Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Speaker, in the economic measures chapter, if there is going to be any type of changes to the policies and programs and services, is there an opportunity that this Minister will then sit down with the Sahtu leadership and discuss the type of changes that could possibly be coming forth or whatever that there’s going to be a shift from this Constitution written document?

I look forward to the review of the medical travel in this situation. It has certainly failed her in this case here.

I want to ask the Minister, is it a policy when a patient from any community requests an escort in this type of situation, is an escort then automatically granted or is it within the power of the nurse to deny the medical escort for a patient?

Mr. Speaker, on the medical travel, is that common practice when somebody is seriously injured in the community in the Northwest Territories that it takes a couple days to medevac the person out? Is that in the policy?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement is about an incident that happened in Fort Good Hope and it will talk about a few things.

A young lady was struck by a skidoo, which at the time had four people on it. It was considered a hit and run incident and at the time when she was hit, she was transported to the local health centre where she was assessed.

It wasn’t until a few days later that she was finally medevaced from Fort Good Hope to Yellowknife for treatment. So the question is: Why two days waiting in Good Hope when she was hit by a skidoo?

When she finally arrived in Yellowknife for...

Madam Chair, I have a motion. I move that the Department of Finance continue to work with the Auditor General of Canada and GNWT departments, boards and agencies toward the completion of both the interim and the final public accounts at the earliest possible date each year.

WHEREAS there are 10 communities in the Northwest Territories without resident RCMP officers;

AND WHEREAS there are nine communities in the Northwest Territories without resident nurses;

AND WHEREAS both policing and nursing services are critical to the health and safety of all communities and their residents;

AND WHEREAS the lack of these services has continued for many years despite ongoing pressure from communities and Regular Members to expand them;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the government...

Finally I get a Minister coming to the Sahtu. I would be interested in sitting down with the leadership and with the Minister. This chapter is very important because of what’s happening in the Sahtu. We don’t have an all-weather road right now, so it makes it difficult to jump on any type of economic development other than what we have in the short period of a winter road season.

I want to ask the Minister, with this chapter here in regards to any future changes, definitely the leadership would be upfront and involved in discussing what changes possibly may happen with chapter 13.

It’s true, Mr. Chairman, every day you learn something new. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Minister.

I wanted to say that hopefully this bill here, then, will certainly help us in the Sahtu. There’s willingness and some flexibility, say, in like Colville Lake. There are people there that drive vehicles that are pretty fit and they are over the age of 75, 80, and are still driving. We need to have some flexibility in our smaller communities. The age of 75, so I don’t really have to worry because I have a long way to go yet, so I’m okay. Those are my closing comments. Thank you.

I like that answer there, so I will see how we could work on that provision. Also, the provision will ensure accuracy and fairness in determining drivers’ fitness. I guess the mechanism… How do you determine a driver’s fitness, I guess, especially in the small communities? He may not look fit, but once you get an old-timer out in the bush, boy, they are fitter than us. So, how do you determine the fitness? You know, some of our elders are 75 or 80 but they are more fit than us sitting around this table here. You go in the bush with them and they will put us to shame. So, I guess I am taking...

Mr. Speaker, I concur with Mrs. Groenewegen and Mr. Menicoche to this amendment to the amendment. We do have qualified teachers, they are called mothers, grandmothers. They may not have their qualifications as an institution, but they are special people in our communities.

These are four-year-olds. Think back on your child or grandchild as a four-year-old. This is about teaching some social development skills, language, play, respect and values. So these are small children that some of the qualified people that are not recognized in our education system may be recognized in our communities in...