Norman Yakeleya

Thank you. I look forward to it. I hope they have some digital. We can go on the land and experience that. I’m not too sure. I guess that they’ll adjust to it, so I felt all the time that we have a population in my region very strong Aboriginal. I felt that senior government people need to be immersed into our culture. I feel sometimes that we missed the boat and I found that, with this government here, with the Minister, we may be bridging some understanding amongst ourselves. I do want to say good luck. I do want to know where you’re going to pilot. I wouldn’t mind a time where we could find...

Mr. Speaker, I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

Mr. Speaker, the Drive Alive program has been a very successful program. It certainly shows in the records. Has this program had any type of appetite from the other provincial jurisdictions that look at the North in terms of leadership and safety on the road, trails and water? Have other governments looked at the North on the Drive Alive program to say this is one good program and we should also be using it on a national level?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions on the Buckle Up water prevention campaign. What types of initiatives has his department done to allow or to notify the communities of this campaign? Have there been radio ads or newspaper ads? How do the communities, other than what I am saying this afternoon in the House, possibly know that there is a challenge out there for all of the communities to take up this challenge and win some good prizes? What has the department done to communicate this to the communities in Dene, and French and English?

Thank you, it’s okay.

When we look at these types of programs, like I said I felt before in my statements, that the Sahtu didn’t really have a fair shake at this type of initiative. I felt that we missed out.

I was a little bit forceful in my language on our use of the diesel fuel. That’s a reliable source for us right now. I found that we need the government to be supportive. If you’re looking at the Norman Wells health centre and long-term care facility. Does Public Works and Services see that wood pellet would be a viable heating source of energy for any other large facility? If it is, then tell the people in the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome to this plan for the budget there. Minister and your staff, certainly, a couple points I want to make this afternoon and then we can go through the business plans in detail.

I do want to say that the challenges that this department has had to do with the diesel price increases that they seem to be dealing with. In the document it said that since 2007-08 that the diesel prices have increased by 57 percent. I look forward to the types of initiatives you will have to deal with this issue of the high cost of energy in our communities by implementing or initiating...

The Aboriginal cultural awareness training, I would hope the Minister would not bank 100 percent on the e-training. It’s easy to go there and click things and don’t really have a relationship. It’s all up here. You can say I know how to make fire because I learned it on e-training or how to do this and that. That is not what I hope I envision this government is going to do. I hope they would take half that training, 50 percent, and go out and do the experiential training, out on the land with the real McCoy and do the real thing. I hope that is there also, that they take the senior bureaucracy...

Mr. Chair, I want to ask the Minister on the Aboriginal cultural awareness training within his department. I know they are drafting a framework that will set up the GNWT’s desire to increase the Aboriginal cultural awareness and appreciate this in the workforce. Are you going to have it ready by this fall and where are you going to do the first pilot of this cultural training with our workforce?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the future, thinking forward and creating some territorial potential on this national campaign, has his department ever looked at a day that they could all celebrate Buckle Up, water prevention day? They do that. They have national days to recognize. Would his department look at something like that? Would a campaign like this be kicked off in the Territories?