Jackson Lafferty

My colleague from Nunakput, his community, it's minus 26 today. That is coming to our region, too. It's a very real issue. Obviously, I would like to see this expedited. What I am stating here is coming directly from my elders calling me, speaking to me in my Tlicho language, just the other day. They do not want to go through this process again with minus 40, minus 50 the next couple of months. I highly encourage the Minister to expedite this process, and I am hoping that we can see before next month, at least. Would that be possible for the Minister's department to pursue that?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Just recently, the weather has been changing, and we are into the winter season. There is a lot of concern coming from my communities, especially the elders. It is regarding their furnace and if it shuts down or breaks down, or the sewage line. They have concerns regarding that. I want to ask the housing Minister a question. In Behchoko, Whati, Gameti, Wekweeti, if any of their furnaces or running water breaks down, what do they do? Who can they ask help for? Masi. [Translation ends].

The Minister talks about lots of options here in the Northwest Territories. I wish we had one of those options as a treatment centre here in the Northwest Territories for people to choose whether to go to a southern institution or here in the North so they can be close to their family and so they can avoid contacting COVID-19 in southern institutions. Just leading on to my next question for the Minister is: we Dene know our people better than any southern treatment centres. Let's dedicate the necessary resources, and together, let's build a place of healing for and by Northerners, a treatment...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I spoke to after-care, addiction, and so forth for the past couple weeks now in my statement. As you know, it has been a very sensitive and delicate matter now, dealing with this in my region. We just lost a young individual who had six kids due to what we are faced with today, and that is a lack of treatment or after-care programs here in the North. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services about the actual numbers, people who have been sent South. How many of the 200 people sent South for treatment never finish that treatment? How many are unable to...

There is some feasibility or discussion has taken place now to deal with potential widening of the road to Whati. When are we expected to wrap things up so we can start planning on that? I understand Kiewit is very interested in doing that project, so just wondering when, because the ADM alluded to, as well, the current discussion happening. When are we expecting to get some results out of that? Masi.

Masi, Madam Chair. I do believe, when we toured the 72 kilometres, my official chief's leadership have also travelled the road, as well, have a tour of the road infrastructure. There's been questions asked by the Chief of Whati and of council members, too. I understand that there's been talks that Kiewit, the main contractor, they can link up the road towards the community of Whati as opposed to just access road. I believe that there's discussions taking place with the main contractor, and I'm just wondering where things are at because that was the last couple of weeks now, I believe, or the...

Masi, Madam Chair. One would assume that once a proposal is submitted, approved by feds, then this area would be targeted as Frank Channel Bridge in Behchoko. I'm not sure if I'm correct on that, but if I can be corrected? Madam Chair, the next one I have is: the proposal has been submitted the previous year, as well. Unfortunately, it was denied by the feds because of various competing proposals from across Canada. The proposal has been submitted according to the Minister's response. When do we expect a decision to be made? We should have a good idea because we've experienced that last year...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. When we ask questions to Ministers or Premiers, I guess the longer the answers, the more questions it creates for us, so I have some more questions here. Mr. Speaker, there are best practices already in place with Nunavut, over five years now. Obviously, our territorial government should be working very closely with Nunavut to gather that information. I am very surprised and shocked that our current Department of Health and Social Services does not have that information at hand. Passing on the buck does not sit well with me. We are representing the GNWT here, so I have a...

Since truth and reconciliation, 94 recommendations came out. More specifically on number 20 and 21, it's been well over five years. This government should have been prepared. When the first TRC came out what were the plans in place? I'd like to know from either the Premier or Minister of Health and Social Services what partnerships has this government explored with the federal government to follow up on the call to action number 20? What have we learned from our neighbour Nunavut's very successful federal engagement in pursuant of their new treatment centre for their territory?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, I'd like to talk about how we receive funding. I'm talking about billions of dollars, and it's very difficult. Sometimes, it's really difficult to get an addiction treatment centre here in our homeland. Instead, I'm going to talk about the treatment centre [Translation ends]. Why can't we as a territory with our billion-dollar budgets find a way of providing residential addiction treatment here in our homeland in the Northwest Territories instead of spending $2 million a year sending people south?

Mr. Speaker, our sister territory Nunavut is...