Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to address the issue of the North Slave regional office. Most of these offices and especially the offices with the decision-making powers are located at the headquarters in Yellowknife, instead of in the region, Mr. Speaker. Services provided from those offices for Tlicho have been a concern for some time now. Mr. Speaker, the Tlicho region has been accorded regional status by virtue of land claims and self-government agreement with the recent TCSA, Tlicho Community Services Agency, silver medal award for innovative management. That is a great achievement, Mr. Speaker. So far, the GNWT has ignored the fact that in terms of how it organizes its services.

Most North Slave regional offices are still located in the headquarters in Yellowknife. Decision-makers and managers still sit in Yellowknife ignoring Behchoko as a regional centre and as the largest aboriginal community in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. It is time for this Government of the Northwest Territories to acknowledge the importance of Behchoko as a capital of the Tlicho Government. Basically, such recognition will mean that Tlicho becomes a stand-alone region. It must come with the transfer of positions, Mr. Speaker, that are authorized to make decisions.

Mr. Speaker, presently the Tlicho residents are being disadvantaged. Responses to questions or requests take a long time. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Mr. Speaker, requests forwarded to headquarters go through multiple levels of bureaucracy. Their message may change in this process. They are either delayed or sometimes lost in the system. This is not necessary and causes undue hardship, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government should give the Tlicho region with Behchoko the same acknowledgment that it did with the Sahtu and the transfer of North Slave regional office function serving the Tlicho from Yellowknife to Behchoko.

As the Government of the Northwest Territories chooses to represent the Tlicho, it must have a senior staff manager permanently residing and located in Behchoko, not just a few officers and clerks. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the honourable Premier at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

---Applause