Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the break from last session a lot of issues have come up in talking with my constituents in my region. It’s the social and economic situation we find ourselves, especially for people looking for work. The people are struggling just to make ends meet.
The cost of gas in Tsiigehtchic is $1.71 a litre, yet that gas is subsidized by the Government of the Northwest Territories through petroleum products.
The road conditions and conditions of the Dempster Highway, which is now being called the Dumpster Highway because of the number of potholes on that road, is depreciating, and people are wondering what is being done by this government to maintain our infrastructure and make sure it is safe for the travelling public.
The issue of old age security. The elders that I’ve spoken to are seeing a very major decline in their old age pensions and they’re wondering why that is. They already have a fixed income, and to have it cut even further is affecting their ability to maintain their lifestyle and their means they need to sustain themselves.
I also think it’s important to realize that communities are requesting more involvement from the government to take over local housing authorities, which communities such as Tsiigehtchic still don’t have. We have programs and services being delivered out of our communities, such as mental health and addictions, yet today those agreements haven’t been changed in 10 years and some of those people are making less than people in similar fields as government employees.
The big issue that people are having is the changes to regulations by this government, especially when it comes to home heating and having to replace your fuel tanks to sustain your home. In some cases this costs well over $1,500 and a lot of people don’t have that.
The big issue that came out was the question of mould in our housing and the health of the people that reside in those public housing units, the effect of mould on the individuals.
The big issue that a lot of people are having is that they’re struggling to get into housing, and yet there still remains a lot of vacant units in our communities which are not being used.
Lastly, there are questions about the Elders on the Land Program to ensure the elders are able to sustain themselves through cultural means by way of having the On the Land Program that they had to ensure they have the ability to continue that practice. These are some of the areas that we will be dealing with over the next week.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
