Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I want to ask the Minister and staff in terms of safe water drinking qualities. We have bottled water in our stores in our small communities. There has been some research and reports that our drinking water is actually safer than bottled water, but yet we seem to buy bottled water because of some security or some thought in our heads that it is safer and cleaner. Actually, some reports show just the opposite. We have really good, clean water in the Northwest Territories, Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and several lakes around here. Are there any types...

Thank you. I appreciate the Minister laying out the procedure. Again, it’s a question of this new act coming into force if this existing infrastructure is in the communities that requires additional dollars to, once it comes out of the system and in order to improve…the testing fails and they want to improve the quality of water. The parts in some of these facilities are out of this world in terms of the funding in terms of the United Stated and England. So who’s going to be left holding the bag at the end of the day? Is it going to be the community itself or the department? You look at...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, August 17, 2007, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with the motion today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister advise his department officials in the interim, advising all public about the use of ATVs in the boundaries of the proposed park of severe warnings of not allowing them to come into our area and disrupt the environmental nature of this park? Can the Minister send out a strong notice to all: beware ATV owners and riders in the park? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last month, several hikers along with myself and the Premier and some youth have hiked the Canol Trail. Mr. Speaker, it's a beautiful area, very sensitive. There were a lot of good discussions that happened there. One of the things I wanted to ask the Minister of ITI and his responsibility for this park here, proposed management park, is in terms of the protection. Can the Minister provide to this House an update as to how this park will be developed and managed in the next coming years in terms of what can he say to this House in terms of giving...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we know from previous discussions on devolution and resource revenue sharing, this issue here is very important to the people in the North in terms of getting it on the federal government’s agenda and having some results. Given that the Public Service Alliance and the Western Arctic MP started a lobbying campaign for a substantial increase of the northern residents deduction, what else does this Minister suggest the GNWT can do to finally get results providing this incentive to its citizens in the North?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier, I spoke about the motion that this government looked at, instructing the Government of the Northwest Territories to work with the counterparts of the jurisdictions to increase the index of northern residents reduction. I would like to find out from the Minister of Finance what progress he has made to date to have the federal government increase the northern residents deduction. In January, the Finance Minister started discussions with his territorial and provincial counterparts and they wrote letters to the Finance Minister. Will the Minister tell this...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is my last question to the Minister on this discussion here. It is something that we can continue to support. I know in our communities we have some really good water quality. The thought of the day that this bottled water is safer than tap water because it is bought in stores, it is wrapped nice and neatly. It shows a mountain and a little stream coming down. Why in the Northwest Territories and through the department that this new act can say very loud and clear that our water is one of the safest and cleanest waters in the world here? It is free. I want to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement is on the northern residents tax deduction. In February of 2002, this Legislative Assembly passed the motion in favour of an increase of the northern residents deduction. The motion also calls for the annual indexing of this tax incentive. The Premier and the Minister of Finance were tasked to work with their counterparts in other jurisdictions to lobby the federal government in favour of the incentives. The maximum amount of a northern residents tax deduction has not been increasing since 1987. This means the real work of...