Kevin A. Menicoche

I know it can be argued that the transportation cost to the remote communities is additional tax to these communities.

Has the department looked at not applying a transport tax so that we can lower the fuel prices into our small and remote communities? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is only getting more expensive to live and work in our remote communities in the Northwest Territories. Fuel prices are the main driver of the cost of living. Many of our remote communities, like Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte, are supplied with fuel through the petroleum products division of the Department of Public Works. They have once again increased the fuel prices.

Elders in my riding tell me they are very concerned about the most recent increase in the fuel prices. Most elders are on a fixed income, and fuel prices have a direct impact on the quality of...

Thank you very much. So, the plan to roll out junior kindergarten, is that coming this fall?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement, as well, I’m pleased that our cancer rates aren’t increasing, and I’m also pleased that we’ve undertaken a program called the cancer sharing circles. The report only spoke about three communities. I am supportive of it.

What is the ministry going to do about increasing the number of cancer sharing circles and the frequency of it in all our communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Certainly, I know that we do have a Cancer Strategy and it’s well on track, but at the same time, when the Minister says go see your health professionals, we’ve got communities like Wrigley, Colville Lake, Tsiigehtchic, all my other communities, Nahanni Butte, we’ve got no nurses there, and people have not been tracked. They’ve gotten lost in the system and there are cases where follow-up was not done.

How is the Minister and how is our health system going to address this?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Page Program, I would like to say congratulations and a job well done to Dylan Steeves and Brandon Hardisty from Fort Liard, as well as their chaperon, Chris Leckenby. I want to say to their parents that they did well and they made Fort Liard proud. I hope you saw them performing on TV.

Also, if I may, Mr. Speaker, just let the Pages know that many MLAs were Pages and some of them are even sitting here today. Mahsi cho.

Certainly, there will be a role for early childhood workers. I’d like to ask the Minister what the plan is to assist education with early childhood workers as we move forward with junior kindergarten.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to ask questions and let the Minister of Education and my constituents know that junior kindergarten, despite questions and concerns from Yellowknife Members, is a good thing for our small communities.

So, what I’d like to ask the Minister firstly, which communities currently do not have any licenced child care programming? Thank you.

The report also talks about morbidity rates, particularly amongst the Dene, Inuit and Metis people is 1.5 times higher, so what’s happening is that more and more Aboriginal people are dying of cancer and some of it is because we are in the smaller communities.

I’d like to ask the Minister, has he reviewed the report, looked at the morbidity rates, most particularly amongst the Aboriginal people, and what will the department do about that?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in the day I did my Member’s statement on cancer and cancer screening in the smaller communities. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, how does the Minister explain the uneven levels of cancer screening in communities of different sizes and what will be done about it? Thank you.