Norman Yakeleya

There is great potential for the Sahtu in the Northwest Territories. We need to act wisely and make the best use of our time now. We have a chance to strike a balance and get things done now. In the words of Johnny Cash again, when he’s saying I walk the line, I also keep my eyes open all the time.

Just before we leave the community services, the Minister may be aware of the increase of oil and gas activities and the justice stats. They have been increasing. Clearly, that is going to happen.

I want to ask the Minister what type of response he is going to plan for the Sahtu in terms of the alcohol use, possibly family violence, that show the Minister the increase in the crime stats related to alcohol. It’s going up in all the five communities. I want to know how we are going to support our health centres, our nurses. We do need additional staff, as the other Ministers have identified...

That gives me some hope that we’re working towards some of the wishes of the community. I want to ask the Minister, in regard to the Sahtu, because I know some of the communities were quite keen, and I’m not too sure if they’re going to get stung once, and I don’t know if they want to get stung twice. Those are…(inaudible)…in those communities, because that’s what we told them when we went there and now they’re kind of figuring out if we should really trust the government on this issue here. I’m going to ask the Minister to, again, put together this piece of work that would see the Child and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to follow up on Mr. Bromley’s questions on the child and family services committee and the response back from the committee’s recommendations on social programs from Minister Miltenberger, they talked about the communities wishing to play a role in the Child and Family Services Act. However, the current structure of the committee doesn’t support that. Is that still the case today, in regard to removing this barrier, so that communities can set up their child and family services committees? I know that was a really good initiative when the Minister and I went in there...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a motion. I move that this committee strongly recommends the government take immediate action to supplement funding that is currently identified for youth addiction education and prevention programs. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to say a few words on this motion here. I thank the honourable Member for Nahendeh for seconding it and Members for allowing me to feed it through the P and P and to bring it to the floor where it is today.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been hearing from different Members and different Ministers on the Sahtu recent oil and gas exploration activity that’s going on up there. Norman Wells is the oldest oil-producing wells in Canada. It started in 1920 or 1921. In 1943 the Canol pipeline was built right from Norman Wells into the Yukon Territory in regard to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, February 28, 2013, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 28, 2013, it shall be adjourned until Monday, March 4, 2013;

And further, that any time prior to March 4, 2013, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and...

In the Sahtu exploration readiness session, a lot of good things were talked about. One of the things that concerned me is there was no lead identified during the readiness session to work on the addictions and mental health issues. I want to know how ITI is addressing that within the Government of the Northwest Territories. We have a plan in place with Sahtu, we just don’t have the money.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about a song that Johnny Cash sang, called I Walk the Line. I want to ask the Minister of ITI, in light of the oil and gas exploration in the Sahtu, and I also talked about the people in the Sahtu walking the line. We are at the brink of having both development and protection of the area in the Sahtu. I understand the Minister is going to meet with the Aboriginal leaders who are involved in the Bakken shale play in April. I want to ask the Minister how he is going to bring this report back to us and report on it on how Aboriginal people...

Fair enough, Mr. Chair. The Minister laid out a reasonable process and path to argue for additional staff. He has to go to the Cabinet and the Financial Management Board. You have to justify.

I believe some information that the Minister has on the criminal activity with justice, I’m not too sure how that closely relates to the health centres or medical service or social services types of work. We need some kind of baseline, I guess. I would again encourage the Minister to keep in contact.

I am going to go back into the Sahtu and I will hear people on the streets talking about it. I may even...