Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to table a report of the Circle of Northern Leaders gathering that was held in April on the Hay River Dene Reserve. Mr. Speaker, this gathering, the first of its kind, brought together northern leaders from aboriginal and community governments and the Legislative Assembly to build better relationships and to identify shared interests and priorities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. The comments for assisting the…(inaudible)…I would like to ask the Minister with regard to situations like Colville Lake, how did this come about and what situations did we look at where TB has occurred in this day and age in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One short question. In light of the news report the last couple of days, my question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding the TB situation in Colville Lake and medevacing the people out to Inuvik to do the tests there. It is the responsibility of the Minister’s department to act quickly on this issue because Colville Lake is small and isolated, and does not have a nurse to monitor the situation in instances like this. So I would like to ask the Minister could he inform the House and the people of the Northwest Territories what he is doing to...

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The other issue in my communities, maybe across the Northwest Territories also, is about mental health workers who are in a position for a long, long time, and then when they have a chance for this new program, the initiative by the department is that they have to reapply for their position again. Some of the communities feel safe and secure with the old mental health worker. Now they get reclassified, and the standards are quite high, and this discourages members from working in the communities. Could the Minister inform the House as to reasons for this type of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister and Cabinet says we have to wait for a decision in terms of moving the project up for the Chief Albert Wright School, and the overcrowding in our schools makes it very challenging. Would the Minister provide the position of providing portable classrooms to alleviate the overcrowding in the interim for Chief Albert Wright School? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, some weeks ago, I was at the Legislative Assembly when I saw my name on the computer. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a picture of the roof of the Samuel Hearne Secondary School classroom under the weight of a heavy snowstorm. I graduated from that school, Mr. Speaker. Is this what things have come to, Mr. Speaker? Will we be known across the country as a territory up north where schools are falling under the watchful eye of the government? I am thankful no one was particularly hurt, Mr. Speaker. It’s an unfortunate time for mishap, Mr. Speaker....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to table Vision and Goals of the 15th Legislative Assembly. We have gone through the efforts and contributions of all Members of the assembly for the benefit of all our people. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, in light of the Minister’s comments, do you feel with the regular visits of the doctors and nurses…I guess I am looking for some commitment from his department to have a nurse practitioner situated in Colville Lake to monitor on a day-to-day basis. I know the department is strapped for nurses in the Northwest Territories, but it is something that would assure the people of Colville Lake and the people in the North that this TB scare will be taken care of. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Minister. I was one of those workers at one time. I was a drug and alcohol worker in Tulita, and I know the frustration that the mental health workers go through, drug and alcohol workers go through in terms of providing services to our people, and I encourage the department. I guess I am concerned about the people that do work in this field, the community wellness workers and mental health workers, that they continue on as some of the people feel comfortable with the workers in their field. I have a hard time seeing, Mr. Minister, reclassifying...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today, Mr. Speaker, is regarding the Department of Health and Social Services in the Sahtu. In light of the recent initiative to include community wellness and mental health workers into the government system, I had a call from a member from the Sahtu about the reclassification of the mental health worker in my community, and they wanted to know why, Mr. Minister, I heard she had to reapply for a position that she held for a long time.