Statements in Debates
Mr. Speaker, I, too, would add my comments to the motion here. In our pursuit of looking for efficiencies in the Government of the Northwest Territories as stated in the 16th Assembly, certainly in terms of efficiencies, it has to do with the interpretation as efficiencies. When you look at the efficiencies of the government, certainly we all strive to see where we can do better.
In terms of the interpretation of efficiencies with this government, if you look at, for example, the McDonald’s restaurant. They’re pretty efficient in terms of operating their organization and how they serve the...
Mr. Speaker, the Minister has indicated that in April he will have some other discussions. I guess what I’m asking here in terms of building from the community from the bottom up and looking at initiatives here in the Sahtu region. I guess I’m asking in terms of what or how many more red flags does this government need, and this Minister need to say this is a no-go process here, we should be looking at something else other than board reform in terms of it moving forward with this government.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister has alluded to, the Health and Social Services budget I know the majority of funding where it’s spent. We all just check the records where this money is spent in terms of funding for health and social services issues. I would ask the Minister in terms of this reform initiative here, in terms of going forward here, that the Minister has talked with the self-government negotiating tables in our communities in terms of what is it that he’s trying to do. We are trying to get power back to the people to make decisions in our communities for our people. This...
I would like to ask the Minister, the Tulita Housing Corporation said no, the Fort Good Hope community says no, the Sahtu Regional Health Board and education board have said no. What part of “no” on this board reform does the Minister not understand? The people in the Sahtu do not want…
---Applause
I ask the Minister what it will take for this House here to tell the Minister to cease and desist on the health board initiatives from the Sahtu people. What will it take?
In closing, the people in the Sahtu agree with the Members here that board reform needs to be stopped and really looked at. Otherwise, this government here is going to feel the wrath of the Sahtu people.
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...