Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment replied to one of my questions by stating: “If there is an asbestos issue, then we would be proactive and work with the Department of Public Works and Services and put in mitigating measures to deal with that. At this point, it hasn’t been brought to my attention if it is an issue.”

I’d like to know, since my exchange with the Minister of Education last week, if the Minister of Public Works or any of his departmental officials supplied information to the Minister of Education about asbestos in the Moose Kerr...

Information is also kept about the condition of the asbestos and the need for repairs, abatement or maintenance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of Public Works later today.

As you know, in the Beaufort-Delta region there are almost 15 communities there so it doesn’t go a long way, but I think we need to relook at that. There are two different pots, actually, CHAP, as you mentioned and also, it is different under each land claim group, but it is the Gwich’in Harvester Assistance Program or the same under the Inuvialuit, but I think we do need to take a better look at that. There are more people wanting to go out and trap and hunt and make a partial living off of wild furs and hunting. It helps out a lot with the cost of living up in that area and I just wanted to...

Just on that note, you know, most of the people that live… I will just use Eight Miles for example, just south of Fort McPherson. Many of those people that live there are elders and a lot of them don’t sell a lot of the products they make, for example dry fish, even though there is a huge demand. A lot of people take their families out there and I think that would be eligible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Were there any other contaminants found within the school premises? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will continue my questions to the Minister of Public Works. Last week the Minister of Education mentioned that a major renovation was made to the Moose Kerr School in 1999. A number of upgrades were subsequently made to the school between 2008 and 2012.

I would like to know if any asbestos issues were encountered in any of these upgrades. Did these upgrades include abatement or mediation of asbestos-containing materials? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Itai Katz who is one of my constituents from Tsiigehtchic. I’d like to welcome him to the gallery. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a few concerns along the lines that Mr. Moses brought up earlier, is the sentencing that many of the people get, whether it’s through drug trafficking or bootlegging. I know some of the community programs through the local justice programming, they’re looking at ways to deal with, I’m not sure whether it’s these issues, but I think we need to look at a different direction, and I think that we need to increase jail times. These are pretty serious things that are affecting our territory.

If you look at other jurisdictions, whether it’s Alaska or further down south, they...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a few comments for the Minister along the same lines of policing. I know the community of Fort McPherson has received an extra RCMP to manage Tsiigehtchic, and as the Minister committed to having one of the officers overnighting in Tsiigehtchic, I just have to ask the question of funding. Has the detachment in Fort McPherson received extra funding to implement that? That is one of my major concerns. I know the Minister is willing to work with the Minister of Housing to line up a place to stay, but I look forward to that and I know we are a ways off from a...

I know last year we had a commitment that the Minister would work with NWT Housing to provide services, whether it’s someone coming in during the day to work with the elders to do exercising programs or make sure that they all have meals. Is the Minister going to follow through? Thank you.