Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs initiate discussions with stakeholders on the development and delivery of a public education program on dogs, and as appropriate, assist with the development and the delivery of such programs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As Mr. Ramsay indicated, this bill certainly caused a lot of discussion to some of the clauses that we’ve worked on. It was quite a task for Members to come together and move it to this level here. I do want to say that this act is outdated and that we’re bringing it forward where it’s a somewhat controversial matter.

We did not have the opportunity as committee to go to the smaller communities and to listen to the Aboriginal people in the smaller communities. We took the onus, and it was our decision, to go into the larger centres. However, we missed the opportunity to go...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do want to say that with this motion, hopefully we would legitimatize, I guess, the elders into our education system. We do have them in our schools, yet they’re still struggling in terms of compensating them. They still are nice to have but not really essential. This certification would make it just like a teacher or any other profession in our education system. They will be equal partners. Right now it’s just listen to the elder and if they’re there, they’re there; if not, we’ll do something else. It doesn’t put them on the same level playing field in our education...

WHEREAS it is critically important that elders in the Northwest Territories share their knowledge and culture in our schools;

AND WHEREAS elders in most communities are willing to teach the young people in schools, or as part of school programs on the land;

AND WHEREAS the simple presence of supportive elders in school and the high degree of respect that they get adds to students’ sense of security and strengthens their ability to learn;

AND WHEREAS elders should be compensated for their work and time, like anyone else providing a valuable service to the GNWT;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Nunavut...

Mr. Speaker, with our small population, compared to the province of Alberta, I want to ask the Minister, does it make sense to have any type of carbon tax in the Northwest Territories going forward in the 17th?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about the carbon tax. The carbon tax government revenue option paper in 2008 indicated that the GNWT, when they did the assessment stating that carbon tax would increase the cost of living in the Northwest Territories. This goes contrary to one of our goals to reduce the cost of living in the Northwest Territories. I want to ask the Minister of ENR with the carbon tax that is coming up for some discussions here, we need to protect seniors and low-income residents and recognize the regional cost of living. How is the Minister going to propose to look at...

Again, as I read further into the comments, I don’t know what to make of it. I want to ask the Minister, in this transaction that happened between the Norman Wells issue here, the Land Corporation and MACA, when the Minister is taking a look at it will he do a review to satisfy some people out there that we did follow policy, all transactions happened in a fair manner and that this deal here is one that should never be questioned again to the extent that I saw in the Hansard?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement to the Minister of Justice. Also, Mr. Speaker, I heard MLA Ramsay talk about the amount of millions of dollars that the Department of Justice expends in terms of housing inmates. I want to ask the Minister of Justice, with the programming, the cost of housing, with the revolving doors within our correctional centres, can the Minister inform the House if his department is looking at more permanent wilderness camps, bush camps that really needs to happen in the Northwest Territories other than spending millions in our...

Mr. Speaker, I went and visited some of the inmates at the centre. They want to go on the land. They said, we want to go. There are programs in there. There are policies in there that prevent them from going on the land. There are roadblocks in that system. Can the Minister go to the facilities, meet with the inmates that want to go? Guys are in there for serious offences. They want to go. They want to go out there. The Minister keeps giving me, well, it’s long and hard too. I don’t take that, Mr. Speaker. I want to see what this department and this government can do. Put the inmates on the...

Mr. Speaker, I think when you look at some of the inmates that are in the facilities, they are getting fat. They have nothing to do. The lack of programs that are in these facilities are not doing them any good. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister if he can find any way that could make it easier for these inmates to get on the land and do hard time out there and get some real healing done. The Minister is putting some roadblocks up and I know inmates that do want to go on the land. Can the Minister find a more creative way to get the inmates out on the land?