Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for the update on the initiatives. It's much appreciated. I am wondering if the Minister can provide the report or the update to the Hamlet of Fort Providence on the initiatives and their strategy to get it going, because nobody in our community actually knows what is happening. I can't find any reports anywhere, and I am just hoping that the Minister can provide some written record for our community, and also for myself.

We have a concern here. We've got a strategy out there. Nobody is really adhering to it, especially the power companies, and, like I said, the watchdog group is not there. We thought the Public Utilities Board would have been, but apparently they have other duties to regulate them, that they don't ask the power companies to come up with any type of a strategy. I think I am going to have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the residents of the Northwest Territories are faced with many challenges in everyday life. People are faced with low to no employment, evictions from housing, soaring grocery prices, and the ever-increasing costs of living. People have to pay rent, power, and utility bills. The introduction of the carbon tax certainly did not quell the ever-increasing costs of living but is a major contributor to the problem.

Mr. Speaker, heating fuel may not be taxed, but this does not stop the fuel suppliers from raising their prices as they see fit. Mr. Speaker, when I look...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement was on extending the cellphone range outside of the municipalities. It was appropriate that the MACA Minister updated us on the 911 service to the Northwest Territories. My reference to the Minister of Ho-Ho-Ho, it is appropriate that the Minister is wearing a Christmas-themed sweater. Also, the fact that with the housing questions, she did answer "yes" a couple of times. I believe that the Minister is on a roll.

The cellphone range service is a concern to our communities. I think it goes right across the whole territory, too, because we are only...

The Minister must remember I said lots of nice things about her today. My question is: can the Minister provide a timeline as to tasks undertaken to enable this service coming into being in the very near future?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to remind everyone: 'tis the season to be jolly. Many amongst us may have teenaged children, nephews, and nieces, and we all know what they will want for Christmas.

There are many hunters and trappers eking out a living out on the traplines. This is tough and, most times, dangerous work setting Conibear traps.

There are commercial fishermen out on the frozen lakes, whether by snowmobiles or Bombardiers, to provide fish to the people or restaurants.

We have infrastructure highways employees out on the highways on a daily basis, keeping the roads cleared and safe...

Will the Minister commit to delivering on the education renewal plan and have the department staff go into all the small communities to discuss the state of education with grass-roots people?

I'll be very quick, Mr. Speaker. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister. Mahsi.

Mahsi to the Minister for his answers. Most if not all the small communities are quite possibly facing more teacher layoffs in the near future. My community of Fort Providence has lost four teacher positions this past June. This is creating increasing workloads for the existing teachers as they are teaching more than one grade and quite possibly increasing the stress levels for the teachers. Shouldn't a situation like this raise red flags in the education system, and what is the GNWT Department of ECE going to do about these situations in the small, outlying communities?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment as my Member's statement on the GNWT's education renewal document and the state of education in the small communities. Can the Minister advice if the education renewal document was presented to the education councils or divisional education boards in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.