Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s almost like trying to tell the Minister, oh, take over Transportation and you do it within your funding. That’s basically what he’s telling the school boards.

Will the Minister ensure he works with the Beaufort-Delta Education Authority and other authorities throughout the NWT to ensure they have adequate resources?

The communities are well aware of the program and they see what promise this program has, but with 18 new students both in Aklavik and Fort McPherson, there is a big increase in the demand that that takes on.

Will the Minister make sure that he provides the funding that he gave the pilot projects this year to the schools for next fall?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Lorna Storr from Aklavik, one of the longest serving teachers in the Mackenzie Delta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of our priorities for this government is to reduce the cost of living in our communities.

How does the Minister plan to address the impacts of increased fuel prices on the quality of life in our smaller communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Public Works and Services. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, the high cost of fuel prices in the community of Tsiigehtchic. It’s not bad enough we’re paying $8 per litre of milk, now the price of heating fuel has gone up.

I’d like to ask the Minister: Can the Minister explain the huge increase in the price of fuel for Tsiigehtchic?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain some of the differences between the Northwest Territories petroleum products supply and Nunavut’s bulk fuel purchases that have allowed them to stabilize fuel costs while prices in the Northwest Territories continue to rise?

I was actually asking about Tsiigehtchic. I wasn’t too concerned about Yellowknife. The prices here are, I believe, $1.38 per litre. The residents of Tsiigehtchic want to know why they feel the communities are always hit with the highest prices. As well, Tsiigehtchic is on the Mackenzie River system.

Can we reduce the cost by bringing fuel in to the community by barge?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of living in our small communities has been brought up to this government before and here we are again talking about the high cost of food, fuel and community services. My community of Tsiigehtchic recently experienced a huge increase in the price of fuel. One litre of gas costs $2.01, which rose 9 cents. Heating fuel is $1.92. Petrol is 19 cents. Also, diesel fuel is $2.05 per litre.

Our constituents want to know why there is such a huge increase in fuel costs for Tsiigehtchic. They are concerned that this increase will affect many of our residents in terms of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we are waiting for the review and revision of the Medical Travel Policy, will the Minister make an exception in this case?

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my statement, my constituent was given a support letter from her doctor, and then once it came to medical travel it was denied.

I’d like to know why was she denied a medical escort after being approved earlier?