Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Lands. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Lands if the terms "tax-based" and "non-tax-based" communities are still being used in the department? I know it is a new department. It may have been used by MACA previously, but I would like to know if the Minister of Lands can tell me if that term is still used in the Lands department. Thank you.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, across my entire riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the land taxation and land-leasing policy has many elders convinced that they will never own their own homes or properties. At this time, some elders owe so much tax and lease debt that they believe that, when they pass on, GNWT would own their homes and that surviving members who move into their homes will not be allowed to remain in them and will have to move out. Many of these family members do not own homes and are reliant on social housing, therefore costing the government about $20,000 a year to house them...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, I move that the chair rise and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I travelled with the southern group. I guess the main thing that I just want to touch on a bit would be the education or research aspect of cannabis.

We went to three schools. We talked to high school students in three different schools, as you know, Mr. Chair, and it appeared as though the students themselves were fairly up to speed on cannabis. It is very easy for students to do research, not like when we were in high school. We had to go through a lot of books in order to educate ourselves. Now students see a lot of things on the Internet, and it is...

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Michael Fatte in the gallery today. I spoke of Michael in the statement that I made today, working with the homeless people in Yellowknife, and I would also like to recognize YK Dene members, Jennifer Lafferty, Donald White, and the baby, Cameron Lafferty. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister, "to provide funding for the Canada-NWT Workforce Development Agreement" of $3.1 million, is that money that has lapsed and is put back in the framework, or is it a new supplementary increase? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak to a new program that has recently been launched in the city of Yellowknife. This program is called Common Ground, and its purpose is to help the most vulnerable citizens find employment and lift themselves out of poverty.

Mr. Speaker, this initiative is being led by one of my constituents, Michael Fatte of Lutselk'e, who is a founder and lead coordinator of Common Ground. This program is aimed to hire homeless and the marginalized people to pick up the litter in public areas around the City of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, of course, I'm very interested in the Taltson. I have made several Member statements on Taltson about the impacts. The negative impact of the Taltson Dam downstream on businesses, and downstream, essentially, that dam has killed the fur industry for the people of Taltson River. The least the government should be doing, if they're thinking of expanding this, is consulting with the people who were impacted. I have asked several times now that the government look at this, and if they are determined to proceed with this and they want to make it a little bit...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am also on the Taltson dam project. I guess I am reading it as the $200,000 that is put in there for this coming fiscal year as a study to cross the Great Slave Lake, so I am wondering if I could get an explanation on that. I am seeing where the Taltson is, and I would like to kind of know where it's going to cross Great Slave Lake. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on the health centre in Fort Resolution, the replacement health centre for Fort Resolution, there is almost $1.8 million in carry-over. My understanding is that it will be ready for move-in sometime early this fall. I was wondering if that is still on schedule. Thank you, Mr. Chair.