Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Chair, the tourism officer's position, this one here is going to be key in many successes of tourism in the North here and I hope that some of the work that's going to be looked at is the importance of hooking up with key leadership, key people in the region, looking at the significance and the cultural, spiritual area of our land, and really getting a good sense of it. I think some of it we had this summer in terms of walking the 54 miles this summer, that we had a real good sense of the cultural, the spiritual component of people in the Sahtu, and the youth really appreciated that trail...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the people in the Sahtu region, especially in the Tulita and Norman Wells region and I think in other communities within my region, certainly congratulate the Minister in terms of his commitment in getting the committee off the ground. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister in terms of continuing on with this work, would the Minister commit to working with the committee on terms of cleaning up the old telephone wires that were laid down in the 1940s? I think there’s over 1,600 feet of old leaded telephone wires that are doing some damage to the animals on...

Yes, thank you. I understand that Deni Gaccione is our Sahtu region designated tourism officer. Now, this tourism officer, because of the earlier discussions in the House in regards to the Dodo Park here, would this tourism officer be designated to work in that 354-some kilometres of designated Canol Trail area that would look at taking care of the Canol area, besides Great Bear Lake, Colville Lake, Good Hope and the Tulita area? Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the intended advantages of the workers’ compensation system was to create a non-adversarial alternative to the courts that would be provide a less complicated and faster process for resolving claims. Unfortunately, many claims have nonetheless ended up before the courts. The WCB is well equipped to litigate these cases with staff lawyers and lawyers on retainer.

Claimants, however, are at a considerable disadvantage to the WCB. Injured and often without income, they must often rely on legal aid, which will not necessarily pay for counsel with expertise...

Mr. Chair, just on the question on the appointment of tourism officers in terms of them having the powers of a peace officer. I'm looking at where they're going to be placed. If they have the powers of a peace officer, can they look at strategically some locations where there's no enforcement officers in some of the communities we have? Are all the regions going to have tourism officers? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do apologize. I thank you for allowing me the flexibility to go into another area. I do acknowledge the bill here. Mr. Chairman, I was hoping I would make a connection in terms of the new Tourism Act, let it speak to if there is a low level of animals, low levels of caribou, sheep, moose, and we have to take care of our own needs in the Sahtu region, does this bill, this act, speak to some form of compensation? I may be again on the border of my questions, but I wanted to ask about the Tourism Act. There is a tourism operation that we are talking about. I guess I...

After the hockey game?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I want to make a few comments and I want to specifically focus on the Tourism Act under the licensing on the renewal of it being automatically renewed. I want to ask the Minister if that's a concern by the communities or the regions in terms of a licence that's being automatically renewed without any type of scrutiny or type of process that may not sit well with some of the members in the communities or the regions in terms of some of these people, these licensees, may automatically be renewed without any type of process to provide to the government in terms...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister’s comments on to the cost of the space heaters. I’m asking the Minister, can he look at Colville Lake, Deline, Tulita, Fort Good Hope, even Norman Wells, in terms of saying we would look at these independent homeowners? Seniors are very proud and we would like to put in based on the amounts that we have, put in these pilot project space heaters in the communities to look at these elders and say yes, we are supporting you and we are supporting independent living. I’d like to see that type of commitment from this government. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my quick Member’s statement, I forgot to mention the elders in terms of the extreme makeover I was talking about. I wanted to ask the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation, we have about an hour and 25 minutes in terms of his portfolio. Would he consider looking at the elders in the Northwest Territories and speaking also for my region in terms of what I talked about a monitor of those heaters that they put into independent homes for the elders to reduce the cost of living to the elders’ homes. Can the Minister provide me with some information as...