Debates of August 25, 2011 (day 18)
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON NUNAKPUT ISSUES FOR THE 17TH ASSEMBLY
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my last Member’s statement is what we need for Nunakput.
---Laughter
Well, I’ve got my list here. Three pages.
Mr. Speaker, projects are the Darnley Bay diamond mine exploration project and an all-season road to Tuktoyaktuk must be jeopardized or injured due to the election. These economic projects are important for the NWT and the region. The executive needs to ensure that progress continues to the next team, the necessities to get the job done.
Mr. Speaker, we need the jobs in the Beaufort-Delta.
Building the infrastructure of the roads is critical to growing capacity and the building of northern regions such as Nunakput. Without continuous investment, more opportunities will just merely pass us by. Companies will go and invest their resources in other countries such as our friends to the west, Alaska.
Mr. Speaker, like I said, the future is in the North. The Mackenzie Gas Project could provide so many jobs to my home community of Tuk and the surrounding Nunakput, and in Inuvik with the offshore drilling programs if they were to go forward.
We have to tell the oil companies that we are open for business and we need to get people working and not rely on ECE so much for handouts.
Mr. Speaker, the all-weather road to Tuk, I hope to get something going this year so we can have jobs in the communities of Inuvik, Tuk, Aklavik and other communities because we need the work. There is nothing going on. There are no diamond mines. Let’s get something started. A few million dollars, I think, would go a long way for that to happen.
I hope to include in the community of Tuk a deep sea port. The LNG plant could create so many jobs for all of Nunakput and the people. When we come back, when we have jobs, the health care and so many other nurses and doctors at the camps are able to help people in the communities like they did before. We won’t run into people being evicted because of the housing programs, because people have jobs to pay their rent.
Mr. Speaker, we need the jobs. ECE programs, we’ll revisit them when we come back, Mr. Speaker. We have to promote the NWT that we’re open for business to the oil and gas companies so we can get something started for all the people of the Beaufort-Delta and the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.