Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement with regard to dental emergencies in the community and just to highlight the urgency. I just got another incident in terms of dental emergencies, so I’d like to bring that up with the Minister. What is the current and existing guideline that governs dental emergencies in the community?

That is certainly something I will pay attention to when we get to the department and Committee of the Whole, line by line. Once again, I just wanted to reiterate to the Minister the importance of Highway No. 7, which is part of our national highway system, too, and shouldn’t be in this state of disrepair. I just wanted to say once again, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to get a commitment from the Minister’s office that they will look at some serious repairs to these sections.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Transportation with regard to the recent ongoing trials and tribulations of the mud areas of Highway No. 7. The road has closed again just recently, and I’d like to know the status of it.

I think I’ll just speak to the medical emergencies in the smaller communities, as well as the need to develop a policy. I’d just like to know what current plan or what strategy the Minister’s office is going to develop with regard to developing a policy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was very pleased to have the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Hon. Sandy Lee, accompany me on a tour of my constituency May 4 to May 7. I appreciate her going with me to hear first-hand the concerns the residents of Nahendeh have with the NWT Health and Social Services system.

One of the concerns that was brought up several times in our travels, Mr. Speaker, was the lack of emergency dental care in that community. When the residents I represent get a toothache they are expected to wait for the next time the dentist comes to town. The current guidelines state...

Mr. Speaker, I’m just wondering if there’s some type of structure you use to identify how progress is going, if they’re completing four out of eight houses or ten out of 20 repairs. What type of reporting mechanisms are they using?

[English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak to you today about the serious delays in housing repairs and construction programs undertaken by the NWT Housing Corporation in the communities in my riding.

A number of houses are in serious need of repair, and there are many units that have not even been constructed yet. I have heard over and over again from my constituents that timelines to repairs and construction are not met. This can cause a great deal of disruption to clients.

When major repairs are needed, people are required to either move into a vacant house or move in...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. That’s all the questions I have for right now.

I just want to switch gears a little bit and talk about the whole area of on-the-land programs and housing available to build on the land. I think this is the second year where that program has disappeared. I don’t know. With the Elders on the Land program constituents have been asking me time and time again, “Can I get my application in for the Elders on the Land program? Mr. So-and-so got it, and he’s doing quite well.” In fact, a lot of people in my riding are looking at returning to the land, and some of them still live there. For whatever reason, they didn’t get their allocation or apply...

At the bottom of these letters there’s an actual paragraph that says that if you’re not satisfied, here is the appeal system that’s involved in ECE. Here’s who you can contact. You’ve got only so many days to contact them in order to launch your appeal, and it must be in writing.

But with the Housing Corporation — at least, the last letter I looked at — it just said: please be advised that your application was received, and due to your particulars you’ve been refused for the program.

It’s not only appealing a negative letter, Mr. Chair. There are also issues with people being previously in...