Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the tabled report called GNWT Seniors Strategic Framework sets out a lot of information provided by the department and the government on how to help seniors age in place.
Mr. Speaker, seniors are very important to me, as they are to everyone on this side of the House. I can't speak to that side of the House because they deleted the role for a Minister responsible for seniors but hopefully one day they'll realize their mistake. And it's not too late to change it, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the seniors will tell me different things, and they certainly tell me the same things they tell my community colleagues. So whether you live in Gameti or Wekweeti, they'll tell you about their housing challenges and they'll talk about the lack of community supports to allow them to live there. This is a problem no different here in Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, if you were in Deline or Tulita, you have transportation problems as a senior and elder, and those things need to be faced. Mr. Speaker, whether you live in Aklavik, McFoo, or even Tsiigehtchic, you have cultural issues there where we need to keep our seniors alive and connected into our community, Mr. Speaker. Let alone health care and support services that we need to get, whether you live in Inuvik or any other place throughout our great territory, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, knowing Wrigley very well as I do, and certainly as you do, I mean I can appreciate the fact that, you know, accessibility and communication and feeling part of the community is just as integral as anything else is good services. Mr. Speaker, the importance that I'm raising here is we cannot ignore the needs of our seniors in any way.
What's important about this report on one of the last statements on the last page, it points out that seniors need focused integrated. Interdepartmental intercoordination. They need a coordinator for their initiatives, Mr. Speaker. So, again, whether you live you live in Deline, you live in Dettah, you live in Inuvik, you live in Tsiigehtchic, we need a central point for people to work, Mr. Speaker, and if you certainly live in Yellowknife you demand and need these services.
Every one of us on this side of the House deserves the respect for our seniors and elders, and I hope the Premier's listening so he'll take back to his Cabinet colleagues the need and necessity and recognition of the problem of deleting the integral important piece of what it represents, a seniors’ secretariat that is fully funded to support our seniors in need because we care about them deeply and sincerely, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Before we go on to Members' statements, Members, I'd like to welcome the NWT Career Centre CDETNO represented by coordinator Andrea Fowler and participants at the youth employment and skills strategy program. This is a ninth group. Their goal is to assist youth to reach their potential and obtain the skills, tools, and resources to discover or continue along their career paths. So, please, welcome them here today. Thank you.
Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.
