Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, December 12, 2011, I will move the following motion: 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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister when will his department work with the board that’s responsible for the Aven Manor Centre to look at the change of policies where the communities now can bring in traditional caribou food and moose, traditional meat into that centre. I have five elders or so that are just dying to eat their traditional foods. The policy right now says no, you can’t. I know they’re willing to help. When can we get that done so I can tell people you can send fish to this long-term care facility? Our people want to eat it right now. They are just dying to eat...

I spoke to some elders in Tulita, Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake. The elders are afraid. They are afraid of the government’s policies because it violates their requirement or criteria to receive help from their family members. They are living alone. Some of them are old, they’re ill, they’re in their 70s and 80s. They’re saying if they have a family member live with them, they’re going to get punished because they’re not going to be eligible for some programs. That is so wrong. That is so against our culture, and our beliefs and upbringing. That’s what I’m asking the Minister.

Would he meet...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Part of the infrastructure is the Bear River Bridge. Is the Minister hoping to look at other options on how to fund the crucial infrastructure on the highway?

As I said, there is close to $600 million that is going to be spent in the Sahtu on oil and gas exploration. Can the Minister entertain suggestions/proposals as to how we get this crucial piece of infrastructure built in the Sahtu that would serve the people in the Sahtu and the oil companies, but also it will help the federal government? They are taking out millions, hundreds of millions from the Norman Wells...

I know the people in the Tulita district were very happy to see Mr. Ramsay in Norman Wells to receive the project description report that they completed and they’re looking forward to the couple of other ones that need to be completed.

I want to ask Mr. Ramsay what we need to do to start now getting the attention of the federal government. They’ve given the Government of the Northwest Territories $150 million to start to work on the northern portion of the highway, Inuvik to Tuk. What do we need to do now to start banging on the doors, to tell Mr. Harper, the Prime Minister, that we need to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was in the Sahtu region last year and last week and did a tour up in Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake. I missed the Wells because of the weather conditions. When I was in the Sahtu, the local contractors were getting busy and people were getting excited because they were starting to open up the all-weather winter roads into the rest of the communities and connections to the south.

I was very happy to hear Mr. Ramsay’s statement here about the progress of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and the support the 17th here has given this construction. My people are looking...

I have one more question, Madam Chair. Because of the technology we are entering into and the support, I hope, and a larger, bigger picture from the federal government, are we receiving any type of federal funding to help us with this change to the electronic era of doing business within government? Thank you.

Madam Chair, I see the numbers are quite substantially reduced to the actuals in the main estimates in 2011, 2012, 2013. Is this the final asking of this department on this specific initiative? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the mover, the Member from Yellowknife, Ms. Bisaro, talking about the importance of the federal government here in the Northwest Territories on the impact of this crime bill in the Northwest Territories and the realities that it will have on us in the North here.

Looking at this crime bill, the scary part is that the bottom line is that it means people who offend will have longer times in correctional institutions and more people will stay in there. Little will be done to educate them, work with them on rehabilitation into society. It is taking them away...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

How many people in public housing units have been served with eviction notices in the last three years?

How many tenants are affected by the recent announcement on the moratorium regarding public housing arrears?

Will the Minister provide me with detailed plans, processes and procedures to assist people who have arrears, to start paying their housing debts?