Tom Beaulieu

Mr. Speaker, I too will be supporting the motion. I find the transfer of the public housing program to the Department of Education…. I don’t believe it was well thought out, and it was something I think has a good theoretical application but doesn’t apply practically. I think there’s enough work done on this side. It was felt the theory was that it would be an easy, smooth transfer over, and that all of the subsidies were going to try to be under one umbrella, and that they were going to attempt to have one-stop shopping for the tenants in the public housing.

As it turns out, it has complicated...

Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to talk about one of the many jewels of the Northwest Territories, the East Arm of the Great Slave Lake and, more specifically, the proposal to make this amazing area Canada’s newest national park.

In 1970, under the legacy of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, an area of almost 7,500 square kilometres of the East Arm was set aside for national park purposes. Unfortunately, over the course of the next few decades, the lack of progress in settling aboriginal land claims; resources and governance issues; and periodic government cutbacks stalled the drive for...

Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to mention that on Friday, February 15, 2008, at 11 or 11:15 in the morning, Tommy King of Fort Resolution passed away here in Yellowknife. Tommy was 65 years old. He was born September 15, 1942, in Rocher River and was one of the last families to remain in Rocher River. He was a trapper. He spent years working for Patterson Sawmill out around Hay River, falling logs and so on.

They’ll be returning his remains to Fort Resolution tomorrow, and then there will be a funeral on Thursday in Fort Resolution.

Mr. Chairman, I too, along with others in the House, do not support the motion to delete. This was one of the greatest concerns in my riding as we talked about health and social services — people’s desire to keep people in their communities for as long as possible. This is what this one community is doing. It could be a model for the rest of the communities to be able to keep their elders in their own community for their entire life if they don't wish to be moved. I know of no elders who have been centralized, once they hit a certain age, because services cannot be provided in the communities...

Mr. Speaker, this week I talked about funding for sports, recreation and youth programs and services from sources other than the G.N.W.T. I’d like to follow up my statement with the following questions.

Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution are both members of the Mackenzie Recreation Association. I understand that the MRA received an increase in core funding this year.

I’d like to ask the Minister of MACA:

What is the total funding that Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution received in each of the last five years from the MRA, and what was the purpose of the funding?

What is the total funding that other road...

Would the Minister commit to making a visit to Lutselk’e with me to discuss arena operations and other related matters pertaining to the arena?

Something fairly quick. I’m just learning the process of appropriation. The Minister’s opening remarks for the bill indicate all of the areas where the interim appropriation is exceeding one-quarter or one-third of the budget, 32 per cent of the budget. The various reasons for why these areas exceed 33 per cent of the budget all seem to be that contracts had to be put in place.

I was just wondering if the Minister could explain to me why there has to be an appropriation prior to contracts being in place, and if there wasn’t another accounting method that can be used to still put the contracts...

I’d like to recognize and thank the Chipewyan interpreter, trainees, instructors and elders that have been here all week.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. This week I spoke about the problems Lutselk’e is facing with the arena. Today I would like to ask follow-up questions to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, this matter is very serious for the community. It seems the community is getting frustrated with each passing day. Would the Minister commit to meeting with me and the community to get an accurate update and assessment of this matter?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the interpreters and interpreter trainees: Alizette Abel; Terry Villeneuve; Archie Smith — the bestest guy; Mary Jane Michel; Bernadette Lockhart; Elizabeth Boucher; Henry Catholique; and Joyce Isadore. Thank you.