Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The high-tech world we live in today is wireless Internet service, high speed analog and digital communications. Mr. Speaker, today a lot of these services aren’t provided in all communities in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I think it’s essential that we develop the electronic grid throughout the Northwest Territories’ 33 communities. As we’ve heard in this House, there are seven communities in the Northwest Territories with cell phone service. Mr. Speaker, that leaves some 24 communities without these types of services and I think it’s important to realize, Mr. Speaker, the key to our success is bringing the Northwest Territories into the 21st Century. More importantly, bring the 24 communities along with you.
I think it’s important, Mr. Speaker, that we, as government, cannot realize that it’s essential that we build infrastructure in the Northwest Territories for all of our communities so that we can have a wireless system that we can provide medical services in all our health clinics in the Northwest Territories regardless if they’re health centres so that when we have an incident in Sachs Harbour or Colville Lake or Tsiigehtchic, that we have systems in place regardless if it’s telehealth or whatnot available that’s workable, its systems are worked in. More importantly, improving the education system in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, we have an education system in the Northwest Territories which does not provide all essential and critical services to our communities by way of giving the educational programs in regards to having them identify the different courses. But because of the structures that we have, a lot our communities do provide science, biology, chemistry and mathematics in all our communities and which a lot of our students that are in the high schools have to do it on line. Again, it’s essential that we have that high speed system in place to link all our high schools in the Northwest Territories in the 33 communities into a system that provides us with that technology.
Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important as a government that we invest in this technology regardless if it’s through partnerships, the private sector, aboriginal development corporations or the federal government. I think it’s important that the system that we use is just as important to our highway system in regard to our transportation systems, but technology is key to the success of…
Mr. Krutko, your time for Member’s statement is expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Mr. Speaker, I believe it’s essential as government that we do formulate these partnerships and, more importantly, we work for the benefit of 33 communities in the Northwest Territories. So at the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs questions on this matter. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
