Independent, self-reliant individuals are a goal of the 16th Assembly. I’d like to speak today about a group of people who continue to try to be independent and self-reliant but are sometimes overlooked by us. The group of people I’m speaking about is the seniors of the Northwest Territories. Most seniors have paid their dues and contributed to the rich fabric of the Northwest Territories. It’s time we as a society paid them the respect they deserve.
We get calls from seniors back home. They face many issues. A lot of them are trying to get by on a fixed income. The cost of living goes up and their income stays the same. Seniors also deserve to feel safe in the supposed security of their own homes. They shouldn’t have to worry about being kept awake by constant partying and noise going on around them.
Mr. Speaker, a lot of seniors still own their own homes, and they try to maintain their own home, but it’s becoming too expensive with all the utility rates going up for them to continue to stay there. Like I said, they’re on a fixed income. This has caused a lot of seniors to do something they don’t want to do: move out of their homes and go into public housing, where they’re guaranteed that if they’re over 60, they’ll get free rent. I think a lot of them don’t want to do that, but they’re almost forced into that situation.
It causes me a lot of concern, Mr. Speaker, when I see able-bodied young people continue to live off the government while seniors struggle to get by. In this government we do try to assist seniors as much as we can, which is a good thing. However, there’s more we can do to ensure that seniors know we are listening to them. Seniors have contributed and still contribute to the Northwest Territories. I’d encourage young people to sit down and chat with them. They have much history to share. It would also give an opportunity to the young people to truly appreciate what they have today, by listening to the stories of hard times the seniors had to go through. I would encourage that.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
