Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask questions to the lead Minister on the Energy Coordinating Committee in terms of the review that’s going to be taking place in the Northwest Territories on rates and electricity review. In terms of these types of consultations that are happening in the Northwest Territories, can the Minister inform the House here, in terms of this type of discussion, will it be open and transparent with all the information and no set predetermination as to the information that’s going to be given to the people in those communities in terms of how they see the review of the...

In terms of the languages in our small schools, can the Minister advise me if there is any type of strategy within the next couple of months on how we start bridging the gap with our elders in our schools? I know there’s some discussion, but the elders are the ones who are the keepers of our language. Can the Minister let this House know what type of strategy he can bring forward within the next couple months on how to start implementing the elders into our schools?

Mr. Chairman, I also will be supporting this motion. I think this motion here speaks to sort of clearing the dust on these issues here. You have a program. You have the communities and municipal funding. You have expertise within the Department of Transportation and also they have studies done by the Municipal and Community Affairs office here. You think what we are asking here is through this motion here I am looking at it in terms of implementing a chipsealing program for the communities where there is expertise from the Department of Transportation which has the expertise, has the resources...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the importance of language and learning the importance of the first language. I want to ask the Minister of Education, in terms of the language programs in the Northwest Territories, if there are plans underway to bridge the gap with language between the home and the school in terms of introducing a strong elders program into the schools where language can be taught with our teachers and the elders involved.

I thank the Minister for his comments in terms of specifically recognizing that there certainly needs to be work done on the signage on our winter roads. I would even go to the extent that if the sign structure division can give some of these dollars to our region in terms of having the contractors do the work in our regions. These contractors put on these winter roads know the roads very well. They’re very well experienced. They know the terrain of our land. They know how to put these signs in and, provided that they’re given the proper resources and equipment to put these signs up properly...

Certainly the Minister is correct in terms of some discussions that have happened with the communities and North-Wright regarding solutions on this issue. We feel in the Sahtu that we’re going to pay if we don’t have those runways extended to the length that we would see benefitting the communities.

The Minister has referred to additional costs and that if we go to a different length of runway it means a higher category. The people in the Sahtu already pay high prices for their airline tickets. They use the small aircraft in those dangerous mountains, with respect to the weather, the terrain...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister just explain the very complicated issue here of a point that he brought up in his discussions with Mr. Krutko regarding Transport Canada’s 2010 ruling on certain airports in the Northwest Territories? We have an issue in the Sahtu with this ruling, especially from an airline in our community that has partnerships with the two communities in my region. Can the Minister give an explanation on this very important rule and what this will mean in terms of the impacts on aircraft carriers’ business points of view?

Mr. Speaker, I didn’t mean to put the Minister in the position of speculating, but clearly, Mr. Speaker, when the panel comes together in June, the panel will have some very concrete ideas as to where we could go in terms of what does it take to maybe implement a two-rate hydro zone or electric diesel zone in terms of rates on our electricity. Certainly we went through the Public Utilities Board for the general rate application process. So there are some things we could do right away in terms of reducing the cost of energy in our communities. Again, I am asking for some, maybe a broader...

Thank you, Minister, in terms of the disadvantages, the way I look at it is that the energy panel really has a lot of money in terms of putting together facts and information. The communities would have very little money. Even the Minister has said that the business communities have to pay their way, so I see that they’re disadvantaged in terms of how this process will be. However, again, I would ask if the Minister would continue to look for other avenues where the communities can be properly funded to have a meaningful consultation. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the communities are at somewhat of a disadvantage because, and I’m not too sure if there are any resources available to them for research information in terms of the rates in terms of the suggestions they may come forward with. The panel may have all the research available to them, but do the communities have some type of a fund available to them to do their own research in terms of looking at some solutions that may be brought up through these consultations?