Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today, Madam Speaker, I just want to say thank you to all the Members here in the House, both sides that we worked the last three weeks together to try do good for our territory, and I think we did a good job and we'll just keep moving ahead and working together. There's some issues that need to be dealt with but we'll get them dealt with. And just by saying that, my colleague Mr. Bonnetrouge really said it well in regards to thanking the staff and really we're able to do our jobs because of them, all the research that goes into some of the stuff that we deal with...

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

My questions are for the Minister of Finance regarding the proposed increase in the carbon tax, impacts on residents in the small communities, and the efforts to mitigate those impacts. Can the Minister provide a cost estimates on how much home heating fuel bills are anticipated to go up for the average households in the Nunakput riding?

Can the Minister provide further cost estimates on the anticipated average increases to household in all NWT communities;

Can the Minister provide information on how the government's proposed carbon tax rates will affect households in...

Madam Speaker, that was a long time ago. I was 21 years old. I just graduated from high school. I graduated at 17 but I was 21. Still young. I think I had one or two children by then. So, Madam Speaker, you know, I realize the Member from the HR in the south asked about increasing funding, and I thank him for that for saying we're looking into this. But can the Minister provide us with a list of programs when it was developed and how much was in that budget for that? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I'd like to welcome CEO of Arctic Research Foundation, Mr. Adrian Schimnowski, in the House. And then we have my CA Vince Teddy. Thank you, and welcome to the House.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Last Friday, I spoke in the House about a housing shortage in Paulatuk. I described to the Members and the Ministers about a young couple living in a tent frame; a young couple that's been trying to get into public housing since their baby was one month old. It's unbelievable that the baby's 13 months old, and I'm still advocating for the family to have a roof over their heads, Madam Speaker.

This government has allowed a newborn to go without adequate shelter in the first full year of her life. The Minister stated, "Right now I don't know what units are available in...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to congratulate Mr. Thagard in regards to his retirement. I've been working with him since 2007 and being a former Speaker, he was an awesome he did really well at his job. He really protected the Members, and I want to thank you and wish you all the best from the people of Nunakput. And, also, I'd like to congratulate the new Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr. Powder. I worked with Mr. Powder 20 years ago as a Ranger, when he was a Ranger instructor in Colorado Springs. So all the best to both of them, and God bless. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I've been waiting for our Minister to deal with this for the last 13 months. That baby was one month old. Now we're at minus 20 in the community. They're living I'll be tabling documents today on what they're living in, Madam Speaker. The decision has to be made. It doesn't matter what anything everything goes downhill. She's got a Minister's notepad that says "Minister's directive." All she's got to do is write it "Unit 65 to be given to this couple;" it's going to be done. Would the Minister take the initiative today to do it? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I want to bring up a big concern I have for a young family in the community of Paulatuk. I talked to the Minister last Friday. We didn't have the we didn't know there was a unit available. Now I know today there is a unit available, Unit 65 in the community of Paulatuk. They're the first on the waiting list. They don't owe no funds to the housing authority. Can the Minister commit to me today that they will be getting that unit? They're the first on the list. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I'm in full support of this motion. I think Mr. Johnson said it really well in regards to our young men and our men in our small communities that really need help and programming and having an outlet to be able to deal with issues that they're you know, that's affecting them. But just I'm really happy it's coming forward to this, and I look forward to full support of it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.