Debates of October 25, 2006 (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've been handed a note by the president of the Renewable Resource Council in Tulita in terms of community freezers. I want to ask the honourable Brendan Bell if he has any idea as to my question here in terms of the community has been promised, similar to Paulatuk, community freezers for individuals or families that need it. So I want to ask the Minister if he's aware of such a promise, maybe by the previous government or the previous administration, in terms of community freezers for the community members in Tulita.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 194-15(5): Community Freezer For Tulita

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say that no, I was not aware of a commitment made in that regard, if one was made. A little bit of history, Mr. Speaker. I think in the mid-90s there were 17 communities who had community freezers and I think some of them had more than more, but certainly not more than two. At that point, the government made a decision to get out of funding the O and M for these community freezers for a variety of reasons. Cost was one of them. Upkeep was another. When freezers fail, obviously the entire community's subsistence harvest can be lost, Mr. Speaker. So we looked at a number of arrangements and they varied by community. As we've heard earlier, in Paulatuk and in Holman a commitment was made to move to chest freezers that individuals would take care of. In other communities, the facilities were sold to the community. My understanding is, Mr. Speaker, that in Tulita an arrangement was made with the community to sell the freezer for $1, but I don't have all of the history on this. I'd certainly be willing to instruct my officials to sit down and go back and revisit this if there's a feeling there was some commitment that was made and not lived up to. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 194-15(5): Community Freezer For Tulita

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask if the Minister would continue on with this commitment to look into this issue and come back to the people in Tulita in terms of looking at the options of what they were promised. People in the community knew and had asked me. They said there was a promise made and to date nothing has ever come about in terms of our community freezers. Maybe something where they have chest freezers, I believe they're called. So they're waiting for a promise to be fulfilled by this government.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 194-15(5): Community Freezer For Tulita

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will certainly sit down. I'll have the regional staff sit down with the community. The information I've been provided if we feel the commitment to sell the freezer was made. In other communities, there were one-time payments made for chest freezers. Those payments have concluded. So really it is a variety of solutions in a number of communities. But we will go back. If there was a commitment made and we have not lived up to that, we will. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 194-15(5): Community Freezer For Tulita

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A promise made, a promise kept. Mr. Speaker, promises where it's going to be he said, she said, they said. You know, it's going to get into this craziness. So I would ask the Minister if he would instruct his staff to come to Tulita, talk to the people who heard and who acknowledge that a promise was made in terms of having community freezers in Tulita. I would ask the Minister if he could do that within the next week or so. Go to Tulita and talk to the people there in terms of what type of promises were made in terms of providing them with some form of freezer. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 194-15(5): Community Freezer For Tulita

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I will ask the regional staff to visit Tulita, talk to the community leadership about what they feel the promises were. We do have records going back. I'm not sure we have the specific discussions, and the Member is right; we don't want to get into a you promised, he said, she said debate. Clearly, we can't afford to give everybody in the Northwest Territories a freezer, so we do have to go back to the arrangements that were made and the commitments that were made. We will do that, Mr. Speaker. I give the Member my commitment in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 194-15(5): Community Freezer For Tulita

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if we had resource revenue sharing we could give everybody two freezers in the whole Northwest Territories.

Two freezers.

Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister, and I sure appreciate the strong commitment to the people in Tulita in terms of instructing his staff to come into Tulita and talk about the freezer issue. Would the Minister commit to the people in Tulita that within a certain time frame, let's say next week, maybe on October 31st, on Halloween night, trick or treat, in terms of having this issue settled once and for all in the community of Tulita and in terms of getting them a freezer? I hope it's a treat, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 194-15(5): Community Freezer For Tulita

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I'm sure the Member doesn't want a trick. In fact, we will sit down, talk to the community. My staff are listening. I'm sure we're busily going over people's schedules and trying to figure out how we can get somebody in there as quick as possible. So I will make the commitment that we will move as quickly as we possibly can, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.