Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Madam Chair. So going forward, I guess, I'm just thinking that as claims get done in the North and Indigenous governments want greater control on managing the housing situation in their communities, I guess would your department or are they going to start looking at how they're going to start working with Indigenous governments to fulfilling some of these roles through either agreements that they have either through a block funding agreement or contribution agreements? So sooner or later, this government here has to start recognizing that we are going to have settled claims. And...

Madam Chair, I note that she touched on the Minerals Act. Right now it's also under review to my understanding. But it's also a concern that was also brought to my attention by a member from my community that, you know, there should still be more Aboriginal and Indigenous engagement on this Act, but right now it's what's happening is that they're working behind the scenes it seems like with industry, etcetera. Is it your hope to start working with Indigenous governments and then Denedeh Diamond Corporation, I guess they changed their name now, but in terms of getting some feedback on what...

Thank you, Madam Chairman. Anyways, I'm just thinking about the business incentive policies. In the early days when I was the local housing authority manager in the community in N'dilo, we managed all our housing in our community. We had a block funding agreement with the housing corporation where we agreed to build X amount of units in our community. But we had to follow the business incentive policy which means that we had to buy all cabinets from the North, all the windows from the North, all the screw jacks from the North, all the trusses from the North, etcetera. But what's happening...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I had one more a couple quick questions here if I could. In Hay River they have the Aurora Wood Pellets, and they have an arrangement with I guess that company in that's going to made up to look at building wood pellets, etcetera. Would you have any more information on that so you could share with us on that, or is that going to be in Minister Thompson's portfolio? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So it's just a matter of time I guess, that the department's going to have to start catching up and starting to recognize that Tu NedheWiilideh riding is a separate riding on its own. It's got four communities but yet we're rolled into the South Slave region and the positions that are there are not identified. So then when you say that there's money going to be going to South Slave region, really it's only going to include Hay River and Fort Smith but nothing for Tu Nedhe, which is N'dilo, Dettah, Fort Res and Lutselk'e. But that's okay, I'm hoping that the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know this year my colleague Jane, MLA from the Tlicho region talked about the way the Tlicho is mixed into the North Slave. I also too want to raise that as an issue because you just clarified to me that, you know, you don't have that information right now but it's only Hay River and Fort Smith. But then so when you say that, this information is kind of skewed in a way that it rolls in Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e and N'dilo and Dettah. So where does N'dilo and Dettah fall in? Does that fall into the North sorry, South Slave? Or sorry, North Slave? Thank you, Mr...

Thank you. I only got three minutes and 42 seconds left so I think we'll have that discussion at another day. But I think it's a valid question that, you know, we need to be recognized and that monies that are going into the South Slave region or North Slave region, that it goes in for my riding goes into different regions and it's all over the place so that needs to be recognized.

Anyways, moving forward though, right now as it is as we and you mentioned in your speech today that there's we're going to be closing the mines in the next couple years. And we're going to be looking at new ways...

Okay, thank you. Thank you for that and for clarifying that. I'm not sure when on one hand, you know, when I became the MLA, I represent the four communities of Tu NedheWiilideh, and I'm not sure when are we, the government, you're going to start looking to recognize that, because right now as it is the positions that are on these documents, or the monies that's going to the North or South Slave region, it's really I mean, how much money is it really coming into Dettah and N'dilo, to Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I got a few questions. In regards to your on page 230 and then I go to page 232, in here it talks about South Slave region. As you know, I represent the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, which is four communities. In here, can you explain to me it says fulltime, and there's ten positions. Can you explain to me where are the positions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the Minister for your response. I think it's a really good idea that I like what you've done in Fort Good Hope. You were there last fall and we like what we seen there too as well. So I guess maybe what I could do is if I want to make sure I want to be very clear that what I'm asking for is separate and outside from what the housing strategies that's already ongoing in the communities of YKDFN and Dettah and sorry, Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. This here is a separate little project where we could just really work together and identify what the...