Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, honourable colleagues. Mr. Speaker, these clients are far away from home, Mr. Speaker, and they have certainly looked to us for some guidance and direction as it costs a lot of money for families to go down to Edmonton. Mr. Speaker, I don’t see why the facilities that are operating in the Northwest Territories are running empty, and this government is paying millions of dollars to keep them operational. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Wednesday, June 2, 2004, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, October 13th, 2004;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to October 13th, 2004, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at a time stated in such notice and shall...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June 4th, 2004, 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 Wednesday, June 2nd, 2004, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, October 13, 2004; and further, that any time prior to October 13th, 2004, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultations with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time than adjourned to, the Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I heard talk of $1 million for nine clients who are living in Edmonton. It’s hard for families, Mr. Speaker, to visit their loved ones who are so far away in Edmonton. It seems to me that it’s high time this government takes a hard look at some steps to repatriate some of these people or all the people back up North in the many facilities that can be used. Some Members have indicated to the House which facilities are located in the North. Can the Minister tell me, tell the House and tell families and people in the Northwest Territories, what concrete...

WHEREAS pursuant to section 61(1) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, the Legislative Assembly recommends to the Commissioner the appointment of Members of the Executive Council;

AND WHEREAS pursuant to section 61(2) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, the persons appointed hold office during the pleasure of the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS the assembly, pursuant to these powers has chosen the Honourable Henry Zoe to sit as a Member of the Executive Council;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that this assembly...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister. I guess I would ask him if he would consider looking at some of the policies that he alluded to that may help the Metis people access other programs. Right now you have to go into low income support or to the ARDA programs and they get bounced around. So, Mr. Speaker, I would ask if the Minister could look at his programs again and look at some of the other programs within his department that would help alleviate some of this frustration that the Metis people are facing today in terms of getting their higher education and being a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. There are several constituents in the Sahtu region who have applied for programs and been turned down. What type of interim solutions can we provide to some of my constituents in the Sahtu region with regard to continuing on with their education and training for the upcoming opportunities that they see in the Sahtu? This government tells the people in the Sahtu that there is some way we can look at that issue in the interim. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize my partner, Cheryl; my support. I miss you and I love you.

---Laughter

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Honourable Members of the House, since the incident, I have given some thought to it, prayed on it. There are some people who have thought about it, but I had to go inside my heart. Even last night I was talking to Tony. I said what do I do and what way should we go about dealing with this issue. I talked to the Sahtu leadership on Friday and talked to them over the weekend and today. I asked about this motion. It is really painful to move it. The Sahtu leadership told me that I would make the right decision, but also gave me some flexibility in terms of continuing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess I am sad about this motion. Mr. Allen asked me to consider seconding the motion. Mr. Speaker, I heard that in order to get to the Promised Land, we have to negotiate our way out of the bushes. So I look at this as an opportunity with the Northwest Territories being the promised land because of the potential wealth that we have in the Northwest Territories and the amount of wealth that the federal government takes from the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, we are in a unique position. There are unique circumstances in the Northwest Territories...