Norman Yakeleya

The people also want to know what the government is doing to mitigate the operational cost of oil and gas activity. One of the people I did speak to said that if you had an all-weather road going into the Sahtu, you would cut down 30 percent of their operational expenses. That’s just one oil company. That is what some of the people in the Sahtu want to know. What are some of the things that this government is doing to lower the cost of business? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s discouraging to hear that from the government. It’s no different than me fighting for the residential school survivors to get some decent treatment in the North or for them.

We are penalized because we don’t have an all-weather road. When we did have heavy equipment going with the oil and gas, there was lots of activity, yet we’re still not having any type of support from this department or this government. I am asking if the department could think outside the box; create a position, even if it’s temporary. Don’t shut the door in our face and say no, not until you...

The Minister is well aware of the Sahtu’s aspirations, and with the Mackenzie Valley Highway we’re hoping that we have some good news out of the federal government’s office. Also, the Sahtu, specifically the Tulita leadership, district leadership put a proposal in front of this Minister to look at a small proposal.

Would this small proposal be sort of an indication to say we need to get ready for the Mackenzie Valley Highway? Can you move towards creating the positions in the Sahtu with Transportation with the support of the proposal that’s in front of the Minister’s desk now?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Someone once said to me, “Hey, Norm, how come you keep bringing up the need for residential school survivors to get treatment and the need for the Sahtu to become an independent region?” Well, Mr. Speaker, I was thinking, what’s the connection?

Well, in both incidents we want freedom, or to be free from the shackles of being dependent on others. For the residential school survivors, it is the freedom of not being hurt, feeling the pain and knowing there is a better life, knowing that God didn’t create a person to live this kind of life and how can I break free and be a...

Mr. Chair, I’m certainly disappointed in the response from the department and the staff here on raising their hopes through discussion with the people of Deline and the palliative care beds. The Minister certainly gave reasons why this request shouldn’t be honoured and is making a left when he should be going down the right lane. I’m very disappointed by the department’s response and justifying why they’re not going to take Deline requests seriously as it was duly noted in my notes and the Minister’s meetings with the leadership and people of Deline in regards to this request. It’s been an...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to ask the Minister on the status of the requests by the Deline leadership community support on a sort of respite care or palliative care bed units in their community. There was some discussion with the previous Minister. I’m not too sure if this Minister is up to… We had some meetings with the Minister on that request from Deline. They’re asking for a bed or so for that community. I haven’t heard. It’s pretty quiet from the department as to what’s being communicated. This is an ongoing issue with the community and the Minister. Can I get a very brief update? Thank...

I’ll look forward to that information. Thank you. That’s all for my questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Mr. Dolynny and Mr. Nadli for bringing this motion to the floor. I think this motion should be looked at sometime in the future, not today. I have thoughts on it and I don’t think that at this time a motion like this is needed in the Northwest Territories, especially in our small communities. I can see it in the larger centres like Yellowknife. You have a lot of people coming in here and meeting all the time and we don’t have that opportunity. In our small communities, we know who is actually coming to meet with even ourselves as MLAs. We can almost be...

Some of the people that have written to me asked what is the government doing in regard to the anti-fracking movement that seems to be gaining some, rallying around support for a moratorium or banning fracking in the North. So they’re asking what’s going on here, what is the government doing to deal with this, because it could be the death of our economic development in the Sahtu region.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI. I want to ask the Minister of ITI questions for the people in the Sahtu region. What is this government doing to encourage the oil and gas activity in the Northwest Territories?