Sahtu

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 89)

Well, certainly I agree with the Minister that we surely hope that the Norman Wells facility would be staffed sufficiently when it opens. You know, we didn’t think this back a year ago with the Hay River centre; we didn’t know this. Now that we know that they’re asking for an extra million dollars to provide the facility with the support that’s going to be needed and with the planners that they had in FMBS that you weren’t asking for this additional dollars, and the Minister is correct because things do change over time and I just want to make sure that the facility, such as Norman Wells, will...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 89)

Madam Chair, the question is to the Minister on this supp here. Couldn’t this be requested in the operation of this money? Why does it have to come into a supp? Are other facilities in the same situation as the Hay River Hospital in terms of the positions that are required? I know we have a unit, a wellness centre coming up in Norman Wells. Could they be in the same position? Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 89)

The Minister’s quite correct in terms of predictions of the future. Maybe down in this area here the water is low, but I know that up in our area the water is quite high. You know there’s lots of water in the mountains for the fall hunt, lots of water the people say when they go up to the Keele River to do their fall hunt. There’s lots of water up there. So we have to be very specific, not to generalize too much to scare off people here.

Now, the Minister has talked about a very interesting point on the future energy of the Northwest Territories. I sit in a region where there’s lots of natural...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 89)

WHEREAS under Section 11(1) of the Northwest Territories Act (Canada), the Commissioner may dissolve the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS under Section 11(2) of the Northwest Territories Act (Canada), writs for the election of Members of the Legislative Assembly are to be issued on the Commissioner’s instructions;

AND WHEREAS under Section 3 of the 2015 Polling Day Act, the Legislative Assembly may, subject to the power of the Commissioner to dissolve it under subsection 11(1) of the Northwest Territories Act (Canada), continue until October 26, 2015;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services immediately introduce a policy change to ensure access to non-medical escorts for patients with impaired mobility or cognitive ability, life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, or language barriers;

And further, that the Department of Health and Social Services ensure that the Medical Travel Program is...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 88)

That is good news and that it comes through from bundle two and the approved Build Canada projects.

Does this give enough incentive for this government to say we can look at a proposed highway transportation office in the Sahtu? Will that give enough to move your thinking to start planning a transportation office that’s needed in the Sahtu? I have asked this question over 100 times and I got 100 different reasons why this government said no to a regional transportation office in the Sahtu. Is this enough? Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask my questions to the Minister of Transportation about transportation in the Sahtu region, specifically the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I know that the Tulita district has submitted a submission under the Community Access Program in an effort to see that some work can get done in the region to prepare the young workers to be ready once the Mackenzie Valley Highway is under construction, which is an initiative the federal government has undertaken.

Can the Minister update this House and people in the Sahtu as to this community access proposal that has been...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some time ago when I was reading a book, one of the sentences that I read from the author asked the audience, he said to the audience, “How do you eat an elephant?” One piece at a time was the response. I want to use that phrase in the ways how do you build a highway? One section at a time.

The Sahtu is hungry for a highway. We’ve been waiting. It’s about time that we come into the 21st century.

Over the weekend I went to Norman Wells. I purchased 10 kilograms of flour here at Walmart, $11.97. In Norman Wells it’s $45. Same bag, same kilograms, big difference. People in...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The motion that was brought by Mr. Bromley and Mr. Nadli is a motion that we haven’t talked very much about in our Assembly, as Mr. Dolynny has mentioned, and I certainly concur to let this Assembly know that I concur with all the comments by the Members on this side here and I will be supporting the motion on a going-forward basis to the election to the 18th Assembly.

When you look at a motion like this, giving thought to it does bring some personal experience with this as, growing up, I can recall working and helping my grandfather, who was in a wheelchair, and doing...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that’s 100 no’s so far. I want to ask the Minister, given that the lights are going to be closing pretty soon on the 17th Assembly, and this is going to be my third government that I’ve been asking for a regional transportation office – this is the third one now – I want to ask if this is enough, you know that the work that is going to happen in the Sahtu, to put even an interim or a part-time or something to show that maybe the next government will have the might and determination to say yes, we can do this. I want to ask him if that’s something that’s going to go...