Norman Yakeleya

Yes, last comment, just on the technical support for Safe Drinking Water Initiative. Can the Minister just allude to the standards that we want to bring up in terms of the water for the Safe Drinking Water Initiative, the support for the municipalities that desperately do need the valuable support to make sure that our water is always at a standard, that we can assure our people that this is an issue that is being monitored throughout the year?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I represent the community that has the second highest percentage of households in core need. I often talk about health and transportation needs in my region. Today I will continue with housing needs in my region; housing and treaty rights, to be exact, through our ancestors.

People are looking to the intent and spirit of the treaty rights; treaty rights related to housing as explained by our elders whose parents and grandparents were encouraged to leave the land, move into town and live in homes that were built for them by government.

I heard from many of my constituents...

Thank you. I look forward to the report there. I also want to say that I’m not too sure if the Minister did... I think they had some technology that they’re using around the communities in terms of radar in terms of energy reports or assessment. I’m not too sure if they use that in the Sahtu on some of the buildings that possibly could use some attention in terms of energy efficiency in the facilities that we use.

I just wanted to be clear. I’m talking about DPW facility garage. I know you’re talking about the tank farm there. I just wanted to ask the Minister for clarification. I guess I’m talking about the DPW garage that’s there. There also is an old building that they’re using right now for storage in the tank farm right now. I know the Minister has written some correspondence and I appreciate it being put on the books for some work there.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to say to the Minister that people in my community that I reside in were happy that there were some discussions going on regarding the demolition of the Chief Albert Wright School. It’s been a situation that we finally have seen some resolution to it and I certainly support the department on this item in the budget here to see that we can finally move on it.

Also, the issue of the property of where the school is situated right now has a lot of interest by community members for an agreement that was possibly negotiated some time ago with the municipality, the Hamlet...

I just want to ask the same question as on the previous page on the programs that don’t show any funding for this year. Is that similar to my other questions on the previous page?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also, Mr. Speaker, the Minister did say that, when he heard the arguments of the high rental costs for the people who are in these public housing units, he doesn’t want to hear them anymore. Would the Minister then commit as part of the review to go into the communities to hear this issue here and have a big part of the consultation process, when he is putting together his team and people to come into the communities that want to know about how this government is going, to look at this issue in terms of going forward to reduce the cost of living for people in our...

I certainly look forward to the start of the potential sites that can produce hydro for the benefit of the people in the North here. The Minister has listed off some sites that I know very well, so it’s good to know that the Minister is up to speed in my region. I look forward to the results of the Sahtu hydro symposium. I mean, not only for our region but also for the Northwest Territories. I hope that we can move, once we have a clear plan and understanding as to what areas of the hydro that we wanted to look into and not be boggled down with various viewpoints as to which hydro or which...

Mr. Chair, I want to talk to the Minister about an issue here in regard to roads and the gravel access concept here. It’s been quite a good discussion amongst the Members here. I know that this is not the mandate of this department here. It’s really a MACA department mandate; however, Transportation has somewhat been involved in it due to the complexity of the Mackenzie Valley Highway road. It makes sense. Now you open the doors to this issue here. Would the Minister possibly consider with his Cabinet in terms of saying that we could look at a mandate for this department? That probably opens...

Mr. Speaker, certainly I agree with the Minister, because the Minister, in his exchange with me yesterday, said he has heard the arguments and I think he said something like look at improving some of the way they do the rental scale. I think that is a good start in terms of how we start making some of these improvements. I hope with that type of discussion here that the Minister will look at ways to reduce the cost of living for public housing tenants. Will the Minister commit to finalizing the report and the recommendations early in the spring so that changes can be made sooner than later?