Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a few years ago I was elected as the representative for the Sahtu region. In the past couple of years, the highest area of concern in my region has been affordable housing units, along with the number of houses being built in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, there is an old saying, "Home is where the heart is." People have a lot of concerns in regards to…

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I'm certainly hoping that that wasn't for me, Mr. Speaker.

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I was very surprised, Mr. Speaker, when I saw the recent housing survey results in the Sahtu region, that the Sahtu had...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 20, 2005, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that the Legislative Assembly resolve to formally observe May 26th as the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation in support of our communities, families and individuals who endured the impact of the residential school system.

Mr. Speaker, my written question is directed to the Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Michael McLeod.

How many NWT schools were involved in the National Students Against Impaired Driving Day and what forms of government support were made available to them?

Can the Minister advise me the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities in the North, by region?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister, how is this type of information, through the communities down the valley, being communicated? Again, you said the notification went out to the MLAs, to the communities; how is that being…Because of the different mixed messages that the communities are receiving, I'm not too sure in how plain a language you could put it, Mr. Minister, in letting the communities know. Can the people in Colville Lake know that $1.50 will now stay until next year, or is there going to be an increase in the heating fuel or the gasoline fuel? They weren't...

Mr. Speaker, in light of the discussions that we are having this afternoon, I want to ask the Minister responsible for the petroleum products division, in terms of emergency needs…This has to do with the increase of fuel prices in the small communities. We are getting mixed messages from our communities.

Even Bern Brown from Colville Lake wrote a letter to me on his old typewriter, saying, why the increase? I guess the issue here is, what forms of communication is the Minister giving to the communities? Because of the mixed messages of resupply, winter barge, winter road resupply and barge...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once the final confirmation from the community of Deline and the departments that are associated in utilizing this facility he says build into a planning process…What is the planning process? Is it one year, two years, four years? What is the planning process? Can people in Deline actually see some tangible things happening around that facility in terms of seeing it being operated in that fashion? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement, I talked about the housing situation in the Sahtu. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services on the facility in Deline. There is an elders' long-term care facility that is not being utilized, as Mrs. Groenewegen has indicated in her statement, to the fullest extent. This situation has gone on for a number of years. My constituents are asking for a resolution. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services inform this Assembly of the current status of the long-term care facility in Deline, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a letter to the House from the Colville Lake school. It’s quite disturbing, and I would like to table it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is the issue here in terms of the price increase in the smaller communities that the Minister has indicated. I hope he sees some communication in advance going out to the small communities of what they are to expect in terms of proper planning, in terms of looking at different options, in terms of paying for the high cost of fuel. Mr. Speaker, in light of the amount of gas we have in the Northwest Territories, it is really hard to see that this type of increase can come down in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister advise the House that this type of...

These are my final comments to the Minister. The surplus is also going to be credited to the consolidated revenue fund. Why are we throwing this into this huge fund where it will be distributed across the board? Can’t we help people with their home heating costs rather than distribute it right across the board? Thank you.