Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Please provide the dates for completion of the Main Street Chipsealing Program for all of the communities in the Sahtu region.

Please also provide a cost estimate of each project.

Other than chipsealing, please provide information with regard to alternate methods of paving roads and controlling dust.

Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is why I asked the Minister to look at some innovative solutions in terms of curbing the hard drugs in our communities, by talking to these other Ministers and saying that this is a comprehensive approach. Again, go back to the report that Mr. Andre, deputy mayor from Fort McPherson, is talking about, having underage children who have been dealing with underage drinking in the community of Fort McPherson. I am asking the Minister, can he look at other solutions with other colleagues in terms of coming up with a northern solution? Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was reported, on October 26th at 12:15 p.m., that communities along the Mackenzie Valley, specifically in Fort McPherson where they are dealing with underage drinking, ran around to see how they can resolve this issue. It’s also reported that communities are dealing with the hard drugs like crack addiction, and also in Yellowknife and in Hay River. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, can he inform this House of what type of strategy he is working on in terms of dealing with these issues in the small communities and the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Premier knows that I also tried to get into that region to meet with the Sahtu people. How soon would the Premier be able to contact the Sahtu officials to set up a date and a meeting with them? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all too often I hear stories from my constituents about government contracts for work in the Sahtu being awarded to companies outside of the region, and about local people being turned down for government jobs. All too often, Mr. Speaker, I hear excuses from government, like they did not meet the educational requirements, did not meet our standards. These excuses tell me that the GNWT is not living up to the spirit of the Sahtu Land Claim Agreement and, in particular, the economic measures chapter.

There are many capable people and businesses in the Sahtu...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. I have short comments to the Premier. I want to thank the Premier and the Deputy Premier for going to Ottawa and working on our behalf. You came back with some good news. We see some changes that would affect our government. But, also, I believe you took the message to Ottawa from our last discussion here last week. I want to ask the Premier regarding his discussions about the aboriginal land claim groups that have settled and the other land claim groups that are in negotiations on self-government or land claims issues themselves in terms...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, October 29, 2004, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation identify and recommend to this House viable options to sustain our long-term public housing investment;

And further that the Government of the Northwest Territories sets as a target the reduction of core housing need in the Northwest Territories by 10 percent by the year 2007;

And furthermore that the Minister responsible for the NWT...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. The people in the Sahtu would be very happy to do a proposal. Would the Minister commit to a meeting with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment within this fiscal year to put out a proposal that would be beneficial to our people? We need to hear from the government saying this is what we can do, this is the amount of dollars that we commit to this pilot project. Would the Minister give a commitment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the previous Minister of the Housing Corporation did a tour of the Sahtu region, and one of the issues that came up for the people was the block housing and the ways that we could cut down costs. But it also makes sense to use our own resources and also use the opportunity to provide training for our people. Would the Minister commit to this House and to the people of the Sahtu that the previous commitments made by the Minister in terms of providing a package for log housing that could be suitable and affordable for people in the Sahtu region? Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again I want to ask request the Minister what type of plans does his department have in terms of working with the federal government to ensure that maybe the federal government does need to phase out the funding for housing here, similar to what the government has looked at with the First Ministers’ health funding or the equalization payments? Surely this government can question the federal government in terms of looking at housing as a crucial and essential need for the Northwest Territories.