Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Speaker, I would again request to the Minister in terms of what in theory sounds good but in practical reality is not very good for our region or for the people in the Northwest Territories in terms of this initiative. When the Minister took the Agencies and Boards committee’s recommendations on the inventory, what process did he fail to allude to the Regular Members in the communities that we’re now looking at a Board Reform Initiative? There was a gap missing there. What steps has the Minister not taken?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister indicated that he has roughly about seven weeks before we decide as to go/no-go or to go forward in terms of this seven weeks to put some discussions on the table in the regions; 70 boards into seven. Can the Minister outline to me exactly the process that the people in the Sahtu region can satisfactorily say, yes, we had a meaningful consultation in terms of looking at this initiative here and we think that this is the way to go? Can the Minister safely say in seven weeks here, come back and say I had a meaningful consultation where people in my...

The people of Colville Lake have a dire need for basic services and programs in their community. This proposal, the majority of this Assembly says yes, we will look at a model, will the reform look at the community of Colville Lake to get basic care for dental, nursing, social workers, mental health workers as right now they’re fighting strongly for it. Will this do that for them? Because right now, the way it is, this structure here will certainly deter services farther from Colville Lake than ever. I have not yet seen any type of evidence in terms of how this proposal is going to help my...

Mr. Speaker, the community that I come from, Tulita, I asked the Tulita Housing Association if they understand the Board Reform Initiative and if they do, whether or not they agree with it. The members of the housing association said no, they don’t understand it, and no, they don’t agree with it. So I’m asking the Minister here, in terms of his consultation policy, what it will take for him -- and he’s giving some indications by April -- as to how to go forward in terms of this reform initiative. This consultation process between now and April, just one community of Tulita -- I represent five...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was listening to the issues of board reform and the information that’s been provided to me about board reform I was thinking about a time when in the Sahtu region we had something like a board reform. Finally, after many years of good politicking and the leaders in the House Assembly, this Assembly here, we finally have an educational divisional board. Several years ago we had a health board. Now we have a district office of the housing authority in the Sahtu region and we are just getting used to having this kind of authority in our region. Now this government is...

The Minister has indicated the possibility of implementing this policy in September. I plead with the Minister to reconsider those dates as that leaves about eight months to implement this policy. Eight months of copied e-mails from the other Members to me in my office in terms of the questions that are out there for clarification by the seniors, concerns by different Members in the Northwest Territories in terms of some very technical and scientific economic formulas that have been used in terms of how do we implement this policy. I don‘t believe we can satisfy all these questions within this...

Mr. Speaker, the Minister is correct that we had talked somewhat on some of the other initiatives that we could go ahead with in the Sahtu region. The Deline mini-hydro project concept; it was my understanding, Mr. Speaker, it has been on the books for 16 years. Again, in terms of the work that’s been done there and discussion that the Minister made reference to in terms of the Fort Good Hope ramparts or in the Tulita area, it just has been known for a year or two and the Deline mini-hydro project has been on the books for a long, long time. For them to see that they’re not getting anywhere...

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the lead Minister on the Energy Coordinating Committee as to his...My apologies, Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Finance on the budget address in terms of...I don’t know if it was done by accident or mistake as to why the Deline mini-hydro wasn’t mentioned as to why the hydro stuff that we talked about in previous government such as Lutselk’e and Whati. Why wasn’t the mini-hydro for Deline mentioned in terms of continued support from this government?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last couple days I’ve had some pretty early mornings thinking about how the motion is going to be discussed, and how it’s going to be talked about amongst the 18 MLAs in the House here, and what the interpretations might be in the public in terms of what we are looking at and what we are doing. What are the different analyses of the meetings? What are the interpretations of the meetings? How will this play out in our communities? How will this play out amongst ourselves? Looking to this day as to how it will roll out.

The motion, as I read it, is a...

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to when this government, through the lead Ministers, can go into Deline, sit down with them, prove that this commitment is something that they’re committed to do by sitting down with them and making this project a go. There’s going to be lots of discussions there. I look forward to when can this government direct your staff to go into Deline and sit down and sign off on the progress to the Dene mini-hydro project. Right now, for them there’s nothing mentioned on this. Again, that’s one of my disappointments on hearing the budget yesterday. This mini-hydro project...