Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad to hear the Minister speak about it being a high priority, because it is, indeed, a high priority for the communities because deal breaking is imminent and I don’t want to see this deal fall through. It doesn’t make our government look good when you have the opportunity to create a deal and then we miss that opportunity. It already happened once, as my honourable colleagues keep speaking about, and I don’t want to see this happen in our region, particularly something of this much importance that has the backing of all the chiefs, of all the communities, of...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, it has been over a year, Mr. Speaker, since the business plan has been completed and the request has been in the department, and we’ve asked time and time again for their assistance and to keep this moving forward. It is a time sensitive issue, as one of the interested parties is willing to sell outside the region and that’s not something the community or the region wants, Mr. Speaker. So I would like to get the Minister’s assurance, Mr. Speaker, that he will continue from hereon in a time sensitive manner and secure and assure the consortium that the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, about a year ago, I brought to the attention of this House a proposal for a regional airline in Fort Simpson. First Nation communities in my region have recognized an opportunity in the airline sector to capitalize on current economic and tourism development and growth to position themselves for the prospect of the Mackenzie gas project.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very exciting business opportunity for participating communities and the people in the Deh Cho. This business venture will be locally owned and controlled by the people of the region. They have...

Mr. Chair, I move that we report progress.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I believe that the seniors were looking for something further. They’re owning their own houses and in the diesel communities, Mr. Chairman, they are paying quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s leaks in their system, but I’m telling the Minister they’re only taking home $750 a month and their power bill is $250. That’s far beyond what they can afford. They’re asking if there’s a way for us to subsidize the power elders are receiving, beyond the way it exists now. Is there some other supplementary way of doing it much like we’re contributing towards our costs of…I...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. This has been one of the topics that I’m passionate about, is our Territorial Power Subsidy Program and where we’re going with the territorial power subsidy. I’m just wondering, has the Minister looked at the terms of reference of how they wish to look at this subject. I’m of the mind that everyone has to pay the same, just like every other jurisdiction in Canada. I might be going a bit outside the topic here, but I wonder if there’s leeway at all in the deliberation of the territorial power support and, indeed, of the Power Corporation of looking at their...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That does shed some light for me and I would like to thank the Minister for that answer. There is another thing that concerns me. As we reviewed the departments in the draft main estimates, there are still some departments that do business a little bit differently. That kind of concerns me in terms of the budgeting process. The Housing Corporation is one and MACA is another. That is one of the issues that I have been bringing up. I believe I asked the Minister at one point if we follow the generally accepted accounting principles when doing our budgets. The...

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight is pleased to provide its comments on the Financial Management Board Secretariat.

During the review of the 2005-2006 Draft Main Estimates for FMBS, the Minister provided an update on the status of the consolidation of the GNWT’s human resource services, including the initial transfer of six human resource positions from the Executive and the creation of a new assistant deputy minister position.

The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight is in support of ongoing work to consolidate human resource...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services:

What is the plan for the department to establish a long-term care facility for Fort Liard?

What is the plan for the department to expand current long-term care facilities in Fort Simpson to accommodate more patients?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just curious as to the process the department used over the past year to help this Nahendeh Air proposal move forward. Earlier last year I spoke and said let’s get somebody from the department identified to work with the groups, to help them through the proposal stages, and at this time I’m here again asking the department look, there was a process here, we asked for your assistance. What happened on your end because from the community level, from the proponent's side, they are doing the best that they can, Mr. Speaker? Will the Minister continue his assurance...