Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today was for the Minister of Infrastructure regarding safety of my constituents in Sachs Harbour and the runway and making sure that they are getting service for their food and mail. Mr. Speaker, the maintenance plan work for Sachs Harbour was in 2018, and then this February, it was announced again. Is this additional work? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to see, on my first comments in regard to the treatment, if being able to bring it up North, working with the Gwich'in, working with the Inuvialuit, working with communities who want to try to help our own people, is it possible to see if there are any avenues that we could work together, going down that road together? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just again, the Minister's assurance she will keep me informed so I can keep my constituents and my leadership in Sachs Harbour informed on what's the plan when they do come up with one, to make sure it's sent to me and my local leadership. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Minister, for that reply. I really look forward to that because the safety of my constituents is a priority. Like I said earlier in my statement, we cannot land a King Air 350 for the medevac plane. That is what they use in the delta. They are using a Twin Otter, which is being brought in. Safety is the biggest thing for myself and making sure the service is being provided. Mr. Speaker, that being said, the work was not done in 2018. I know that was not the Minister of the day, but what is the cause of the delay?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February 2018, a former Member, Wally Schumann, Minister of Infrastructure at the time, gave a statement of planned improvements, he said, in airport runways across the territory. There are many studies that have been done across the NWT for subsurface and drainage problems that we have in our small communities. Mr. Speaker, Sachs Harbour has a problem. We cannot land King Air 350s for medevac service. The only planes that can come in are Twin Otters now, with tundra tires, because of the saturation in the airport runway. I worry for my constituents. The Minister...

Just in regard to the limiters and to the bills for the communities, is it possible to get it under COVID-19? I'm going to ask that for my Finance Minister, if we could write that off? I have a few other things I would like to bring forward to write off, too, for the people. It's the only right thing to do. The Minister is responsible for the bureaucrats that are these board of directors. He could instruct them. They work for him. Tell them. Work together in regard to making it better for the people and the costing of our power corporation. Again, from August to April, we can't have those for...

Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today was in regard to the Minister responsible for the NWTPC. Since we are still in this pandemic of COVID-19, is the Minister prepared to instruct the board for making exemptions to late payments to the power bill and to ensure disconnections and late fees, once this pandemic is done, making sure that the date from, say, August to the end of April, our coldest months of the year, making sure people are not put on power limiters, and getting rid of the power limiter? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to rise in regard to the NWT Power Corporation's response to the pandemic. My riding of Nunakput, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, and Tuktoyaktuk, are the most coastal communities in our territory and have little or no industry, no economy. Our people in Nunakput were struggling to make ends meet before this pandemic hit, Mr. Speaker.

Now, things are going even harder. We are still in the early days, and we are still in the pandemic. We are emerging from our lockdown of this pandemic. We are faced with a potential second wave of COVID-19 this fall...

Yes. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When will the House see results of the work that the Minister tells us he has asked his deputy minister to do, developing options and reconstructing the Northwest Territories Power Corporation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I ask the Minister if he is prepared to stop using limiters across our territory and to discontinue use. It's really belittling to people. I know it's a tough situation. People in the communities are really affected by this, and it's pretty tough to cook for families; like I said, planning for the winter already. COVID-19 is still here. Pandemic is still here. Why are we charging them? Why is the ministry able to push aside the bills, the power bills for the communities, and then, come September sitting, I'll be making a motion in the House to get rid of all the power bills and charge it to...