Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to make a comment here to the regional operations. I spoke to the people in my region and they’re very, very happy that the regional operations for the overall management and the single window services centres are very good. I think they really were happy that we are continuing support and expanding in my region. They were quite happy with this. I think they said this is probably the best thing since sliced bread here. The people are happy and the people could have operations done in their own language, so this was good. Whoever thought about this idea, I mean...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask the Premier and his staff with this issue of devolution. We’re on the brink of some major changes in the Northwest Territories. We really are yet trying to assume and presume what kind of changes are going to come with devolution. We’re preparing our best. We’re getting our tools ready, and we’re getting the people ready, and we’re getting the communities ready for how it will impact our communities. One of the things I know about this change here, is that we must spread the word that devolution is coming. One of the things is, when I was even in the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have questions for the Minister on this page here. One has to do with the coroner’s office. If the coroner’s office takes into consideration the Aboriginal culture and tradition when they have to do their work in regard to dealing with people in the Aboriginal communities.

Thank you. I’m going to have to disagree with the Minister there. I’m not growing old. We have matured together. We have worked together on this issue, and we’ve had discussions. This is one of the most complex and serious issues that we’ve talked about. I’m really encouraged by the Minister to say that there’s a possibility of looking at some things like how do we work together.

Liquor is provided in the Northwest Territories. That’s one of the things that we do as a government or any government across Canada. On the other hand, it has such a destructive force that I keep bringing it up to the...

Mr. Speaker, while I was at the Sahtu Dene Council annual general meeting, people were asking me. We need to have some solid programs on the land in the Sahtu. Because of the increase of the alcohol in the Sahtu and the lifting of the Norman Wells liquor store to unrestricted sales, I have been personally told that people are buying more than they’re allowed to once they come into our communities.

Because the Nats’ejee K’eh is at a 40 percent occupancy rate, we have some money. Can the Minister look at that budget and say we are going to shift some of that money to help our people elsewhere...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The issue of public safety was of grave concern for the Minister of Transportation, and I when we drove the winter road last weekend there were some near misses. There are big trucks and the roads are quite narrow, so that’s what the Minister and I talked about.

The issue that I want to talk about is some of these vehicles have been struck. I just came back from the Sahtu and the Sahtu Dene Council annual general meeting, and people have come up and said some of their vehicles were hit and some clear misses. Some of them actually come out of the road. I mean, stop their...

If anybody wanted the job, there’s a job to be had in the Sahtu. It’s busy. It’s crazy. People are working. Even down in Nahendeh. Even in Wrigley, as the Minister and I heard. There are jobs up there. However, I want to ask the Minister if he could somehow be directive and forceful and say to the Sahtu, let’s get the training jobs going. We could make a huge contribution. Let’s not give out any more social assistance. Let’s get our people working. That’s what we want. That’s the kind of leadership I’m looking for from the Minister here. Can he do that?

I also have some information, as I indicated, that the increase of liquor sales from the Minister of Finance, or the liquor revenue commission report shows an increase of liquor sales in the Sahtu. Combine that with the activity that’s happening in the Sahtu, the amount of people coming in and the lifting of the liquor store rations are significant contributing factors to the crime associated with alcohol.

Any newspaper in the Northwest Territories, you look at it and you always say, the amount of crimes with liquor is high, 85 percent or higher, or drugs. So that tells me something. So I’m...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I am just following up on our road trip last weekend. My back is still sore. However, I’m going to stand here and I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, with all the activity and training going on, if he would review and evaluate the training plans for the Sahtu so that the people in the Sahtu can meet at least once a month to start preparing a strategy to get people on the job, get them trained and get them moving.

Madam Chair, 6-20?