Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to tell the Speaker, Mr. Chairman, that the services by the Legislative Assembly have been really good for me. Just a comment to say that I appreciate the services that his department offers to me. I’m satisfied and that’s why I say I don’t see any noticeable impacts. Just a comment to give your staff a pat on the shoulder to say they are doing a good job, they are doing their best in helping us out as new MLAs and to let them know that I appreciate them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was going to talk about the smoking area, but since I don’t smoke it’s not an issue for me anymore.

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I don’t have my vehicle here all year, so I don’t have parking issue. So that’s not an issue with me.

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Mr. Chairman, the comment that the Speaker made was in regard to page 2 of his presentation. The proposed reduction would have a noticeable impact on services provided to Members and the public-at-large. So I just want to know are we seeing the noticeable impacts right now. If we are, I haven’t seen any. Is it something coming down the tubes...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a motion. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment undertake a comprehensive review of the Western Arctic Leadership Program to assess the value of the program;

And further, that the results of the review be presented to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight prior to the committee review of the 2006-2009 Business Plans. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in terms of the strategy starting with the Circle of Northern Leaders and other meetings with elders down the Mackenzie Valley, I guess I’m looking for a time frame. Could the Minister bring to this government a complete end result of the strategy to have discussion in the House in possibly looking at the involvement of elders within this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week we had a discussion on the vision of the Northwest Territories. It was a very good discussion amongst Members and the other side and, Mr. Speaker, in fact the Premier had some air time on CBC talking about the vision of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, when we look at the big picture of the Northwest Territories, there’s a key piece of this vision that needs to be included. It’s our elders, Mr. Speaker, and I want to see or hear from the Premier in terms of what type of support would he give our elders in the Northwest Territories as a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would ask the Minister then; when would this department or when would this government roll out its plans so that Granny from Nahanni or Uncle Orville from Colville Lake…

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…could see that they can only go to one place in the communities to have all these programs under one roof? Today we don’t see it; so when can we see it? Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister responsible for Seniors. Mr. Speaker, in the Sahtu region there are 199 elders who are over 60 years of age. Mr. Speaker, there are numerous government departments, services and programs that are for the elders; for a lot of them English is a second language or they do not speak English at all. A lot of them communicate in the aboriginal language of North Slavey. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Seniors whether this government is planning any type of program that he oversees which can...

Just one question there, Mr. Chairman. Does what we’re saying get translated in our language back to the communities or is this straight English? I don’t follow APTN too much. Is this translated into North Slavey?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to continue my questions with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the policy from the federal government. I’m not too sure what I’m hearing. What I’d like to know is, the eligibility for Metis funding, taking the federal government to task on the discrimination in terms of funding Metis people who want to improve their educational ability to enter into university or college. The federal government has a discrimination policy on aboriginal people. I want to know from the Minister what he is specifically trying to do to have the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For a new office building, what does it go through in an assessment process, in terms of a community getting an office complex or office buildings to house their community governments in? I want to ask the Minister that, Mr. Chairman.