Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a song sung by Johnny Cash. It goes “I walk the Line.” I believe today the people in the Sahtu are also walking the line. The Minister of ITI has clearly said no fracking, no development. That’s a clear indication not to frack, not to develop, but can we have it both ways? That is the question.

Many people are divided over the issue of hydraulic fracking. Some people think the social and environmental risks outweigh the benefits. Others believe that the benefits of development and continued oil and gas resources outweigh the risks. People need to decide.

The...

Mr. Chair, I look forward to the Minister’s provision on the piece of work that we just finished talking about.

I have one final question. When they’re done with the community consultation on addictions that, yes, people went out to the different regions and communities, does the Minister and his department look at, from those consultations and recommendations, something that he would have in place and plan with his department to implement some recommendations or direction from Paul Andrew and his people coming back to us and report this is what the people are saying? Nats’ejee K’eh’s on-the...

Thank you for the clarification, Deputy Minister. That is my point here. When? Because the Minister and I toured the Sahtu and people were quite excited about having this child and family committee set up, and we’re finding that that’s not the case today. Is there anything in the plans that we’re going to rectify this issue and continue on with some of the great things that the previous government heard about apprehension of children and how the community can be involved in removing those barriers? Can I ask the Minister as to when this is to be expected? Maybe we have to go back in the Sahtu...

Madam Chair, with the support of the committee, this motion is on the floor to talk about the funding that is needed for our youth. There is a high population of youth in our community, and education around addiction and prevention programs needs to be fully supported and recognized for the amount of issues that the young people are dealing with and the harmful effects, the community effects, the impact of addiction and prevention programs that have taken our young population, and that this motion comes from the committee to see the priority in our funding of these types of programs...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Members. Just in closing, some of the oral history in the 1920s when the people, the Blondin family had the oil and they were burning it and it was flaring up. They knew it was something special but they didn’t know the value of this product called oil.

Today we’ve come a long way. We have the ability and adaptation to learn and move. It takes years to become a journeyman through training and apprenticeship, and that’s why we asked to start the training program, to start looking at things that take years. You want to be a worker on the pipeline or that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS there are over $630 million in financial commitments attached to existing oil and gas exploration leases in the Canol shale formation;

AND WHEREAS oil and gas exploration activity has increased significantly in the Sahtu over the past two winter work seasons, and there are strong indications not only that exploration activity will continue to increase, but that a long-term production field employing hundreds and possibly thousands of workers will become a reality;

AND WHEREAS all levels of government stand to benefit from increased resource development in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this project in this work in the Sahtu, ITI has taken the lead on oil and gas development and is coordinating with all the other departments. ITI is the boss here. I want to ask ITI, is he working with the other departments, with the Sahtu leadership, with the Aboriginal leadership to create the economic Oil and Gas Strategy for the Sahtu? Because this is a great potential that the oil companies are telling us that they have encouraging results that would make it one of the most powerful economic drivers in Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the process of the application for fracking does go through in the Sahtu possibly next month, possibly this summer, do we have enough protection for the people of the Northwest Territories, protection for the people in the Sahtu region that we could withstand the test of the application saying yes, we have the baseline information? Can the Minister assure me we have the baseline information on the animals, the water, the air, the things that need to be to ensure our lifestyle will remain intact, even if we go ahead with the fracking?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of ENR regarding the fracking technology that will possibly be used in the Sahtu. I want to ask the Minister regarding this technology what the Environment and Natural Resources baseline data information he’s using to measure the impacts and quality of land, air, water, animals. What type of information does he have to look at the types of impacts that fracking could cause in our region?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is said water is life and life is water. Hydraulic fracking will be a big issue for the Northwest Territories now. During the review of the Department of Natural Resources’ budget, some of the Members of this side of the House shared some concerns about fracking because of the oil and gas development in the Sahtu, and that it’s putting pressure on the Government of the Northwest Territories, federal regulatory and Aboriginal organizations to make decisions about the use of this technology.

Fracking would make us wealthy, but at what cost? The process involves blasting...