Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize all the dignitaries in the House today and I’d also like to recognize my constituents from the Norman Wells Land Corp, President Cece McCauley-Hudson. I also want to recognize His Worship Mayor Dudley Johnson from the Town of Norman Wells. I recognize my cousin Ilene Roth.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, October 31, 2011, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning:

Ms. Wendy Bisaro, the Member for Frame Lake;

Mr. Frederick Blake Jr., the Member for Mackenzie Delta;

Mr. Robert Bouchard, the Member for Hay River North;

Mr. Bob Bromley, the Member for Weledeh;

Mr. Daryl Dolynny, the Member for Range Lake;

Mrs. Jane Groenewegen, the Member for Hay River South;

Mr. Robert Hawkins, the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to thank the constituents of the Sahtu for bringing me back to the Assembly here, to the House, to represent them.

First, I want to thank my cousin who ran in the same riding as I did, the campaign. My cousin and I grew up together. We come from a large family, a family that supports one another. I want to thank him and his wife and his children. I want to thank him on behalf of my family. I said in Tulita, when we put our names forward as candidates, the families are with you, the children are with you, and you, yourself, you do the work, but there’s people...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The federal government signed a Water Stewardship Strategy that includes action items to include water quality monitoring in the Northwest Territories. The federal government signed land claims agreements that committed to sustainable, unaltered water quality. The federal government signed a Devolution Agreement-in-Principle that was based on 23 active water quality stations in the Northwest Territories.

This is sad conduct on the government’s commitment to clean, abundant water. It’s an insult to the people of the Northwest Territories and all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From time immemorial our elders were taught by their elders, just as I was taught by my elders. Mr. Speaker, the basics to me that was taught by the elders is that our land is alive, powerful and even holy.

Mr. Speaker, part of our understanding is about the value of our land, which also means the water; they are both the same. We understand the importance of clean water, the source of all life. Without it, surely we will all perish.

That’s why I am very concerned about the future of the Northwest Territories water quality. Two weeks ago the federal government suspended...

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

How many lots owned by the NWT Housing Corporation were previously owned by community members?

How many grievances were filed with the NWTHC regarding lots previously owned by community members?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Shame on this federal government for scaling back on such an essential part of our life: the water.

I want to ask the Minister, the water quality monitoring in our national parks has been suspended, leaving our parks really vulnerable. I want to ask the Minister, in his Water Strategy with the federal government, now, I’m not too sure how good that document is, but I believe the Minister is working very hard and it’s a fine document. What will it take the federal government to know that these responsibilities, the core of our people, and leaving national parks in as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister further questions on the issue I just spoke about. Mr. Speaker, I live on the Mackenzie River. A lot of my people also live on the river and live in areas where water is their source of life. The Auditor General report from 2010 states that water quality monitoring in the North is not adequate. The federal government signed a Water Stewardship Strategy with the GNWT that talks about improving the water quality monitoring in the Northwest Territories. In closing, Mr. Speaker, the federal government signed a land claim agreement within the...