Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. In light of the high percentage of smokers and smoking amongst our youth in the NWT, please provide:

The number of people in the Sahtu region who acknowledge they smoke.

A breakdown of smokers by age, gender and youth.

The cost of cigarettes in the Sahtu communities.

What are the actual health costs to the NWT associated with smoking?

In the Sahtu region, who works with the department on smoking education programs?

Can the department provide us with the types of financial support to combat smoking...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister also ensure that the communities along the route who are looking at the Protected Areas Strategy, the communities that are in the land claims, that are following the land claims agreements in terms of the Protected Areas Strategy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of RWED. Mr. Speaker, I’d like the Minister to provide this House with an update on the Protected Areas Strategy in light of the filing of the application of the Mackenzie gas pipeline that there’s land that needs to be protected in the region. Can the Minister provide the House with an update on the Protected Areas Strategy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister provide the House with the reports of the assessments? He mentioned they are doing assessments of less than 30 percent occupancy of those types of facilities that they are responsible for. Would he provide this House with the report within the time frame? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, recently the Minister and I went to the Sahtu to talk about some of the housing issues in the Sahtu. I want to ask if the Minister could give me an update on the terms of the one seniors' facility in Deline that the people in the Sahtu would like to see open. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, I also made a decision along with the honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche, to do the right thing not only for ourselves; we made this commitment for our people in our regions. I made the choice to stop continuous smoking. I have taken the Minister of Health and Social Services’ challenge to be smoke-free. That is almost one year ago he gave me that challenge. It has taken me a long time to come to that challenge. The decision to look at my life and the impact of cigarettes on the younger people greatly disturbed me, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reason why I say this is that the federal government sometimes puts the squeeze on the communities, you know. There’s a time frame to do some really decent work in terms of the Protected Areas Strategy. So I’m asking the Minister if he could ensure that the Protected Areas Strategy deserves the quality and the work that it presents itself to the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a constituent who is present, Marie Wilson. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I applaud the government on this that they are going out and seeking students and leaders of tomorrow. Can the Minister let the House know, because of this program, will it hurt other programs that are funded towards the youth for the next two years?