Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Minister, as the guardian of our education here in the Northwest Territories, I believe that he should take the lead role in trying to talk with our DEAs, DECs, and find some flexibility around these guidelines, because we should not be failing our students, Mr. Speaker. So I would like the Minister to commit to talk with the DEAs and DECs to see if there is a way that we can prevent this in the future, because I certainly would not like to see this happen again. Thank you.

Absolutely, there are going to have to be some changes made. I think when I brought it up a couple weeks ago I was trying to make the case that we are responsible for aboriginal education here in the Northwest Territories, the Government of the Northwest Territories is, and it’s got to be the same, like a hunting right. Aboriginals can hunt anywhere and I believe that same right should extend to education, if anything else, and that’s the kind of flexibility that I was asking the Minister at that time, because even though the parents had left, the young lady was still here for about 11 months...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister of Transportation prepared to see that the chipseal will return to the residents of Fort Liard as they travel to B.C.? Thank you.

Certainly the residents of my riding were quite excited to have this project completed this year. However, we’re patient people and we’re glad to see that chipseal is coming, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to know the department’s plans of any further work on chipsealing Highway No. 1 towards Fort Simpson beyond this in the new fiscal year 2010. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is interesting my Member’s statement is on transportation.

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I certainly hope he listens. Mr. Speaker. I have spoken many times in the past about the need to improve the Deh Cho Trail and the improvements this would mean to the safety of residents, truck drivers and tourists. It would also be beneficial to the economy. The Deh Cho Trail, Highway No. 1 from the Providence cut-off to Checkpoint and all the way down Highway No. 7 to the B.C. border is a route that the residents of the Deh Cho travel regularly for work, to attend appointments and to visit family...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee acknowledges the tremendous amount of time, effort and care that has gone into the Government Operations committee’s Final Report on the Review of the Official Languages Act, 2008-2009; and further, that this committee wishes to express its support in principle for the findings and recommendations identified in the final report. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Once again, flare pots are like a creation from the 1940s, Mr. Speaker, and that’s something that my communities are not willing to accept any longer and I’d seriously like to ask the Minister to begin the process. We’ve got a capital planning process coming up here in July and August. We’d like to work towards getting that on the capital plan. Will the Minister commit to having a serious look at the needs of these communities and work towards getting them in the capital planning process? Thank you.

The runway lighting training program that the Minister refers to is very successful and I would like to commend the department for continuing that, but we cannot punish communities for past behaviours, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister, once again, to have a good look at these communities -- Nahanni Butte has never had runway lighting at all; Jean Marie has had it before -- and to look at seriously having this very necessary public safety infrastructure at these community airports. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to go back to something I raised in February in this House and that is the need for the runway lights in Jean Marie River and Nahanni Butte. In my recent tour to these communities, I found that concerns on this matter are growing. For the most part, these communities are reached by air, and the lack of runway lights diminishes the safety for air travel for residents. Lack of runway lights can also make it difficult for essential services, such as emergency medevac, to travel to Jean Marie and Nahanni Butte at night or during inclement...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories table a comprehensive response to the Government Operations committee’s Final Report on the Review of the Official Languages Act 2008-2009 within 120 days of its presentation in this House. Thank you, Mr. Chair.