Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Speaker, we need to fix our own house. Let’s start with the foundation and location, move them to the communities, build it up from there. It works.

Mr. Speaker, housing is a government responsibility. We’re all in this together. We need solutions like a tenants relationship officer, solutions like working off the arrears, solutions like garnisheeing a percentage of their wages, or volunteering in the community with coaching or working with the elders. It may not fit the government policy, but, hey, it’s the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, we need the attention of this government today...

Mr. Speaker, last year the Department of Transportation hired 31 students. Certainly, then, we want to see that number matched or even to increase. I want to ask for clarification, because the Minister is also responsible for DPW. When he said 34, was that the combination of both departments? I just want to ask about the Transportation numbers. Can the Minister clarify those numbers for me?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I certainly hope that the LHO board clearly hears what the Minister has said. The board is the boss, and their comment that we have to take instructions from the district office is wiped out.

I want to ask the Minister, when he looks within solutions, can the Minister look at the concept of a community rental, community tenant/community liaison person for the housing that could help the tenants and the Housing Corporation so they can work together daily, monthly, weekly, biweekly, so they can help them with the arrears? Certainly that’s what we want to do and we need to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all know that a good education is a way to a good job. By ensuring that student financial assistance meets our students’ needs, we are investing in our future and the future of the Northwest Territories is in their hands. We badly need these students to come back to our communities and work in our communities. All kinds of companies and organizations need well-educated employees; our local businesses, governments, our schools and our Aboriginal development corporations, our health centres and, yes, this Government of the Northwest Territories.

The Consumer Price Index...

I have some information, thanks to the Minister, that he passed on to me. That’s what I want to look at in terms of one of my communities, where if a number of people do not do anything, they will be asked to leave their public housing units; a total of 10 adults, not counting the children. I want to ask the Minister in this regard, we will have a homeless problem in Deline. Can the Minister in any way, through his leadership and direction, look at putting a little more emphasis and resources to working with these people? There are 10 adults that need to see where they’re going to be housed...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 44 to deal with Motion 6-16(6), which I gave notice of yesterday.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, we need to fix our own house. Let’s start with the foundation and location, move them to the communities, build it up from there. It works.

Mr. Speaker, housing is a government responsibility. We’re all in this together. We need solutions like a tenants relationship officer, solutions like working off the arrears, solutions like garnisheeing a percentage of their wages, or volunteering in the community with coaching or working with the elders. It may not fit the government policy, but, hey, it’s the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, we need the attention of this government today...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to follow up on the shocking numbers that I see here. As of May 18, 2011, 3 o’clock, there’s only four people in the Summer Student Program hired in the Sahtu region by this government compared to the South Slave where there’s 36, 42 in total; North Slave region 103. Four students that are given the opportunity in the Sahtu to be hired. I listen to the Ministers of Public Works and Services and Transportation and it doesn’t quite cut it with me. I want to ask the Premier if he would work with his officials and see if there’s any way that these numbers can...

What a Minister, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister are there other employment opportunities for the students such as specializing in the areas such as engineering and bridge construction, any of the summer students that are working in that area that the Minister has opportunities for these summer students to work.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all know that a good education is a way to a good job. By ensuring that student financial assistance meets our students’ needs, we are investing in our future and the future of the Northwest Territories is in their hands. We badly need these students to come back to our communities and work in our communities. All kinds of companies and organizations need well-educated employees; our local businesses, governments, our schools and our Aboriginal development corporations, our health centres and, yes, this Government of the Northwest Territories.

The Consumer Price Index...