David Krutko

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize my Constituency Assistant, Liz Wright, who is here in the gallery today. Liz is in town this week, working out of my office here in Yellowknife. Welcome to the gallery.

Today I rise on an issue we’ve heard a lot about over the last couple of weeks: the area of consultation.

It’s a fundamental right. It’s also right to have come by the way of land claim agreements and court cases and court challenges. Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important to realize that we do have an obligation to consult, regardless of whether it’s through a legal case in the Supreme Court of Canada or a land claim agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll read the definition that it’s the Gwich’in Land Claim Agreement, which says:

“‘Consultation’ means (a) the provision, to the party to be consulted, of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister give me a month, date, year by which she’s going to fill these positions?

Mr. Speaker, it’s not only the crisis with the doctors. We also have shortages with nurses in communities where our health centres are being closed or put on emergency notice.

Can the Minister tell me exactly how many health care centres in the Inuvik region are on emergency notice, where they can only deal with emergency cases?

Presently there’s a health crisis going on in the Inuvik region. It has to do with providing medical services to the whole Mackenzie Delta and Beaufort Sea communities and Inuvik itself. Right now we’re short some five doctors in Inuvik; we’re down to four doctors when we should have nine. Clinic tours to our communities have been cancelled because of the shortage of doctors. In regard to the collective negotiation that’s going on, they seem to have no problem filling the Yellowknife Stanton hospital, which has some 27 positions. Out of that, 26 are filled.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, this health crisis...

In regard to the aboriginal organizations, I know we had a process in regard to the Aboriginal Summit, which no longer exists. There are some major issues happening in the Northwest Territories.

We could touch on the Deh Cho Bridge, but I think we’re talking about the Tetlit’Zheh expansion; we’re talking about other big projects in the Northwest Territories. The pipeline decisions still have to come down.

I’d like to ask the Premier what exactly we are doing as a government differently from what we did with the Aboriginal Summit. Is there going to be such a forum, or a committee or a makeup of...

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier and also to the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs. In regard to my Member’s statement on consultation, I read out different sections of the agreement. It’s very clear the government has an obligation to consult on specific matters, especially on economic measures, the subsurface rights section and also deal with forestry and other elements.

But again, the idea of consultation is not simply sending off a letter, and then if you don’t get a response in two weeks, that’s consultation. I think because of the issue of consultation, it’s critical...

I won’t argue with the Minister on this. I know what the H. pylori is all about, and I think there is that connection. So I think it’s important, as a government, to deal with health versus infrastructure.

Again, it’s crucial that this government does not fall back on the commitments they made to the community and to MLAs when it comes to capital projects for our ridings because of someone else’s concern from some other riding.

I’d just like to get some assurance from this government that they’re not going to backtrack on the commitment that’s been given to the people of my riding — especially...

The committee has been considering Minister’s Statement 1-16(2) and Minister’s Statement 9-16(2). I would like to report that Minister’s Statement 1-16(2) and Minister’s Statement 9-16(2) are concluded. I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Mr. Speaker, the hamlet of Aklavik and myself fully support the efforts of MACA in trying to deal with this problem. We know that it’s a cost issue, but again, we have health concerns in our communities. We need to address the water problems in these communities.

So again, I’d like to ask the Minister: do you have any time frames on when we can see construction beginning in these communities?