Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Speaker, while I was at the Sahtu Dene Council annual general meeting, people were asking me. We need to have some solid programs on the land in the Sahtu. Because of the increase of the alcohol in the Sahtu and the lifting of the Norman Wells liquor store to unrestricted sales, I have been personally told that people are buying more than they’re allowed to once they come into our communities.

Because the Nats’ejee K’eh is at a 40 percent occupancy rate, we have some money. Can the Minister look at that budget and say we are going to shift some of that money to help our people elsewhere...

Mr. Chair, I look forward to the information from the Minister. In 2011-12 the Territorial Liquor Commission had sales about $46.3 million. Gross sales increased over the previous year by 1.6 percent. In regard to the Liquor Commission, there are goals and objectives. One of them is to educate people on responsible alcohol use and not abusing it. Can the Minister briefly tell me what type of promotional programs they have out there to support their goals and initiatives under this Liquor Commission?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the research I’ve been given in regard to the alcohol that’s been increasing in the Sahtu, I want to just ask the Minister of Health and Social Services. In Norman Wells, the percentage of alcohol-related calls for service – and this is by the Department of Justice – in 2009 was 23 percent; in 2012 it was 52 percent. In Tulita it was 20 percent in 2009; 2012, it was 47 percent.

You see the increase of alcohol because of a number of factors. I think, myself, we believe that the Norman Wells liquor store has lifted the unrestricted sales of liquor there. I want to ask...

Thank you, Mr. Premier, for clarifying that. I probably got mixed up between some of the issues. I just think that because we’re on the brink of forming a government-to-government relationship that some prudence would be given to some of the self-government organizations and self-governments. Maybe that’s something we have to talk about on a larger scale as to education, health, and having summer students or interns that are finished with degrees and could be of assistance to us as to our community or government. We can carry that on some other time. I just wanted to get a sense of where the...

Has the Minister had some type of an idea as to when we would know for sure that this project is going to begin some actual groundwork in that area?

We’ll just have to wait for that appeal decision to go through the process and see what comes out of it. I will leave it up to the good judges to decide on that on there. I’m not going to get too far on that one here. Certainly I know that we’ve been very fortunate with the Metis health benefits. I know when my mother was alive she was certainly happy to have these health benefits because it really helped her out a lot there. Of course, with the Sahtu Dene and Metis land claims we have hunting rights. I come from the same people. My grandfather was a true-blooded Dene and those are the rights...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I’m looking at two sections. The first one is the Inuvik-Tuk road and, of course, the other one the Minister and I personally had experience on from Fort Good Hope to Fort Simpson.

My question is directed to the Minister of Transportation. If the project is approved by both governments, do you think that we’ll be able to get the people in the region working right away? We want to see some action.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two questions to the Premier regarding the intergovernmental affairs relationships engaging with the Metis groups in the North. My first question is: What is the GNWT’s policy or position when it comes to engaging with Metis groups and how long ago was that established?

Completing the highway and connecting Canada from coast to coast to coast will be a big boost to all Canadians in establishing a year-round transportation link to our Arctic coastline. It will also be a major step to protect our Canadian sovereignty. We think it will lead to further investments in other regions such as the Sahtu.

I am very pleased to be able to support this project. Truly, we stand here and say the North was built by Northerners and will continue to be built by our own people in the future. We have a dream.

I was notified, just saying that the bands were going to be, right across Canada get 10 percent. I didn’t really get into it until I got to Tulita and sat down with the chiefs and they started talking about some of the information, so I’m glad the Premier would be open to some discussion, if it does happen, with the chiefs and the councils and looking at the impacts of this funding that will be taking place here. It’s preliminary right now, just having an early discussion, and we’re not getting our feet dirty and our hands dirty on this issue here. I’m looking forward to the GNWT’s support to...