Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am devoting my Member’s statement to a very well-respected elder of Fort Simpson who passed away on Wednesday, Mrs. Albertine Rohdes. She shared her traditional, cultural and spiritual knowledge and skills with all, and with a passion that is rare to find. She was like a museum to the people of Nahendeh and throughout the Northwest Territories.

Her political involvement stretched throughout the decades, influencing the development and the path of our communities and people. She was there during the birth of our aboriginal and Metis political organizations,...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe I can use up my four seconds quite efficiently here. Just with respect to the Minister’s comments, I don’t disagree that the Minister heard us and that he is seeking a mandate change. I don’t disagree with the methodology at all and that he indeed does recognize, once again, that there has to be a change. How that change is going to be done is what I would like to impart to the Minister. There are people out there in the communities, the regions and throughout the North that want input into how we change the Housing Corporation. Indeed, they just want to...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. That is exactly what the community is looking for, at least some type of commitment other than…I think the key here is to bring the answer over to Nahanni Butte, instead of going there and saying we’ll take that for further consideration. That’s what I’m asking the House here today. Have a serious look at it, Mr. Minister. Come up with a plan to see if you are willing to co-sign a loan on behalf of Nahanni Butte. Like the last co-venture, they did contribute towards the cost of the road and they have indicated to me that they are willing to do that again, but...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. My question today is to the Minister of Transportation. The community of Nahanni Butte have long-term plans of completing their access road and are looking for assistance from the Department of Transportation in that they’re wondering if they can work with them to advance the funds or even co-sign a loan to advance the funds on constructing the road. I think it’s $1.2 million, where the government has plans to spend $200,000 a year. The community is looking at getting a guarantee from the government to build the road in one or two years. Is the Minister and is the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I just had some inquiries as well on our mortgage system that the Housing Corporation has. I know our constituents are very happy once they’re approved for a mortgage or approved for a house under any one of the programs, like EDAP or a supported lease. The excitement and anticipation of these families, they are often young families. But I find that a lot of the inquiries, a lot of the concerns that I received in my office are with respect to construction techniques and inspections. What often happens is the constituent says I haven’t seen any inspectors and...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am pleased to provide some comments, as well, to the department or to housing. It’s one of the biggest concerns to my riding. I have my riding consisting of six communities where four of them are very small communities that look to housing to help create their growth. Of the two larger centres, Fort Liard has been, I think, increasingly on top of the agenda. I think overall, before I get into specifics of some of my communities, Madam Chair and Mr. Minister, is that, overall, the communities see the Housing Corporation as taking a lead in updating the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just with that, I was wondering how much work was going to be done by the department on that access road this year, because this discussion has to take place soon so that they can start looking at the bulk of the construction next year. I know that the Minister previously indicated to Nahanni Butte that they were not interested in co-signing such an agreement. The Minister said that he’s willing to do that. So I would just like to get some type of commitment that it can be a reality to assist Nahanni Butte in getting this road completed soon. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, last session this House discussed the territorial-wide concern with dramatic rise in fuel prices. Last winter, the MLAs asked the various ministries to be proactive, rather than reactive, to what was inevitable. Furthermore, many constituents in Nahendeh have expressed their growing concern for the high cost of fuel and energy, especially in the small and remote communities. As indicated, prices have risen on two separate occasions in 2005 through the petroleum products division. Although prices rise and fall in the major centres, the prices in the 15 communities serviced by...

Well, Mr. Chairman, I’m not quite sure how the Minister intends to bring the smaller communities in line. Like the gas prices aren’t going to rise anytime soon back to $1.40 where it will be marketable in communities to buy fuel at the storage tanks again. So that fuel is going to be stranded for awhile. I think the communities were looking for a solution. What they do in the free market, too, is they have sales. So it could be the communities are looking for a Floyd’s blow-out fuel sale in the smaller communities here, just so we can readjust and get these fuel prices back to levels in the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With respect to how fuel is handled in the communities, particularly gasoline, that’s been operated by our government in the communities and the cost of that gasoline, as an MLA, it’s always a concern in the smaller, remote communities, such as Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte, that they are stranded. Our government does provide fuel to the communities and sometimes we allow individuals, not only in the band corporations, to run those products. However, it’s not really like a free market situation in the small communities. I know that we are providing a service. We are...