Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recommendation for appointment of Executive Council member.

WHEREAS section 61(1) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act requires that there shall be an Executive Council of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS Members of the Executive Council are appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of this Legislative Assembly;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Assembly recommends to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories that Mr. Kevin Menicoche, the Member for Nahendeh, be appointed to the Executive...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, October 25th, 2006, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Assembly recommends to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories that Mr. Kevin Menicoche, Member for Nahendeh, be appointed to the Executive Council.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, other regions have the ability to make their own decisions. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu is left again by this government out to dry. We just don’t have the abilities. It’s all done up in Inuvik, Mr. Speaker. When will this Minister bring some proposals to have an FMB office in the Sahtu region so we can make our own decisions and have our own decisions made by our own people for the benefit of the people in the Sahtu? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few questions for the Minister of FMBS, Floyd Roland, in terms of the Sahtu people looking at becoming a full partnership in this government by having the Financial Management Board have an office in the Sahtu region. Is the Minister planning to move an FMBS office in our region to become a full partnership with the rest of the territorial government departments? Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Can he look at these types of options and come back to my question in terms of yes, we can do this, it’s feasible and it can get done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the question I had somewhat was answered, and I'd like to follow up with Minister Roland on this specific bill here, more in line with the debt counselling in terms of how or what type of system process we have in terms of helping people with debt counselling. I know there are many steps to go in terms of trying to get these debts collected. I know some people are good, honest, hard-working people who want to work on this and sometimes there's a blockage or barriers for whatever reason. Does the Government of the Northwest Territories have any form of unit...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask the Minister if he would conduct, do a sweep or a survey of all the communities that have elders that are living independently that need help there. He’ll have unanimous support by the elders in terms of this is what we need. It’s not much. We have money. We’re putting our money to other priorities. We’re talking about priorities and there is money in this government. Shift them to the elders first. Do the basic thing. Do the right thing. Help them out for this year. That would eliminate all the stress and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to continue these questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment in regards to the Seniors' Fuel Subsidy Program. Mr. Speaker, in the communities there are some elders who receive this subsidy and some of the elders that don’t receive this subsidy. In some of the communities, it causes conflict between the elders. Some of the elders who say they should also be receiving because of the hard work they have done and the pensions that now they’re receiving from the jobs that they worked at. They don’t have any subsidies, and yet they’re...

You know, they are saving their money for it. So I'll ask the Minister again if he would consider looking at this cost of fuel in the communities for the elders. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. However, fall is setting in and winter is just around the corner, and I'm somewhat surprised and shocked that even though the program is being delivered that it has no changes yet for an increase in fuel for the small communities. Elders are getting their fuel I think by November until the end of April, so it's not enough for all the elders and the elders are struggling right now with the high cost of living in these small communities. Mr. Speaker, we do have a surplus. I wonder why the Minister's not going to the Finance Minister to knock on his door, like other...