Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of ITI… I talked about the activity of the Sahtu people who still continue to use the land through different methods, different avenues we have today. I know that I did ask a question at one time, I’m not too sure if it was to Mr. Ramsay, on the support that’s given to people who want to continue to strengthen and pursue their traditional way of life in the year 2014.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the Department of Health and Social Services work with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Aurora College to enhance support for students in the Social Work Program with the goal of increasing the number of homegrown Aboriginal students; and further, that a bursary program be established; and furthermore, that the online course work in distance education also be considered. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, the leadership and the people in the Sahtu sort of have an idea as to the progress to get full support to move in major steps on the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I want to ask the Minister if he’s committed to working with the Sahtu leadership in regard to seeking funding from other partnerships in place to start building the important highway as soon as possible. I know they talked about some of the work that could happen, so the leadership is looking for this government and this Minister to look at some possibilities that could be there that without even further investigating, so...

Thank you for the Minister’s comment, and I recognize that there is a process for that. Looking at the Taiga Environmental Laboratory and I hope to take some of those lessons learned from that laboratory within the government that we would see something like that in our region in the future. But I’ll deal with it during the business plans.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week the Ministers had some meetings with the Tulita leadership, and one specific topic that they were consistently on with the Ministers was the extension of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley into the Sahtu region.

I want to ask the Minister, in regards to discussions with the Tulita leadership and this government here and the Sahtu region, could the Minister update us on the progress to build an all-season highway from Wrigley into the Sahtu?

Thank you. Just a request of the Minister, Mr. Chair, on the evaluation and the success of these energy programs. I would like to know about the Sahtu assessment and how these programs went into our communities. If he could provide me with a written document on these programs that went into the communities, specifically the hot water heater program and any other programs under this initiative that had some impacts in the Sahtu region. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, along with my honourable colleague Mr. Menicoche, mentioned to the Department of Transportation and I also want to ask the Minister, once you’ve finished your discussions in Nahendeh, if they could bring their plans and their hardhats and their monies up to the Sahtu. Oh yes, we still need to build a highway in the Sahtu, so we would like to join that discussion one day down the road.

The first highway in the North was built in 1943-44 from Norman Wells to the Yukon border, famously known as the Canol Road. It was built by 30,000 men and women in 13 months. Although...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also want to just weigh in on the issue here. We’re talking about a small sum of money versus a whole budget here and that these iPads will benefit, as Mr. Menicoche mentioned, the parents and families, so far that we can go into disciplining children in terms of how to use these iPads.

Branding has always been a marketing ploy of whatever company you have in this world. McDonald’s has a brand, Coca-Cola, you know, ever since I was growing up, Snap, Crackle and Pop, Rice Krispies. I still remember that, that’s a branding. Yes, it has always been in the industry...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have two more motions. I do apologize if you don’t have the information in front of you.

The motion certainly speaks to the procedures manual and the delivery of services to children and their families and key requirements that should be met as per the Auditor General in this part of their findings. I certainly would support that.