Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a question on the $19,000 return on maintenance costs for infrastructure assets. How many assets are we talking about with the maintenance cost for two communities of $19,000?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the onus again would have to go back to the community members to file some kind of proposal, but I do believe that they have made numerous requests to the department to get the extra dollars that they are required, according to the government standards, building codes, et cetera. There are certain dollars that have to be allocated to make this a reality and, of course, they fell short, and they’ve gone out to industry and the industry came back with a few dollars, but really still fell quite short in meeting the final objective of $140,000, which basically is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that we extend the question period. I seek unanimous consent to extend question period, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to make a motion that I move that we extend the question period. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today my question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I just wanted to ask the Minister about another initiative that the local youth in Fort Resolution have taken upon themselves to try and get resolved. I am talking about the youth centre that has been sitting on the blocks and has been boarded up for the last year-and-a-half. The community is still struggling with dollars to open up the youth centre. They were given $80,000 about a year ago by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to buy a building, move it, and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t think the Minister really answered my question. I know it’s Public Works buildings. We are looking at two communities, roughly $9,500 for maintenance funding for Public Works buildings. I can understand why they don’t want this work. I can understand why they don’t even want the funding to carry out this work because there is probably just not enough. How many buildings does this include? Are there any schools involved or just maintenance garages or units or what? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I use my Member’s statement to talk about some of the problems our youth are being subjected to today, specifically on education. I am not talking about the costs families are faced with in relocating their children to the larger centres to receive a better education, but the negative societal impact we will be encountering in the future from the disruption of family stability as a consequence of geographical relocation in pursuit of the economic independence and benefits received when living in the larger commercial areas.

Mr. Speaker, the youth...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for his response. Talking about costs of the program; Income Support beneficiaries and Income Support dollars have been going out to the recipients and beneficiaries and clients in the Tu Nedhe region. Actually, from 1999 to 2003 it has gone up by $50,000, Mr. Speaker. I don't think the program is designed to spend more money for income support, as the Minister has stated. Since 1999, there has been a lot of economic development in the Tu Nedhe region and in the surrounding regions in the NWT, and it seems like there's more Income...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this summer, July 13, 2004, I was privileged to hold a meeting in Deninu Kue with the Deninu Kue First Nations, the Metis Nation, the public and six Members of our Cabinet. I wanted to thank Premier Joe Handley, Ministers Bell, Miltenberger, McLeod, Dent and Krutko, for taking the time to visit and discuss many of the issues with the community leadership and the public.

Community leadership was very appreciative of this and looks forward to following up on some of the concerns brought forward. The public is also looking forward to having Minister Miltenberger...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to get the Minister’s thoughts on the possibility of writing off these outstanding debts that many members of the NWT have to date.