Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps I should commend the French language groups, because their funding does not lapse, Mr. Speaker, but aboriginal funding does. I’ve got unique proposals that don’t want to be supported by this government or even given a second chance to say there is money that may be lapsed, we’ll use that. Can the Minister commit to look at potential lapsed funding and look at the unique community ground-based proposals such as this? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Last week I spoke in this House about the lapse of aboriginal funding for ‘07-08 and ‘08-09 to the tune of hundreds and thousands of dollars. And, at the same time, this year I supported a proposal by the Deh Cho Friendship Centre for, I believe, it was a $40,000 proposal to create an aboriginal South Slavey CD-Rom to help the community and help the region to work on our language. That proposal was refused, Mr. Speaker, saying the money was spent. I find it hard to believe that lapsing almost $1.4 million the last two years and now we are saying we don’t have...

That’s the kind of discussion that we’d certainly like to see for Trout Lake. We’ve taken care of big schools throughout our North up to date, Mr. Speaker, and I think it’s time to start concentrating on our small and remote communities and providing facilities for them. Once again, when will the capital planning discussions begin with the education council and the Minister of Education towards planning of the school in Trout Lake? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement with regard to the Trout Lake school and the need for expansion; in fact, for creating a new one. I had this debate with the Minister of Education last year in the fall session and I just want to, of course, continue the support to the community of Trout Lake and ask the Minister about, will the Minister recognize the needs of the students in the community of Trout Lake to ensure that the budget for a new school is on our capital plan? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to follow up on official languages and talk about the importance of it. It’s just interesting to note, Mr. Chair, a colleague of mine pointed out there’s actually a reduction of funding to this year, from over the revised estimates of last year, of almost $400,000. If the Minister can explain what got reduced or what is reduced for this coming fiscal year.

Thank you very much for that update and I’ll be looking forward to any future update, especially when that meeting happens.

Just with respect to the official languages, once again, there was, of course, a concern of mine of lapsed funding. I know that the Minister was talking about a lot of that official languages money is given to the divisional education counsels. I’m very concerned that in this coming fiscal year that there may be more lapsed money and especially, like I said, I was supporting a proposal from the Deh Cho Friendship Centre in developing a Slavey CD-Rom project, which was...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to raise the library services line item here. I know that it goes to some of the regional libraries. Fort Simpson has been without a functioning library for a couple of years now. I’ve raised the issue in the House and raised the issue with the Minister. I’d just like to know what has been done to date and what is planned to assist the community of Fort Simpson in re-establishing a full library there, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I, of course, support this motion. I believe that we didn’t have to be here today. I still stand firm in the belief that had our leadership, our Premier, our Minister of ENR, attended the Dene national leadership meeting in Fort Simpson, we would have come a long way to resolving this issue. But because of the attention, or by the inattention of our government, we have to give it attention, Mr. Speaker.

For me it has always been critical, the fact that aboriginal people are not allowed to hunt. I respect the need for preservation and conservation, but, at the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Just with regard to page 8-33 -- I believe we are on that page -- there is a $700,000 reduction in the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority. I was just wondering if the Minister knows what would be one or a couple of the biggest single contributing factors in the decline in funding.

I thank the Minister for providing some of those details and I was just wondering, like the community of Fort Simpson, I know that homelessness funds are used to purchase or assist clients in apartments, et cetera. I am not quite aware of emergency shelter and/or family shelter as well. That is something that we can certainly work towards. Combining all three in a larger building would certainly make sense and in a place like Fort Simpson. Has the Minister seen any plans with regard to that for Fort Simpson being a regional community? Thank you.