Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Chair, it’s been indicated before that the committee did not go to the smaller communities to hear some discussion around this work. We went to the larger centres. We certainly heard very passionately from the larger centres that we went to, but we did not go to the predominantly smaller communities of Aboriginal people, we did not get their view, really get their view and their definition of this clause. When we did talk about it in committee it was the majority of Members that wanted to go with this section of the legislation. So I’m going to, and this is what we worked out in terms of a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs initiate discussions with stakeholders and veterinary colleges to explore options for expanding access to veterinary services, and in particular spay and neuter programs, throughout the Northwest Territories, and where necessary, facilitate the implementations of such options.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to say a few words to this motion. I want to thank Mr. Abernethy for making this motion on the floor here for discussion. I want to say that I will support the family’s request to look at this incident and ask the government here to strongly consider an internal investigation into what happened. The family does want to know the truth of this and they want to make sure that this type of incident doesn’t happen anymore or doesn’t occur anymore at Stanton Hospital. To prevent it, they want to make sure that no other family could go through this if they can prevent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be brief. I want to thank the Member for Weledeh for seconding the motion. I want to say a few comments here to this motion.

In this day and age and with the vast challenges that the youth have with the conflicting values that they are being taught at home and school and what they see on TV, and how the community is running these days, it’s critically important, it’s actually life and death that we start to enrol our elders into schools so that the youth can get valuable teaching and get some of the knowledge that the elders have and have held and want to pass on to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I had indicated before, our region is very dependent on carbon and fossil fuel. Mr. Speaker, we do not have the luxury of having hydro power in our communities. Just recently INAC issued one of the largest land bids in the Northwest Territories: 11 parcels. There are a few more up in the Beaufort-Delta. We depend on fossil fuel in the Sahtu. Until we see some hydro initiatives coming into the Sahtu to lower our costs and to look at carbon tax, I cannot support this carbon tax issue right now. What is the Minister doing on a going forward basis to show that we are...

Mr. Speaker, the cost of the carbon tax, I am having a hard time because in our region, we depend on fossil fuel. We do not have a hydro facility like some of the other regions. The cost of living is very high. My people depend on fossil fuel, so this would bring the costs up in my region. How is the Minister going to look at it if it is being considered to bring in the carbon tax and how do we look at some regions and communities that fully depend on fossil fuel?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within the transactions of this deal here, did the Town of Norman Wells have opportunities throughout the application process or the interest of the process of this deal? Did they have opportunities to voice their interests? Did MACA note their interest? However, as it has been stated in the exchange, they weren’t taken very seriously. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement is with the Department of Justice.

Mr. Speaker, traditional camps are a good way to help heal people; people who will be returning back to their communities after serving time for their offences. I’m speaking about on-the-land programs to help restore Aboriginal offenders to their roots, refreshing both their skills and their spirits.

Camps like this have been run near Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake in the past, but there is currently only one six-week camp per year in the Sahtu region, Mr. Speaker. I would like this to be a year-round...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment devise a certificate program to certify elders to teach in NWT schools in time for the start of the new school year in the fall of 2011. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, MLA Ramsay listed off one of the costs to house an inmate. We are paying for it here in society, Mr. Speaker. These inmates at these adult facilities, they have it good. They get their meals wheeled to them. They eat. They get programs there for them. We need to put them out on the land and do hard time. Do the wood cutting, learn this. There is $21 million going into adult facilities, $5 million in the budget for youth facilities, the wilderness camp has $135,000. This Minister says he wants to do it. Let’s put his words to action and say I want to put at least $1 million into...