Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of questions that arise out of that answer. The first thing might be why didn’t we know about this arrangement, but I am not going to ask that question. The Minister mentioned that the regime is in abeyance for the three years. I think that’s the time limit he mentioned. Could the Minister assure us that the abeyance is something that he knows to be permanent in that we are not going to be told a year or two later that we made a mistake? It was in abeyance temporarily, but you are going to have to pay back whatever you have gained. What kind of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister of Finance is a man of his own word. When he says he is going to get aggressive, I know he is going to get aggressive. We are with him. I am envisioning him being the Incredible Hulk coming out of his shirt, going out there and taking on Mr. Harper and letting him know what we need. So I look forward to seeing his work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that we will probably have an opportunity to discuss this in detail as the days come along, but I am just wondering if the Minister could indicate to the House as to whether there were any programs under federal funding that he’s aware of, or are we already accessing any federal money on that? The previous government in Ottawa spoke about homecare funding and I guess we need time to sort out all the promises and commitments by various parties, but could he indicate to the House about any federal funding available for this? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It appears that we’re strong with…We’re starting with a bang in this first day of five weeks of session to come.

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Mr. Speaker, my question, however, is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It’s in regards to the respite care program. Mr. Speaker, for many months and the number of years I’ve been here, there has been a call for the need, or speaking about the need, for the respite care program. We’ve finally got one in Yellowknife. It’s being run by Abe Miller and the Association for Community Living. But, as far as I’m aware, it’s a pilot program...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since our last sitting in November, the winds of political change have swept across the NWT and many parts of our country. Canada elected a Conservative minority government in Ottawa, and in the NWT, the people voted for a change and the agent for change they have chosen is the new MP for the Western Arctic, Mr. Dennis Bevington. In my first opportunity to do so in this House, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to Mr. Bevington.

Mr. Speaker, I can speak from having watched them more closely than others, that he and his team were very diligent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe this is a pilot program. It’s running out of Yellowknife, but I have no doubt that this will have to expand to other communities. I am just wondering if the Minister could commit to this House to make this one of his priority issues to deal with his federal counterpart as soon as that person is known to advance this issue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that answer and the efforts that the Minister and the government are making in that regard. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister stated, there is a huge need for this, and I think Members on this side of the floor have been getting lots of calls from those parents or caregivers who are able to get some relief, which is what this program is meant to do, except I think there is an opening for about a dozen placements and there is a waiting list of probably five times longer, if not longer than that. It seems like there is no system in place to move...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to welcome everybody, the leaders, artists, interested public, and the parents. I would like to recognize Mrs. Esther Braden and Mr. Ed Jeske who often chauffeur lots of seniors from Avens Court. I would like to thank Mrs. Braden for convincing my mother to come and see the first day because she usually likes to watch us on TV, so my mother, Taejeong Lee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't appreciate the Minister burning up question period time without answering my questions. Mr. Speaker, my question is very specific. There are builders all over the North -- in Hay River, in Yellowknife, and other places -- and let me just talk about the one in Yellowknife who is willing to use people who are in our correctional centre. He is willing to train people. He has built houses. I want to know, very specifically, how and when is the last time he talked to the builder in Kam Lake about how he could get involved in this project. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, further to my Member's statement today, I would like to pose my questions to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I made a statement about the fact that there are a lot of small businesses and northern businesses who go through the ups and downs of running a business in the North, where everything is high. But they stick around, they pay their taxes, they employ our people, they train our people, in the hopes of taking advantage of an economic boom. One of the things that's going to happen when the pipeline comes...