Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Are they all these 500 units that they are planning on putting on the ground in the next two years now, do we already have the clients already listed of who is going to be getting a house, which ones are going to the public housing? Are those lists already drawn up, family sizes determined and needs assessed? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for Housing. You’re not off the hook until 5:00 today.

---Laughter

So I better get my questions in.

---Applause

Anyway, just talking about the affordable housing initiative. Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Speaker, I’m fully supportive of the affordable housing initiative. I only have concerns because I just don’t want this initiative to be reflected on five years from now or after its completion by the public as another big Housing Corporation mistake on the type of units that are put on the ground. I just want to ask the Minister...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I just want to talk about the consultation processes this government conducts with the regional governments, our community governments and any individual residents in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, we have all heard of a lack of comprehensive consultations and the lackadaisical attitude of taking proper direction from community organizations and residents in outlying communities by our bureaucracy.

We often hear about the issues and concerns during these consultation meetings falling on deaf ears. We are not reaching the proper authorities; for example, the...

Yes, as we move forward to develop regulations that are regionally specific, would it be safe to say that regions could include or incorporate into their own regulations for the region into any tourism licence, employment-specific regulations when dealing with the issuance of any tourism licence? Is that within law or is it allowable? Thank you.

I think in these interim measures agreements that we have, I think the Minister or the government still has the final say on whether to issue a licence or not, whether an aboriginal organization or community organization, NGO, for example, has some issues surrounding the issuance of a licence to a particular operator or an operator that is maybe not from the territory. How much consideration is given to the final outcome of any issuance or renewal to an organization that has those concerns? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am also a strong supporter of this motion simply due to all of the reasons that all of the Members gave in their Members’ statements today. I hope that we can reach some agreement-in-principle by the deadline that was specified in the motion.

Mr. Speaker, in my constituency of Tu Nedhe, we have two multi-billion dollar mines that are operating. We have one that is currently under construction. We have another one that is in the regulatory stages. We have a few more that are in the assessment stages of whether they are going to develop or not, and many more exploration...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize that the workshop is coming up, but since this management plan has the approval of the Government of Nunavut, the Government of Canada, the Lutselk’e First Nations and the Akaitcho Territory Government, but not the approval of this government to move this plan forward, and with the declining numbers of caribou that we are addressing here today, why do we need another workshop for this government just to basically rubber stamp the plan and move it forward so the WWF in conjunction with the Lutselk’e First Nations and the Beverly Caribou Management Board can...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of resource revenue sharing agreements has been emphasized by our government as an important first step towards the development of the Mackenzie gas project. Since this approach does not seem to have the full support of the First Nations groups along the proposed route, some of whom are negotiating their own resource revenue sharing agreements with the producers and the federal government, I feel that it is imperative that this government take a more supportive approach to addressing this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, the Aboriginal Summit was first...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the plan has been approved by everybody but this government. I don’t know what the hold-up is. Basically what the people are worried about, Mr. Speaker, is that the claims that have been staked in that area are uranium exploration claims. The amount of activity is dramatically increased because the price of uranium has obviously gone up, so everybody is going in there and investing in their exploration towards mine development in this area. The people want to get some protection against the mines to ensure that the calving grounds of this Beverly herd are...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, the Honourable Joe Handley. As everyone is well aware, we did sign an MOU in Lutselk’e to look at the viability of establishing a protected area in the East Arm area. Lutselk’e, the Government of Nunavut, the Government of Canada, the Lutselk’e First Nations Council and the Akaitcho Territorial Government recently approved the Thelon management plan that would ensure better protection of the Beverly herd calving grounds in the Thelon area. This management plan has been provided to...