Norman Yakeleya

I certainly look forward to working with the Minister on seeing what type of arrangements can be made and when we can look at a date we can set down and visit one of the well sites.

I’m happy to see further discussions with the Minister on improving the transportation system in the Sahtu. Certainly, they come up usually from BC on Highway No. 7 to bring in their rigs and equipment from Fort St. John or from the Alberta border. They bring the heavy equipment up to the Sahtu. They also use that system; they use the water system and the marine system there. I look forward to further discussions...

I want to ask the Minister, if he’s good with lyrics maybe he could write the song “How Do You Mend a Broken Heart.” I want to ask the Minister, in his estimation, working with this Cabinet on this existing liquor law, can we look at something maybe by, for example, the May/June session that we could look at contemplating a new Liquor Act that would seek the support of the Members, of course, and also for the Sahtu communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk to the Minister of Finance on the liquor restriction that the Town of Norman Wells had a vote and it was lifted. It’s in effect. I want to ask the Minister if he’s willing to look at the regional approach to deal with opening this piece of legislation so that the communities within the Sahtu can have a say into the operations of the Norman Wells liquor store through the Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to raise the issue of the Norman Wells liquor store restrictions that were lifted on February 1st. This is a life and death issue for my people in the Sahtu. Historically, when we lifted the restriction in the 1970s, several people in the Sahtu communities died because of the outcomes of alcohol. In addition to the other causes we know about, more violence and more crimes in the homes in the communities, suicides, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, liver problems and other alcohol-related deaths and injuries due to drinking.

We had people who couldn’t get jobs, who...

Thank you, Minister, for the clarification. This then poses another question. If they were there in 2008, today is 2012. Four years later we’re finally capturing them? Shouldn’t they have been captured in 2009-2010 or 2010-2011? I guess that’s why I raise the question. I understand what the Minister is saying. Are we just a little slow in government here in capturing some of these positions? That’s just a comment for the officials in approving budgets like this. For me it seems like we’re slipping it in. That’s my comment here. We’re about four years catching up on some stuff that maybe should...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to ask the Minister of this department here, I notice we had a position added there that is in the interim appropriation here and that the added senior department, I could say ADM, why is it in here, then? Rather than go through the normal channels as we usually see it and why is it here in the interim appropriation bill?

The Minister said yesterday that the Nats'ejee K'eh treatment facility has about a 49 percent occupancy rate. Can the Minister look at that treatment program? I know the Deh Cho health services board operates that. Can he look at that as a way to increase the on-the-land treatment programs with the money that they’re not using in the other regions where the communities like Colville Lake say we want on-the-land treatment programs for the people? This is the people’s land and this is where they want to heal. Can the Minister look at that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think my song on the devolution is “A Long and Winding Road.” I want to ask the Finance Minister when we look at a piece of legislation like that, can he work with his colleagues to look at types of support that the people have expressed through the Sahtu leadership meeting on programs, such as the Minister of Health and Social Services has conveyed to my people when we did our tour, and get people back on the land to do the spiritual healing?

Maybe I could make some music here if I put my fingers to the keyboard on this piece of legislation. I want to ask the Minister when we have some discussions to look at the existing Liquor Act and looking at the regional approach to the Sahtu, that the Minister can also look at ways that this legislation will then allow the regional people to have another say at this recent plebiscite.

A regional approach might not make sense in other areas of the Northwest Territories but it makes sense in the Sahtu. Five isolated communities, none which is a large centre. Norman Wells has about 30 percent of the regional population, but they have been given the decision-making power for 100 percent of the regional population. The Sahtu communities only have highway access during the short winter season and the rest of the time are limited to travel by air and water. There are no options to drive down the highway to buy alcohol in large centres like Whitehorse or Alberta. Most of the...