Statements in Debates
Mr. Chairman, I too am happy to see that the first bundle is making its way through the process here. I want to ask the Minister if there’s going to be a second bundle coming through. Because what I’ve seen in the existing highways, and rightly so, they deserve the work that’s being asked by the Members here for their highways. I’m still waiting for a highway. I’d like to be part of the group here, I mean, because I know in April we’re going to melt away, because our roads are not going to be staying too long.
I just wanted to say that the government is doing some good work to move some of...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week in the Assembly I will focus on economic and sustainable development in the Sahtu. In the North in all our regions we are rich with renewable resources, also with non-renewable resources and with our people, our own people. We will continue to recognize our people with their awesome creativity.
If you ask for a comprehensive assessment of all the data on the potential of the great wealth with our renewable resources, it will be incredible. As an example, look at our good trappers and all the well-sought-after Mackenzie Valley furs, or the ever-empowering Great...
So it’s a common practice that industry contributes also to our highway maintenance and enhancement of winter roads when they come up into the area to do work. Otherwise, the Department of Transportation would not see this type and amount of money going into winter roads. Is that correct?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that from industry. I want to ask about the enhancement of the program. Is it entire sections of the Mackenzie Valley winter road that they’re putting the money into this area here?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I certainly agree with the Minister that some of the specialized care needs to be in the South because we don’t have it in the Northwest Territories. Is there a critical mass in the North that could give warrant to discussion in this Assembly, saying maybe it’s time to consider? At this point right now, is it economic to continue to send our people down south for care?
I know there’s some discussion in the newspaper as to when residents in the North can maybe be seen as… Do we have the proper resources and facilities here in the North? I’m looking at one at the Stanton...
I certainly have to clear it with the Minister that we want to use the biomass, and I just want to make a point that some things in life are unpredictable. Biomass, certainly now, if you look at it, if the Minister is to do an analysis, it is costing us a little more than the fuel right now, I believe, and it’s a different form of energy use in our small communities. I just wanted to raise that point there that hopefully one day we don’t have to go outside the Northwest Territories to use fuel. Right now we’re getting this from Edmonton.
On my last point, I want to raise the point that I...
I understand, also, there are different times of the year that you purchase the petroleum products. Specifically, about the diesel and gas and mostly looking at the smaller communities, so all our fuel for the smaller communities – and I’m just going to stay with my region – comes from the Edmonton refinery? Is that where we’re getting our products coming from now?
Mr. Speaker, I talked about women in general, and specifically in our communities, and the changing roles that women have with today’s society. I want to ask the Minister of Human Resources in regards to women in government positions specifically in senior management. I want to ask the Minister, in regards to the number of women in the Aboriginal Development Management Program, what type of percentage do we have in that program?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being International Day for Women, I thought every day was a day for women.
I want to say a few things about our women. No, I’m not going to sing the Shania Twain song, titled “Man, I Feel Like a Woman.”
---Laughter
Our women have come a long way in today’s society. From the traditional roles of raising and guiding our precious little children to becoming world leaders in our country, there has been a cultural change. As a matter of fact, it was a woman who helped save a nation of Aboriginal people in the Southern Plains tribe legend, according to the elders’ story...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My comments will focus around three major things for us in our region. I want to make comments to the Minister. The first one is around Sahtu, which is a stand-alone region within the department, DPW. Our regional office is up in Inuvik. There are plans to have a manager of some type in the Sahtu region. We have employees in the region, yet we still have to call Inuvik, to the higher levels of authority. I want to not only talk to this department but other departments within government. My region wants to become a stand-alone region. With all the challenges our region has...