Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Minister Dent. I’d like to ask Minister Dent is he putting some plan together in terms of banning the junk food in all our schools in the Northwest Territories as outlined, put the junk in the trunk as my friends say and get some action in our schools here? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are some seniors in my region who say it’s just as easy for them to get into public housing rather than try to support them through their own independent housing. It gets pretty hard for them. However, Mr. Speaker, each community and region has different scenarios, so I’m not going to take sides on this. As long as it’s fair and done in an equitable manner and that our region may be different from other communities, other regions. So will the Minister again ensure that this program here is done for how it’s intended to carry out and that our elders would be...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The issue here is about our life as people in our region. When you talk about caribou, that’s our life. I wonder a lot of people who depend on caribou for their livelihood. This is exactly their life. You know, we have a decline or there’s some serious issues as some of the caribou are not as populated in the region as we think they are, then our elders get very concerned. I think that’s where I support what Mr. Landry is saying about we have a summit where real stakeholders are the elders who live off the caribou for the earliest time of their life. Us, we’re...

Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 8, 2006, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, June 8, 2006, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 17, 2006; and further, anytime prior to October 17, 2006, if the Speaker is satisfied and after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest require that this House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Department of Education and Culture review the public housing rental subsidy initiative next year or so, within the next six months, and see was it a good thing, was it not so bad or is it a good move on our department, or are we serving our people or are we hurting our people? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister then inform the House and the people in Fort Good Hope that some time within the next couple days, I guess, that’s what they’re looking for in terms of having them come in. There are some people that are crying foul here in terms of how this program is being administered. The rent increases have increased in their homes and families are prepared, they’re packing their bags and ready to move out. So can the Minister go in there as soon as possible and explain to the people on this new change in the housing subsidy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize these amazing CHRs that were just honoured today this afternoon. I would like to give special recognition to an amazing woman from Deline. I think Sandy already read out the good things that the woman can do, so I want to recognize Ms. Betty Tsetso who has graduated from Deline.

---Applause

Also to support Betty in her achievement and the backbone of the family I think is her husband Joe Tsetso. Joe is up there.

---Applause

Their son is also there and Laura’s sister, all from Deline. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Minister, in some discussion around here, has stated clearly that it's time to make a decision, and for whatever reason that decision wasn't made four years ago, we can't really say. So today we have to think about what the people in Fort Simpson or for that Deh Cho Hall want to do. There are a number of people in that facility that's going to be impacted or affected for the next couple years. I think to do the proper thing, there was some good suggestions around the House here in terms of I guess we could have laid back and said, well, we could...

Mr. Chairman, thank you. I appreciate what the Minister is saying. These are comments just on behalf of the region. So he’s got my full support in terms of this issue here. So 110 percent from me.

Thank you, Madam Chair. For this amount here, I said it before in other meetings that it’s about time that Housing and MACA gets off the ground and gets busy because you know the backlog in our region. The need for lot development, the need for, we heard it on the radio the other day on the town of Norman Wells. Of course you hear it from my communities that I represent. This is way overdue, so I think we need to have an extreme makeover at the Housing Corporation and start putting these units in our communities, preparing them for lot development. Right now when you do lot development, you...