Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, just in the last few weeks, the Sahtu has seen a high interest of winning bids by oil companies in the valley. We are talking about $50 million or $60 million of potential investments in the Sahtu region. An all-weather road would help the Sahtu in terms of a lot of issues. Number one, it would bring down the cost of living. Madam Speaker, would the Minister be able to meet with the Sahtu people in terms of a delegation going down to Ottawa if that is what it takes to put it on the federal government’s agenda, because that’s their expenditure, and the...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, so many questions, so little time. I have narrowed down my questions to the Minister of Transportation. In Hay River, we saw a huge number of people from the surrounding communities participate in track and field. If only we had an all-weather road in the Sahtu, we would have seen an increase of participants going into Hay River. So, Madam Speaker, could the Minister commit that the future proposal going to the federal government will look at the small scale community approach to start building an all-weather road in the Sahtu region?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Minister is correct in terms of the support from my side at least with the companies. What I am getting at, Madam Speaker, is that some of these joint ventures that come in through the competitive process also bring in a lower cost of doing business in the Sahtu and so it reflects back into the region. They do not use the gas stations, or the wages that they pay are very low. I am asking the Minister if he can somehow encourage contractors, should they get the bids in the Sahtu, to encourage the southern contractors to use as much as possible...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in my Member's statement I gave a brief picture of the difficulties of attracting investment and expertise in the Sahtu while keeping the playing field fair for all northern and aboriginal businesses. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I want to ask the Minister how can his department ensure that businesses in the Sahtu are given an equal and fair opportunity to compete for government contracts? Thank you.

Madam Speaker, the North has an abundance of wealth; rich mineral deposits like the diamonds, oil and gas and lots of fresh water and some beautiful, beautiful land. Aboriginal northern businesses have put a lot blood, sweat, equity and tears into the business. They have contributed actively to their communities and to their regions. These home-grown businesses have spent a lot of their money on our economy. It is money made from our economy that stays in our economy.

Madam Speaker, northern businesses also provide their staff and our community members with a decent wage. However, Madam...

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that notwithstanding Rule 4, that when this House adjourns on Thursday, June 2, 2005, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, October 12, 2005.

AND FURTHER that any time prior to October 12, 2005, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Minister should be aware that there is more than me in the Sahtu. We would take the Sahtu people like Cece McCauley-Hodgson, who has been a consistent advocator for the Mackenzie all-weather road, truly a woman warrior from the region. Madam Speaker, once again, can the Minister look at taking a small delegation from the Sahtu region who can help the Minister and also help the Premier in terms of seeking some additional dollars from the federal counterparts to build an all-weather road in the Sahtu?

Thank you. Just a brief comment here. I appreciate the Minister's efforts to improve the Sahtu health authority and the plans to upgrade the health system in our region. I know that Yellowknife does need some support and I guess you are looking at the amount of dollars, the millions of dollars spent in the Sahtu and the other regions, such as Yellowknife here, and there is no comparison. The amount of money spent here are millions, compared to the Sahtu. I hope that there is some effort to look at that in the Sahtu.

I understand that there is a budget for two doctors in the Sahtu, but they...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The additional funding required to complete the project is something perhaps the Minister could help me understand. Was that anticipated or was it because -- I noted he had additional extra costs to the Frame Lake Family Physicians clinic in Yellowknife -- they wanted additional space, or what justifies an increase of $400,000 to the family clinic, Mr. Chair? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess that is the part that I am not quite comfortable with in terms of the initiated program and hoping that the other communities will get a program or some type of program that would support the containers. I haven't see anything or heard anything that small communities like Deline or Fort Good Hope or Tulita or Colville Lake or even Norman Wells can see some progress. There is nothing in the books. There is nothing by this government to say that we will have a program for those communities, that we will support the larger communities to have these containers...