Norman Yakeleya

So the Ministers, they represent all of us in the Northwest Territories.

More and more. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister if he would consider, with his counterpart in the federal government, looking at grandfathering some of these clauses in terms of our runways because of the speed of light that this government works and the federal government works in terms of extending these runways to meet the regulations of the MOT's and flying into our communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister is clear there that the federal government has put some restrictions on runways by the year 2010. I would ask the Minister if the feasibility study will be out amongst our people that are going to be affected in these small communities in terms of what type of provisions that we have to prepare if the Government of the Northwest Territories or the federal government doesn’t step in to help extend some of these runways that are desperately needed in the regions, especially the ones with no highway or bridges?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think there are lots of ways we can look at dedicating this one person. There is lots of work in the region that needs to get to the seniors that I think this government, hopefully, would make some strong recommendations as to how to coordinate some of the approaches and having some of the workers just be dedicated for the seniors. If we don’t do something like this, it’s going to be very difficult later on. So I ask again if they would look at dedicating some of this work to their staff in the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would ask if government would make it a priority to look at the seniors first in terms of having this plan here. Give some thought to the strong recommendations that the seniors programs be looked at in terms the seniors can go to one place and deal with all their issues in one spot rather than to look at other buildings where they have to go in their communities as it is done today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, honourable colleagues. I wanted to say to Minister Roland, Minister McLeod and Minister Krutko, and the other Ministers, you have made a difference in my people. I know there’s some tough decisions and there’s policies, but there’s also heart. I wanted to thank you for looking in there and making those tough decisions sometimes. Our people really appreciate that.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to say to Mr. Handley, I really appreciated his statement yesterday saying I think we have to stop acting like little grandchildren of the Department of...

You speak for us in terms of national, territorial issues that benefit all of the people in the Northwest Territories. I want to say that when this quote came up that it made so much sense.

As Ministers, I want to thank you on behalf of the people in the Sahtu for coming into my region for making some difference, making some impacts and having some sense of where the people in the Sahtu are coming from when we come together in meetings, when you come to visit us at our homes. I know some Ministers came to some old people’s homes and sat beside some old grannies or grandpas and sat and had tea...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, being the last day of our sitting of this Assembly, we’ve still got another week of work yet before the writ is dropped and the Ministers still have their caps on as Ministers until we get a new Cabinet sworn in in October. Mr. Speaker, I was thinking about things to say to the Ministers last night and I was tossing and turning. Gee, I had a hard time to sleep, tossing and turning about what to say to the Ministers.

---Laughter

So I go up and I read a book and, Mr. Speaker, in the book that I read there was a quote there by the author and the author said...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a few things that will really catch my heart. This SCAN legislation is one of them. It is very close to me. I can really understand where the Minister is coming from. When he first introduced this bill in the House here and he brought it to committee and we took it to the road, we heard the people in the communities speak from their heart and from their personal experience. I can empathize, sympathize and can also relate with them. People that were talking, some of them are here today...

…and to look and say that we could pay our own way, we could do it. You know, it’s very disheartening, Mr. Speaker, when our needs are so high and our cash is so low. Earlier today I heard Mr. Braden talk about 66 days, you know, in terms of the funding that we could get for $50 million for some projects. That’s possible. That’s a strong mission that I’d like to continue working, you know, in my short term in the next couple days before we leave and we become Joe Citizen.

Mr. Speaker, the North has many treasures right down from the border right up to the Arctic Ocean. We’ve seen them in...