Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Definitely we need some real attention paid to the caribou management issue. I’m getting word from a lot of outfitters that they’re going to be closing their doors because of this new quota that the government has imposed on their operations and the caribou harvest that they’re allowed. I just wanted to ask the Minister about what I suggested last time, and what a lot of elders have also brought to my attention, about the quota on males only, which could lead to a further decline in the caribou herds or just weaker herds in general. I wonder if the Minister has...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I just have some caribou management issues that I wanted to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about some of the actions that he’s planning for the summer. The department is working with the Department of ITI to address some hardships resulting in the low numbers of caribou. I just want to ask the Minister how or what plans or how do they plan on addressing all the hardships in the smaller communities that aren’t seeing the caribou numbers like they used to? With the high price of food in a lot of these remote communities, have they come up with any...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, I don’t speak my language very often as I’m still learning, but to me the Denesoline language is very important. With Aboriginal Day approaching, and although I recognize the importance of this national holiday for aboriginals and Canadians, I want to talk about the importance of aboriginal language as the foundation of our culture and livelihood.

I cannot stress the importance of languages to our northern territory. It has been stated by many Members of this current Legislature and past Legislatures, by prominent public...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess back in October during the session the Minister said that he would commit to the Member that this review would be done in the first week of January. I'm hoping that it probably was done in January sometime, and that was four months ago. The community consultation; is there any specific dates that the Minister can tell me and my constituents when they're going to be in the communities to do this consultation, because it's already four months past when the review was supposed to be completed. When do we start the consultation process, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Again, I would just like to raise some housing policies and practices that continue to concern me and my constituents. Since very little has changed in the Housing Corporation’s policies and practices since raising these issues in this House on numerous occasions over the past two years and also bringing them to the attention of the Minister in charge of housing who, I might add, Mr. Speaker, spent four years on this side of the House adamantly demanding the same changes to the housing policies and practices, I feel it is important to raise the red flag once again.

First, Mr...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I’ll just be brief on this because everybody is beating everybody else on what their concerns are that we expressed yesterday. I just want to let it be known that I won’t be supporting this motion, not because of what everybody was saying, you know, the government’s lack of foresight and lack of planning escalated by all the changes in the political landscape of the day that kind of added to and made this whole lack of planning look even worse. But I know the Minister stated ECE would be left out in the cold along with all these NGOs. I know that the NGOs that are there...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The most important people you want to consult with in these communities seem to be the ones they haven't touched base with yet. I'm sure that the Minister has probably met with the Yellowknife Health Authority and gone over some of the recommendations of the review. Maybe just for the public record and for my constituents' peace of mind, what were the views of the Yellowknife Health Authority so far as the overall recommendations that the review recommended? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I just want to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources and Health and Social Services a question just referring back to October last year when the Minister has committed, as a department, to do a review of the health and social services arrangement that they have with the Yellowknife Health Authority as far as the relationship with people of Deninu Kue. I just want to know what the status of that review is and, if it's completed, is it available for public consultation? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I’ll just be brief on this because everybody is beating everybody else on what their concerns are that we expressed yesterday. I just want to let it be known that I won’t be supporting this motion, not because of what everybody was saying, you know, the government’s lack of foresight and lack of planning escalated by all the changes in the political landscape of the day that kind of added to and made this whole lack of planning look even worse. But I know the Minister stated ECE would be left out in the cold along with all these NGOs. I know that the NGOs that are there...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The most important people you want to consult with in these communities seem to be the ones they haven't touched base with yet. I'm sure that the Minister has probably met with the Yellowknife Health Authority and gone over some of the recommendations of the review. Maybe just for the public record and for my constituents' peace of mind, what were the views of the Yellowknife Health Authority so far as the overall recommendations that the review recommended? Thank you.