own safety and wellbeing at Yellowknife, and they stay here for extended periods of time, and they’re separated from their children. Can the Minister explain, how does the department support fathers to ensure that they could be with their spouses during the special moment at delivery?