Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Speaker, I want to also say that that is the wish of the Members on this side, if the Minister will work with us. If I’m hearing correctly, is the Minister then willing to put that into the business plans for the upcoming session?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am always learning something about this job. For example, I learned that it is the official vision of the NWT Liquor Commission that “our customers will have a healthy and responsible attitude towards alcohol consumption.” The vision is backed by the mission which includes promoting development of a healthy and responsible drinking culture.

When I see what’s going on in most NWT communities, I think there’s a way to go before the Liquor Commission vision and mission become a reality. The reality is consistent with some of the facts from the commission’s annual report...

The politics of the day is going to, I guess, as the Minister put it, determine how we fund the second portion of the all-weather road up the Mackenzie Valley. I would hope that I’m still in government by then and that we would have some discussion on that.

I’ve noted that in 1958 the Mackenzie Valley Highway was talked about. The portion of Tuk was also talked about at that time and more recently, in 2011. I do want to say that this money that we are giving them is something that certainly would support them to begin putting that road together, and good for them. They worked hard and long in...

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Liquor Commission had sales of $46.3 million in 2011-12. When you go through the numbers, the revenue earned on that $46.3 million was about $24 million, so the number I pulled out of here is 10 percent of that. So that’s about $2.4 million I’m asking for. Would the Minister look at those types of numbers when it comes down to the business plans?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the NWT Liquor Commission. The NWT Liquor Commission mission underlines the statement here to promote and develop a healthy and responsible drinking culture. That’s one of the missions.

I’m going to ask the Minister of Finance, responsible for the NWT Liquor Commission, in regard to the profits and the revenue that they make every year. Can the Minister consider offering a percentage, of 10 percent or so, to the Liquor Commission that would support their mission, something like they have with the Department of Health and Social...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to make a comment. I am a Member for Sahtu that certainly – when we go up there we don’t have the all-weather road – understands the people in the Beaufort-Delta and Mackenzie Delta for pushing for this road here and their efforts. I know that my people would like to see an all-weather road. We also know the resources are there right now. We also know that the people up in Tuk and Inuvik have worked long and hard and they’ve done their work. They’ve told me in the Sahtu they have done the lobbying, they’ve done the work, they’ve convinced a lot of people. They...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to ask the Minister, with the recent government commitment to add another $50 million to the Inuvik-Tuk portion of the highway, making it $200 million, with the formula we were hoping for 75/25, and now it’s at 67 percent of the federal government’s commitment. Is that something that we as a government, in the future, are going to bank a formula with the federal government of the day? Because we are going to be pushing strong for the Mackenzie Valley all-weather road from Wrigley up to the Dempster Highway.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to also ask the Minister for a response in regard to the fault of this fuel spill. Was it the manufacturer? Was it the contractor? I’m hoping that with the operator that they do certain checks, that the operator doesn’t get dinged with a big fuel bill for cleanup. Has that been sorted out? Is the person who is responsible picking up the tab on this?

I look forward to that new protocol, because it was about 11,500 litres spilled in Fort Good Hope due to the damage of one of the faulty valves that were leaking. I want to ask the Minister if this is the case in other tank farms across the Northwest Territories where this piece of valve was fitted into our tank farms.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister indicate to me, make a commitment within this time frame before the next business planning cycle, to come to the House with some discussion papers as to how we could look at creating an elders secretariat that would be fully responsible just for the elders in the North?