Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Historical Resource Act; Bill 3, International Interest in Mobile Aircraft Equipment Act; Bill 4, Public Library Act; Bill 5, Professional Corporations Act; and Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act.

The committee wishes to report that Bill 1, Bill 3, and Bill 7 are now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole and that Bill 4 and Bill 5 are now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole, as amended and reprinted.

Mahsi cho. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to make a Member’s statement to the people of Tu Nedhe, to advise the people of Tu Nedhe of the items that I will be working on in the next 25 days while I sit here in the Legislative Assembly. I will be working on the fact that the homeownership program in housing, which is a major issue in Tu Nedhe, seems to be progressing very slowly. I find that the programs are not assisting the people that they are intended to assist at this time. In the Northwest Territories there are approximately 17,000 residents and about 3,000...

I guess I’m more or less thinking about a specific group of people: homeowners in small communities who have low incomes. I don’t really need a specific program. I suppose the Housing Corporation has consolidated all of their programs into 14 programs, and each of those programs is supposed to be able to encompass the assistance towards all home ownership clients or all housing clients.

I’ll ask the Minister again if they could take a portion of CARE and concentrate first on home ownership clients who are paying their own operating expenses, before getting into the public housing end, where the...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. I’d like to ask the Minister if he could direct his staff to look at the small communities where they are considered to have a high cost construction season. It’s almost over now, and some of these people are locked into the high cost of fuel from just generally high costs in small communities. Would the Minister direct his staff to quickly get materials that will make the houses more efficient — wood stoves, weather strips and whatnot — that are needed for our low income families in the small...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I have a written question for the Minister of Transportation regarding operations and maintenance of Highway No. 4. Can the Minister tell me:

What is the total length of the all season section of Highway No. 4?

What is the total paved or chipsealed section of Highway No. 4?

What was the Department of Transportation’s O&M budget for Highway No. 4 for the 2004–05, 2005–06 and 2006–07 fiscal years?

What is the total number of full-time residents on Highway No. 4 according to the last census?

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me if the department acknowledges and incorporates the role of traditional knowledge into its policies and legislation; for example, any regulations that may be required as a result of the management strategy?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about the importance of the traditional practice of harvesting buffalo by Dene elders for subsistence purposes. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Can the Minister tell me if sections of the current Wildlife Act speak specifically on traditional harvesting of bison, or is there any regulation on the same issue as it pertains to the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Today I want to talk about hunting buffalo. For years the Dene elders have hunted buffalo for subsistence purposes. However, today they are telling elders that you can’t hunt unless you have a tag. At the same time, some non-native persons, southerners, are allowed to hunt bison — hunt for sport — because they’ve got tags.

Elders are confused by this. Traditional harvesting of bison by our Dene people has been going on for years. These elders are expert hunters who have traditional knowledge for hunting bison. Mr. Speaker, with caribou...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I was wondering if the Minister could communicate that to us in writing as soon as possible.

I’m referring to home ownership, of course, where the individuals have to pay their own operating costs. I was wondering if the Minister could have the staff concentrate on the home ownership section, especially for homes where individuals are responsible for their own heat, power and so on but are deemed to be low income, within that income window where individuals will get assistance from the Housing Corporation.