Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to say in my language... [English translation not provided]

I want to say in my language that, really, this person that we’re talking about is really good, Mr. Speaker. In my language that means a lot, that Mr. Whitford, Tony, when I became the MLA and I remember him telling me I’m going to visit each of the communities of the Northwest Territories. And I sat here and said, yeah, right. You know? Throughout the years Tony talked about different communities and when he’s going to come into the Sahtu. Then, lo and behold, one time last year, or I think it was the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you honourable colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to recognize three great leaders from the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada, Deline, Sahtu: Danny Gaudet, government negotiator, Chief Raymond Tutcho, and president of the land corporation, Mr. Peter Menacho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the community of Tulita has offered some solutions in terms of getting a social worker into the community. Will the Minister be open to those types of suggestions from the people of Tulita to get a social worker in there, in terms of the solutions of certainly that position, as soon as possible?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister and I did tour the Sahtu and one of our stops was in Tulita. We did have a talk with the grand chief and people of Tulita and we were advised of the number of excuses why we did not have today a social worker in the community of Tulita. One of the suggestions was how can we work out a solution that we can have a social worker. We have not had one in that community for over three years. We need a permanent social worker in the community. I want to ask the Minister if she’s willing to look at some options in terms of how do we get one within the next couple of weeks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for three years there has not been a resident social worker in Tulita. How can that be? Don’t you think or feel that people should have help and support when they need it? Don’t you think or feel that all communities should have a solid social safety net? Don’t you think that three years is just too long, far too long to not have a social worker?

People in my home town of Tulita deserve better. Every community in the Northwest Territories deserves better. Right now people are thinking when this government or our board follow through on their commitment to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Members in the House here again to allow this important piece of infrastructure for the people of the North and the people of the Sahtu to come to the table to have some discussion to see what kind of avenues are available to us to start putting the steel together to have the Bear River Bridge up and people actually don’t have to be concerned about using eight kilometres of winter road every year in the Sahtu, especially around Tulita and Norman Wells and other communities that do use this crossing.

I want to thank the efforts of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to make amendments to Motion 9-16(5).

I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Motion 9-16(5) be amended by deleting the word “directs” from the resolution portion of the motion and insert the words “strongly urges.”

AND FURTHER, that Motion 9-16(5) be amended by deleting the words “for this important piece of infrastructure in the Northwest Territories” from the resolution portion of the motion, and inserting the words “for the construction of the Bear River Bridge”.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table document Your Health Benefits: A First Nations Guide to Accessing Non-Insured Health Benefits.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have 11 days until families -- 12 families, I believe -- are going to receive eviction notices having them move out of their homes in Deline. Mr. Speaker, some of these families have children that are going to school. Right now there is no homeless shelter in Deline and the inadequacy in the Sahtu is a high percentage, according to the 2009 NWT Housing Survey report.

I want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Minister responsible for Homelessness, what type of plans are in place once these people receive their eviction notices and they...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 5 on the Order Paper.

---Unanimous consent granted