Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too want to recognize the Aurora College students. We had a meeting some months ago and it was very informative, and I’d like to say how much I appreciate listening to them.

I’d also like to recognize Kevin and Wendy, Mr. Bouchard’s constituent and constituency assistant, in the gallery.

More importantly, I’d like to recognize the special guest we have sitting in front of us, Mr. Whitford. From time to time there are certain words that people tell you that continue to grow on you, and thank you, Tony, for those kind words that you gave me a long, long time ago.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people in the Sahtu from 2006, 2010, had about six Aboriginal businesses, I believe, and later on over the years they have grown to over 30 businesses, maybe more. The economy has slowed down for a time, but they will come back. Believe me, they will come back.

I want to ask the Minister in regard to the activity that’s happened in past years. Can the Minister, through his colleagues, tell us in regard to the income support that this government has given out to our people in the Sahtu region? When the business was booming in the Sahtu, did our income support payments...

Mr. Speaker, perhaps we could look at the macroeconomics or step back from the government coffers and look at the industry.

Can the Minister of ITI tell us how much investment this government is making in the Sahtu with regard to infrastructure or training, compared to the $35 million invested by big oil in the Tulita district?

At student graduations you see a long list of the businesspeople that come to the graduations to contribute to the success and achievement of the high school graduates.

In conclusion, businesspeople are hardworking people who are on a 24/7 call, year after year pursuing their dreams, the dreams that they pass on to children, that if you work hard, you will get what you want. There are failures, but you have to get yourself up off the ground again and put that as part of the value in their upbringing. Let’s celebrate these businesspeople who are there for us in the North.

I want to ask the Minister, given the move to more ownership with the homeowners and purchasing a home, has the corporation looked at one- or two-bedroom units that are simple, that are very small? There’s an advertisement in the Edmonton Sun, a full-page ad on a development called Knotty Pine, I believe. They offer so much for a unit, there’s a couple of units. We thought that would be something that for the homeowners themselves to purchase through a housing program or pilot program.

There are a lot of individuals that are bachelors and a lot of individuals are also staying with their family...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 23, 2014, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, October 23, 2014, it shall be adjourned until Monday, October 27, 2014.

And further, that any time prior to October 27, 2014, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during adjournment, the Speaker may give...

I look forward to some action here. It is very simple. The fall hunt just finished. Ask the communities, a lot of moose, caribou and fish. It’s very simple. We need it in Stanton. They are doing it in the regions; they are doing it in the communities. Ask the communities. Break through the red tape. We need moose meat. We need people to have their traditional foods in the hospitals. These are the very people that grew up on that.

Why are we making it so complicated? It is a crying shame. This government here is going to do another study. This is my third Assembly. It’s so difficult to put...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For some time, I’ve been asking the various governments over the period of time as an MLA, and I’ll ask the Minister this question pertaining to the Department of Health and Social Services. The Stanton Hospital and other health facilities have a high population of Aboriginal people. I’ve been asking people within the positions of government, how can you get the Aboriginal foods into the hospitals, for example. What’s happened? Can we get our country foods into the hospitals in the Northwest Territories?

The businesspeople in the Sahtu are certainly suffering due to a decision by the oil companies. The Sahtu Dene Inn will be a heritage hotel in Norman Wells, or even the Yamoria Inn. They are both beautiful hotels, well-furnished and fully staffed. They are just maintaining the level of just keeping the lights on. Some weeks they only had one or two guests in those hotels, compared to the years back where they were so fully booked that they had to bring in extra trailers.

I want to ask the Minister, this being Small Business Week – and this is the only sector of the businesspeople that I’m...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ITI. I’ve talked about the small businesspeople in the North, specifically around the communities I represent in the Sahtu region.

I want to ask the Minister of ITI, given the recent economic recession slowdown this year, has the Minister been monitoring the performance of the number of applicants under the Business Incentive Program this year.