Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As many of you know, Hay River is known for its long-standing history of fishing industry in the community. The industry is at one of its weakest points. The industry has many issues such as the price per pound that they can get for their catch, the price of gasoline and the limited amount of youth that want to work in that harsh of an industry.

One of the issues that has been debated is the marketing of northern fish, whether it be to the Fresh Water Marketing Corporation. Where else can we sell the fish that they catch in Hay River and the Great Slave Lake for the best...

My question is about the involvement as we discussed about the… I think Mr. Dolynny had also discussed about the involvement of northern companies in government contracts. Is there a way to maximize those? We have some of the big projects: the Mackenzie Valley, the Tuk to Inuvik highway coming forward. Is there a way that we can maximize through procurement the northern content in those projects?

That goes right in line with my next question. Is the department working with all the other departments within the government to ensure that these types of fish products from the Northwest Territories are in the jails, in the hospitals, in the schools? Are they working to market in those areas?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish I could have more questions, but my last question would be: In the review, is there an analysis of what the cost savings are to have these births in the communities as opposed to having to travel and stay in communities such as Yellowknife or Edmonton or Grande Prairie for these families?

My next question for the Minister is: Is the review being done for all communities in the Northwest Territories? Is it regionally focused or Yellowknife focused? Where is the focus?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today it’s a pleasure to rise and welcome a new constituent, Olivia Froese, who was born in Hay River in the middle of January. She came three weeks early and this is special to us because we typically cannot have deliveries in Hay River.

Myself and Sarah and Jason Froese would like to thank the staff at H.H. Williams Hospital for their good work, strong work. It brought great pleasure to those workers, I know, who delivered the baby. We get to see the good side of life as opposed to the illness and the dark side of it, I guess; the bad side, the end of it. This is...

I guess my question to the Minister would be: How do we get our communities on the review and on the radar to have this type of program available to them?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s speech, we had the honour of having a birth in Hay River recently and it is an honour because it rarely happens. My question is to the Minister of Health about the Midwifery Program and the review that is currently under review, where it currently sits.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize my constituency assistant, Myrtle Graham. She’s also helping me here this week from Hay River West Channel. Thank you.

I only have one more question. In the new law will the Minister commit or at least encourage some of the enforcement to be a little bit softened on some of us that are not all trained on the new laws?