Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm really puzzled why Imperial is so afraid of putting a highway next to the pipeline. They're not afraid of taking our gas out of the North here and taking it out of the Sahtu region and filling their pockets. It's a win-win proposition here. People in the North win; people in Canada win; Imperial Oil can win. Mr. Speaker, I'll ask the Premier on this point here. Would he bring it up again through his Department of Transportation, through the government here, and get this Mackenzie Highway bridge built, similar to the push that's going on for the...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very interested in what the Minister said. It will be utilized in all departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories. It is hitting a 10 year mark. I am looking at how effective it is and look at some revisions based on the Hay River conference. Mr. Speaker, I have asked the Minister, would he look at the process of consultation in our communities? We have just come out of Kelly Lake in the Sahtu and TK workshop with the elders and it seems like we need to do some serious consultation with our people to get their knowledge implemented...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government makes a mention of the Deh Cho Bridge as a cost-savings initiative. How much money will the Deh Cho Bridge save the Sahtu?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the programs we have right now is the Food Mail Program the federal government offers. We are looking for some solutions in the Sahtu. A litre of milk, as I stated earlier in my Member’s statement, is 40 cents more in Colville Lake than in Hay River. There are other costs that our members in the Sahtu region can tell this government how much more we pay. I would ask the Premier if he would work towards a fixed target within the government in terms of saying by the year in 2008-2009, we want to bring the cost of living down by this percentage. We...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of living in the Sahtu is one issue that has been bothering my people for a long time. The Government of the Northwest Territories provided MLAs with a presentation in 2006 called the Cost of Living in the Northwest Territories. This presentation showed Sahtu communities are in the top 10 most expensive communities for food prices in the Northwest Territories. For instance, food in the Sahtu is actually double the cost of food in Edmonton. However, in Yellowknife, food is only 10 percent more expensive than in Edmonton. The Sahtu is also in the top 10...
Mr. Chairman, I also would like to declare a conflict of interest.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 of the orders of the day.
Thank you. I look forward to those discussions across the North here and especially in my riding. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister then also commit to some of the department senior bureaucrats to be at this type of discussion with our people to come there with an attitude of listening to see how important these traditional knowledge experiences and wisdom are implemented to the government departments? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have one question or maybe two. It depends on how the Minister responds. I have a question for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources around the implementation and the question on the traditional knowledge policy. I have written the Minister a letter. I asked the Minister if he would consider some options. I want to ask the Minister on the traditional knowledge policy how it is being monitored. Is it a policy that is being used by other departments in regards to this traditional knowledge policy?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the discussions I had with the people when they go to Yellowknife or Hay River and do their shopping for the winter season is when they get into the lineup or bring their food to the counter and cash out, they tend to bring a lot of money. The teller tells them it’s only this much and they say it can’t be. It’s a common discussion we have around our region.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask you a question in terms of this type of thing with the Northern Store and the co-op, how can we look at something that would give incentive to people in the Sahtu...