Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Premier. This issue is burning. It needs to get done. It is like we are negotiating. For example, if we were to negotiate a highway to the Sahtu, why negotiate a highway to Sahtu if we don’t have the money to pay for it? Things like this really bug me as a Member here. To see the amount of wealth that is coming out of this Northwest Territories and is going to Ottawa, we can see the amount of dollars that is coming back to us. Our aboriginal communities are also saying we need these programs and services. Again, Mr. Speaker, I will ask the Premier...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize the great goaltender from Deline, Danny Gaudet, and the community’s good negotiator for self-government. Welcome, Danny.

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…heal our cuts and look after our elders. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I now know the uncertainties that come with the financial dependencies on the federal government. This hinders our ability to secure well-funded programs and services for our people, and to control our rich territory.

The size of the government cheques that are given to us can only be seen as the stick and the carrot approach to keep the residents in the North and create a deeply-rooted state of dependency on the federal government. With this kind of attitudinal mind of the feds, it is difficult to plan for the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have written questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, regarding housing for health care professionals.

What is the number of health care professionals per community, currently in need of affordable accommodations?

What is the number of social workers and health care professionals per community, who have not accepted work in small communities because of the lack of affordable housing?

What is the number of health care professionals that currently rent government-owned units and what are the rates of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier because this is a very sensitive issue to all of the people involved. It is very complex. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the federal government negotiator doesn’t yet have the mandate in terms of devolution. He only has the mandate for programs and services, and Finance Canada has the mandate to negotiate the net fiscal benefits such as resource revenue sharing. I would really like to see any type of movement that the Premier can give our federal MP some leverage or some coaxing to Finance Canada to sit down with us. I would like to ask the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Premier of Northwest Territories. In researching and looking at some of the past Hansards with regard to resource revenue sharing, in light of the complexity of dealing with revenue resource sharing and the issues that are on the table, can the Premier tell me when can we, as the Northwest Territories, as a northern aboriginal people, get our act together, go down to Ottawa and sit down once and for all and ask them what are the clear rules and guidelines of getting a deal done? We have been dealing with this a long time. The...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, honourable colleagues. It is no secret, Mr. Speaker, I want to see the Mackenzie Valley pipeline happen. I am happy for the Tlicho and the Akaitcho people for having diamonds on their land. Mr. Speaker, I have to wonder sometimes if these resource development projects go ahead and we do not have a royalty sharing deal, who will really benefit and is it worth it.

Do the honourable thing, Mr. Premier, and put the Crown on notice that the stakes are high in the Northwest Territories and we want a share, a fair share of those stakes. Mr. Speaker, resource...

How long are we going to allow this to happen, to continue?

Mr. Speaker, it is a critical time for our precious territory. We have big problems on the radar screen, a pipeline, more diamond mines, and who knows what next. But we only have one chance to get it right, or before we know it our resources will be gone for good. Our land will be scarred, and all the royalties will be in Ottawa, paying for gun registries and sponsorship scandals, while we beg for a few dollars to teach our children…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if a favourable response is not received from the federal government within a reasonable time, will the Minister consider legal action to force the federal government to fulfill its legal obligations and to do something for the people of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.