Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement is going to be on the issue of our regions coming to age, Mr. Speaker. I have had the opportunity of being able to accompany the Minister of MACA, Mr. McLeod, and also Premier Handley, leader of the Government of the Northwest Territories, to attend the Association of Municipalities meeting in Norman Wells, along with my colleague, Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Speaker, the issue I am talking about is in our regions, the smaller communities; they seem to be lacking certain basic essential services that other centres have in their communities. Still...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have seen some of the libraries in our communities and I know some of the people who work hard and they are certainly pushing people to volunteer or support their community’s libraries. We have initiatives such as literacy programs and to support our children and certainly have money there for our community libraries, and $50,000 for a community is something I am hoping the Minister would look at improving or increasing in terms of really putting the meat to the bones in terms of literacy programs.

Some communities have really nice community libraries and some are in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the past week and a half we have heard from the Premier in terms of a position that was taken by this government for aboriginal groups, the land claim groups, and the Northwest Territories Metis group have come together and signed the AIP with our territorial government. Just about an hour ago, I read a press release from the grand chief of the Dehcho, Mr. Herb Norwegian, on his comments and his views as to this AIP on the resource revenue sharing and devolution. Does this position taken by the grand chief hurt the AIP and resource revenue sharing...

Thank you. Madam Chair, the funding is used by the departments in the GNWT to provide aboriginal services in the various sectors. I imagine that is needed. For example, the courts, Health, Social Services, Education. Is that money being used right across the board here?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would make my comments to the other Members in terms of this issue here. Mr. Speaker, this issue is very close to my heart. Mr. Speaker, I have seen many good people in my communities, in the region, people in the Northwest Territories, a lot of good people who should be here in the Northwest Territories enjoying life. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the disease of alcoholism had gotten them. Mr. Speaker, I speak from personal experience that when we have alcoholism in our communities, you know, it takes away life, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s not a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am very happy to see this item in the budget here. I have asked for it. Even if you had communities that apply for it, it would certainly help to offset the…They want to help the communities. They want to offset some of the stuff that is happening in communities because of some communities that don’t have the youth centres open. Even certain amount of time through the months there, that they can have youth centres open, especially on Friday, Saturday and even Sunday nights, that the youth centre would be open to eliminate or to minimize the other stuff...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $30,000 per community, up to $30,000, I am not saying that they are going to give every community based on an application, first-come, first-served. It is application-based up to $30,000, so it doesn’t say a community will get $30,000. Is it somewhat within the department to say that the Gwich’in, the Beaufort-Delta, Sahtu, Tlicho, South Slave and the North Slave here will get a certain percentage of the funding? Some communities might be a little slow coming out of the gate in terms of how this application is filled out and sent to the communities in Nahendeh in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I know our winter roads disappear every year and they come back again. So I want to ask the Minister in terms of when I see the budget Mackenzie Highway winter roads, I noticed other communities outside my region also have these winter roads. But there's some dangerous spots in my region that certainly need some attention in terms of going from Wrigley to Tulita, Tulita to Deline. There are some roads that certainly need some reconstruction, and certainly from Norman Wells to Good Hope or even to Colville. I would ask the Minister if there is anything in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that we extend sitting hours beyond the normal hours of the adjournment to conclude the bill under consideration. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, could I ask the Minister, then, if some time in the couple months ahead that should we get overall approval in terms of getting the go-ahead with this ramp to be built in the Ayah School, because I think it's long overdue. So could I ask the Minister for that commitment? Thank you.