Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Premier is correct in terms of our willingness to involve other northern representatives in our government. We have shown some great leadership by the Cabinet and the leader of the government here, in terms of involving the northern people in our decisions as 19 Members of the Legislative Assembly.

I guess the extra step here is to go a little further in terms of having, like the federal government, a process where we can investigate and see where can northern people, aboriginal governments….because it truly is a government-to-government...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is to the Premier of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Handley. In light of the recent news reports this morning with the federal government, Cabinet and the Assembly of First Nations members meeting, it is the first time I think in history that AFN is having a meeting with the federal Cabinet in Ottawa. Would the Minister consider having something along that line, similar to our Cabinet and the aboriginal organization's governments in the Northwest Territories, within the life of this Assembly? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. That’s good news with regard to retaining the professional people in the Sahtu. Has the Minister’s department looked at giving some consideration to some organizations in the Sahtu to build affordable units for the professionals in terms of the programs that they can offer to these organizations that would attract professionals? Some of the health workers are unable to come into the Sahtu because some houses are not available. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the NWT Housing Corporation in terms of the professional housing situation in the Sahtu. I understand there might be some movement in terms of retaining some of our professional people in the Sahtu. Also, the issue of housing is still an issue that I’d like to pursue with the Minister. Is the Housing Corporation doing all it can to retain or attract professional people in our regions in terms of the education field or the health field? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The funding model that the Minister has alluded to, also speaking to the tourism industry I guess my question is not so much the tourism industry but what types of discussions is he having with the aboriginal governments in the regions in terms of this model? It may have some consequences to the land claim settlements in some of the regions that have settled the comprehensive land claims. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, from the Minister’s statement on tourism in the Northwest Territories, he made reference to the millions of dollars being spent in the Northwest Territories. I wonder if the Minister could tell me how many dollars were kept in the Northwest Territories. They may have spent millions of dollars in the Northwest Territories but in a rough estimate, how many dollars were kept in the Northwest Territories as a result of the figures that he has given us? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We require further discussions in other forums of this Assembly in terms of the question I want to follow up with the Minister on. The way that the trend is now, I don’t think we are going to lose any money. The revenues are increasing every year. The Minister has indicated that programs and services are being delivered out of the general revenue fund. Going back into the revenue, we subsidize a lot of the booze in the Northwest Territories. Is that something that the Minister would look at? Milk is quite expensive in our small communities. Oranges and apples are...

Madam Speaker, I guess the perception out there is that the money that is used in terms of causing a lot of heartaches and headaches down the Mackenzie Valley in terms of liquor is why don’t you put some money back. There is a huge chunk of money in the revolving fund. Put it back into the alcohol and drug programs so we contribute to these heartaches and headaches down the Mackenzie Valley. Certainly I think the government could do some shifting in their priorities, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the evolution of the Northwest Territories is ever changing and part of my final supplementary is to the Premier in terms of having a forum, I guess in terms of how we are creating a new territory because of the settlements of the land claims and just recently the progress that is made in the Deh Cho region. Now the other areas are also looking at the land claims. Truly government-to-government relationships would happen in terms of creating this new territory, because the land claims would give a little more jurisdiction to the settled claims, in...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the comments that I have are in regards to the pipeline; the evolution of how things are moving with the federal government, the aboriginal communities, the specific access and benefit agreements that the communities are negotiating with the industry, the development that is happening with the Mackenzie board that would approve these certain permits and licences for the pipeline, and the ongoing discussion between our government and the federal government in terms of royalties, and the different regimes that hope to see some benefits for the people of...