Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to continue with my questioning on this superbug infection rate that arises in the Northwest Territories. I want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services what is he doing with his other Ministers to work on this in a comprehensive manner, Housing, MACA, Health, Education. What is the Minister doing to put together comprehensive information, preventative measures to deal with this situation? Mostly infants are affected. What is the Minister doing with his other colleagues to deal with this dangerous, infectious superbug?

The Minister hit it right on the head: We have a huge problem in our communities with overcrowding and the housing that we have, the quality of housing that we have and the little amount of water that we can receive during the week because of the amount of funding that goes into support. What is his department doing to work with the Minister of Housing or this government to look at the conditions of the housing, the overcrowding? People are moving into their family’s dwelling. It’s really just an infestation ground to continue with this superbug, and it’s going to be awhile if we’re going to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister. Through this whole issue here, I think we worked out a pretty good path as to how we want to resolve this issue. Between now and when we have some of the discussions, can the Minister ask his colleagues to look at some of their own numbers in regard to if the health centre is getting more calls than ever because of out-of-control drinking in our communities, or the justice is seeing more people in courts or jail because of out-of-control drinking? I want to know if the Minister can provide some of that information when we have our next meeting.

The Minister outlined a pretty clear path as to what transpired between now and what’s happening right now today. I thank the Minister for that. Norman Wells last year made $2.5 million in liquor sales. Inuvik made $7.4 million. I expect to see Norman Wells reach up to $5 million this year. Hopefully, by the fall time we will have some type of decision as to how we go about looking at this issue here and help people in the surrounding communities.

I have a motion from the communities in the Sahtu to say we need to make changes to the Norman Wells liquor store. I want to ask the Minister if that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe we should all go to Ottawa and tell the federal government some of the issues here that are important here to us in the small communities.

Can the Minister tell me if, once he’s made some contact with our MP or the officials or the Minister in Ottawa, that he can inform the people through the chief and council in Fort Good Hope that this issue has been looked after once and for all?

The elders in Fort Good Hope are going through this a second time. There’s a glitch in the federal government’s system and I’m glad the Minister is on top of this issue. I want to ask the Minister if he’s working with his colleagues for this situation where some of the elders do not have the money to pay for some of their bills that the territorial government has issued, the power bill or some other bills, the housing bills. So is the Minister helping our elders in Fort Good Hope with the bills that are being poured on them by this government?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulation Ms. Phebie Kenny of Deline, along with her team at the NWT Housing Corporation, on receiving the Premier’s Collaboration Award today. On behalf of the Sahtu region, I would like to congratulate Ms. Kenny on her continuous efforts and contributions toward her community.

Ms. Kenny is known for her hard work and her constant teamwork. The community of Deline is fortunate to have such an exceptional individual. I encourage the Sahtu to continue much of the appreciated work with their communities and members.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a petition from Fort Good Hope opposing the GNWT charging rent to seniors in public senior housing; 106 signatures.

Mr. Speaker, when the agencies in our communities are telling me and us that enough is enough, we are getting tired of seeing the incidents, I want to ask the Minister, with the amount of development that possibly could happen in the Sahtu, part of our region is out-of-control drinking. That’s what’s happening right now, so we want to work on this issue here. Would the Minister work with his colleagues, departments of Justice, Health, Education, Housing, Economic, even the Premier, to see what are the impacts now you are seeing in the Sahtu? Go to our court dates here in the Sahtu and you will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to ask the Minister of Finance, since the lifting of the liquor sales in the Norman Wells liquor store, I’ve been receiving phone calls from the communities since February. Recently, I received phone calls in regard to the amount of alcohol that’s coming into the community, and the agencies, the RCMP and the nurses are very, very concerned now. I want to ask the Minister on this issue here, the people are waiting to see if there is some possibility of working to change the restriction of the Norman Wells liquor store, so that we can look at a regional concept...