Norman Yakeleya

I’ve seen some notices up in the communities where they have a big poster saying that they’re going to implement the new rent scale. I want to ask the Minister, prior to making changes or looking at the changes or implementing some of the changes of the people in the Sahtu, the seniors who are living in these public housing units, prior to this, maybe six, seven, eight, nine months ago, has the Housing Corporation talked to these seniors who are in these units, saying that in the future we’re thinking about or we’re going to charge you rent? Does the Minister have a record of this in the five...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a short question here. The Aboriginal Court Challenges, has that been a good uptake? Are we getting a good uptake on that program? If not, why? Is it because it’s too difficult or there are too many roadblocks in place? I know there are some people who were really interested in it but they said it was just difficult obtaining that kind of funding. I’m not too sure if that’s true or not.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Earlier this year the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation announced changes to the public housing rental scales for July 1st. The changes include charging rent to seniors who do not pay rent now unless they have younger adults living with them. The new rent scale will start at about $75 a month, which many elders will be asked to pay. This may not sound like a lot of money to some people, but the cost of groceries and other necessities are very high in the small communities, especially in the Sahtu and further north. Our elders are on fixed incomes...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My comments are similar to some of my colleagues who have spoken, so I won’t stay too long on them.

Mr. Chair, the Minister’s department, one of the main objectives, I believe, is to protect the consumers in our communities. I was back in Tulita and it was very disturbing to me to do business in the Northern Store and they us their LINK card in the Northern Store. If you don’t really know the complexity of the LINK card and English is your second language – and these older people just use the LINK card to get in and out of the store or check their account – the Northern...

I’ll look forward to the application process coming out and notifying the communities in the Sahtu that they can apply for this and where to go.

Another issue I think over time the Minister has informed me of his community of Inuvik, there’s a project – I stand to be corrected – where people work off their arrears. I’m not sure if that’s something that’s a general standard or is that something that they’ll give to the LHOs. There’s some people who have a hard time paying cash, but they can actually work off the arrears, either clean up around their yard or do something that will bring the value...

I certainly appreciate the Minister’s comments to look at the district office and to look at where the technical advisors could actually stay a little longer. They are making improvements. I made this point here because when I was in Deline, I talked to some of the people there, and basically one of the persons that I talked to actually had to tell the technical person – the techie they call him – to stay and come to my office because I need to talk to you and not to go back to Norman Wells. That’s the only way I got the attention of the techie.

We need to do something with the attitude of the...

Madam Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 7, 2012, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation delay implementation of the proposed changes to the seniors public housing rent scales until the corporation conducts a thorough and transparent consultation process with seniors across the Northwest Territories;

And further, that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation develop and bring forward to the Standing Committee on...

The diabetes issue is dangerous. It’s coming. We can feel it in the Sahtu. Eight years ago we had very few people with diabetes. Now we have higher numbers each year. It’s affecting our children in the schools. I know the Education department is doing some work. I want to ask the Minister in terms of the education awareness what his department is doing with diabetes in the Sahtu and other communities in the Northwest Territories. People are also realizing this issue of diabetes is going to be a dangerous one if we don’t take care of it.

The Minister is correct on this issue. I’m just glad the Minister is well aware of the issue. He knows it’s out there, he knows it’s going to cost some money to get this issue here. However, I’d like to ask the Minister that when you look at this, you are serving Aboriginal people. We have rights, we have everything in there that needs to be honoured and be respected, and if our people can’t have that type of service by this government, then somewhere we’re failing to uphold those rights and to strengthen and protect those rights. So we are actually not living up to our obligations as a...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, in the Sahtu there seems to be an increase of diabetes, of people who have this sickness. I want to ask the Minister if his department knows of this and do they have some kind of action plan to look at the increase of diabetes in people of the Sahtu.