Norman Yakeleya

The government needs to step up as an active player now and find long-term energy solutions for Norman Wells. We must fully support the residents’ efforts to convert sustainable energy sources like biomass, hydro or solar power. We need to do this before our people go south or go broke. I’m looking for satisfaction.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment should modify its management of student loans to ensure that identification of student loans due for repayment does not rely solely on students' notification or manual review by the officials. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment considers options to ensure that Senior Home Heating Subsidy recipients have the opportunity to use their fuel subsidy amount, and that the department presents needs options to the Standing Committee on Social Programs within the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Liquor Act to enable Sahtu communities to request that the Minister hold a plebiscite to determine the wish of voters in those communities respecting the limitations of sale of liquor by a liquor store in the Sahtu communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. When most people talk about the price of liquor, they mean the price of a bottle of something at the store. Some of them are even run by our own government.

When we talk about it as we do as MLAs every single day, we talk about the real price, the price of our people through lost opportunities and even suffering. It is the price to our health system, to our education, to the courts and corrections. We may be talking about hundreds of millions of dollars. I don’t think Finance has added that up for us. I want to have a final view of those costs, all...

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on June 6, 2013, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, October 17, 2013;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to October 17, 2013, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been...

Norman Wells will follow shortly. By this time next year the residents are going to be off the natural gas. The cost of heating their homes will go up. They have the old energy report and they haven’t seen anything in regard to the kind of funding that’s going to help with the alternative energy solution.

I want to ask the Premier, in light of what the issues are going to be in Norman Wells, what can they expect this government here, within this short period of time, to help the residents in Norman Wells deal with the high cost of heating their homes and having energy in their homes other than...

I’m looking for a satisfactory answer here. I would like to ask the Premier if there is any type of support available for residents to help them convert to any type of alternative energy sources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Monitoring of program delivery in regional/community service centres is inconsistent

According to the Auditor General, ECE’s monitoring of income security programs delivered by regional and community service centres is inconsistent. Managers in some regions visit community service centres to monitor general program delivery and spending. However, in most regions they did not monitor files in detail for compliance due to costs of travel, staff shortages and workloads.

The OAG found examples of good monitoring practices in some regions. In one region, the manager reviews...

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment report to the Standing Committee on Social Programs by April 30th of each year on its progress in implementing the recommendations of the Auditor General and this House with respect to income security programs during the preceding fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.