Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just for clarification, it would be another section of the Financial Management Board? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Could the Minister provide a detailed list of what services will continue to be provided by the Yellowknife and Inuvik offices respectively once the Sahtu Health Authority is fully operational?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister, would he inform the House as to some of the barriers that we have looked at in the Sahtu? A Catch-22 for us is the availability of accommodations for the staff in Norman Wells who want to fill the positions. However, it is very difficult for our staff people to be accommodated in that area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that it is a challenge to move the Sahtu Health Authority into our region. I will ask the Minister in terms of a time frame if he can see actually the Sahtu Health Authority being settled right in the Sahtu region where we can start making our decisions for ourselves.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, industry, I understand, spends millions and millions of dollars in the Sahtu. They want to come do business in the Sahtu. They’re using the roads. I think that’s part of where our government can negotiate with industry and say that they should bring some benefits and bring in some of the safety into the Sahtu. So I guess I would ask the Minister if he would look at coming to visit the Sahtu and see the conditions of the winter roads for himself. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister touched on a key point of our winter roads and I hope that our goat road does become an acceptable highway system in the Northwest Territories. But the industry has used our winter roads quite a bit and, as you know, Mr. Speaker, It takes between 80 and 90 truckloads to haul a rig here and that we need to get the industry involved. I want to ask the Minister if he could please explain why the department is unable to reach an agreement with the industry, thus leaving the GNWT solely responsible for the cost of maintenance of the road even though...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today has to do with the road conditions of our goat trail in the Sahtu, our winter road. Mr. Speaker, I received numerous complaints from the people in the Sahtu about our winter road conditions, the wear and tear that is on the winter road and the number of trucks that are going up through the Sahtu to haul rigs or bring supplies into our region. Also, for the people who are travelling out of the Sahtu in that short period of time who come to places like Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Simpson to do their winter shopping and also to do their...

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want some clarification from the Minister on this. The GNWT is also responsible for regulating their payments for GNWT boards. Thank you.

Thank you. I would also like to recognize a good friend of mine. It is good to see a reporter, Mr. Paul Andrew.

---Applause