Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I had indicated before, our region is very dependent on carbon and fossil fuel. Mr. Speaker, we do not have the luxury of having hydro power in our communities. Just recently INAC issued one of the largest land bids in the Northwest Territories: 11 parcels. There are a few more up in the Beaufort-Delta. We depend on fossil fuel in the Sahtu. Until we see some hydro initiatives coming into the Sahtu to lower our costs and to look at carbon tax, I cannot support this carbon tax issue right now. What is the Minister doing on a going forward basis to show that we are...

Mr. Speaker, the cost of the carbon tax, I am having a hard time because in our region, we depend on fossil fuel. We do not have a hydro facility like some of the other regions. The cost of living is very high. My people depend on fossil fuel, so this would bring the costs up in my region. How is the Minister going to look at it if it is being considered to bring in the carbon tax and how do we look at some regions and communities that fully depend on fossil fuel?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within the transactions of this deal here, did the Town of Norman Wells have opportunities throughout the application process or the interest of the process of this deal? Did they have opportunities to voice their interests? Did MACA note their interest? However, as it has been stated in the exchange, they weren’t taken very seriously. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, again, reading the comments it seemed like something shady was happening and I take offence to that, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister is an honourable man whose department is a good department and that they follow policies and practices. I know it takes a lot of good work there. I was appalled by the comments here. I want to ask the Minister, did we, as the government, violate our own policies, as a comment was made that we violated our own policies and put together a secret deal that saw a benefit to a corporation that had their own interests in this land here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Throughout our lives in whatever jobs that we do and how we interact with people as a Member or a private citizen or businessperson, we run into a lot of good people in the Northwest Territories. I was very surprised to hear of an elder in Colville Lake who went missing. I thought back in January when I saw him and spoke to him and he talked about his life on the land. He actually gave me some fish and some meat and he talked about living out on the land and being out there in Colville Lake. I was saddened to hear, when I phoned Colville Lake yesterday, that they still...

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs initiate discussions with stakeholders on the development and delivery of a public education program on dogs, and as appropriate, assist with the development and the delivery of such programs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As Mr. Ramsay indicated, this bill certainly caused a lot of discussion to some of the clauses that we’ve worked on. It was quite a task for Members to come together and move it to this level here. I do want to say that this act is outdated and that we’re bringing it forward where it’s a somewhat controversial matter.

We did not have the opportunity as committee to go to the smaller communities and to listen to the Aboriginal people in the smaller communities. We took the onus, and it was our decision, to go into the larger centres. However, we missed the opportunity to go...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do want to say that with this motion, hopefully we would legitimatize, I guess, the elders into our education system. We do have them in our schools, yet they’re still struggling in terms of compensating them. They still are nice to have but not really essential. This certification would make it just like a teacher or any other profession in our education system. They will be equal partners. Right now it’s just listen to the elder and if they’re there, they’re there; if not, we’ll do something else. It doesn’t put them on the same level playing field in our education...

WHEREAS it is critically important that elders in the Northwest Territories share their knowledge and culture in our schools;

AND WHEREAS elders in most communities are willing to teach the young people in schools, or as part of school programs on the land;

AND WHEREAS the simple presence of supportive elders in school and the high degree of respect that they get adds to students’ sense of security and strengthens their ability to learn;

AND WHEREAS elders should be compensated for their work and time, like anyone else providing a valuable service to the GNWT;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Nunavut...

Mr. Speaker, with our small population, compared to the province of Alberta, I want to ask the Minister, does it make sense to have any type of carbon tax in the Northwest Territories going forward in the 17th?