Frederick Blake Jr.

Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just going to the budget. I’d like to stress the need for an extension to the airport in Aklavik. I do not see it in the plans over the next few years but I just wanted to stress that it is needed for the community to expand the runway there, just for safety reasons. It was done in Fort McPherson, and I believe there were plans to do the same in Aklavik and I would just like to stress to the Minister that I would really appreciate it if that was in the budget for the coming year.

I’d like to ask the Minister when equipment will start moving and people will be working in the Beaufort-Delta region.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the former Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. David Krutko. I’d like to thank him for all his hard work over the years.

Thank you. No further questions at this time.

Yes, it was to replace the Louis Cardinal with the ferry that’s in Fort Providence at the moment. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for his answers there. I look forward to working with him on an ongoing basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to comment on what isn’t in the budget. As I’ve mentioned numerous times, there’s a big demand for a long-term care facility in the Mackenzie Delta, yet I don’t see anything in the budget to accommodate that. I just want to stress the importance of having our elders in our communities. We owe a lot to our elders and I think we should be treating them with the respect they deserve.

In the future years I’d like to see a health care facility within the region, within the communities like Aklavik or Fort McPherson, for example. Not everybody is very comfortable...

The amount of funding provided is clearly the problem. Will the Minister provide the wellness worker position under the Department of Health and Social Services as it was done last year?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s been six months since changes to the wellness worker in Tsiigehtchic were made. In April the wellness worker position was contracted to the community with a large decrease of funds available compared to when the GNWT offered the position.

This government should not set the communities up for failure. As we look to decentralize many of our government positions to the communities, we should be providing adequate funding to the communities so they succeed. Thank you.