Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m happy with the Transportation budget. I had hoped that, like Mr. Krutko, there would be more money put into community access roads or the Community Access Program I suppose it is. I see that as a program for the small communities even off the highway to be able to access certain areas they need to access. I know it was used to access gravel supplies and so on and so forth. I’m not 100 percent sure about that, but I understand that from just what I’ve learned over the last couple of years. I think this Community Access Program should really be targeted to...

I thank the Minister for those responses. Will the Minister commit to working with the federal government and the communities of Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e to develop some sort of a strategy to clean up the sites within Tu Nedhe?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I spoke about the Stark Lake cleanup problem near Lutselk'e. Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious environmental issue and I’m talking about some radioactive contamination. I have questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to directing his environmental staff to meet as soon as possible with the community of Lutselk'e on this issue? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Stark Lake seems to be the immediate concern to the people around Lutselk’e, will the Minister commit to getting something done with the federal government and getting something done this summer in as far as actual onsite cleanup.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The question on the program delivery details under youth, $1.058 million for youth development initiatives and first contact with youth issues, I was wondering if the Minister could advise specifically what type of projects were charged to this budget line.

Can the Minister tell me if once a municipality, whether they be a band government or just become incorporated or an actual settlement that has become a hamlet, which is the case in both of the communities I represent, is there the option of setting the land administration and the taxing or the leasing of land aside and still continue with the rest of the agreement of transfer?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On land administration I just have a question for the Minister. Is this the budget after the majority of the land, like the taxing and leasing of land, has been transferred to municipalities like hamlets, towns, cities, villages, whatever?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to see the extra money put into youth expenditures. I think if you go through the business plan, it’s almost $2.5 million spent towards the youth. I think that’s a big improvement from what was there two years ago. I know that there has also been some infrastructure dollars put into youth centres across the Territory. So this is in addition to that, to the operations of these and maybe some youth workers, as outlined in the Minister’s opening remarks.

Still on the topic of actually having youth workers at the community level, I’ve made many...

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister agree to discuss immediate environmental needs for the Tu Nedhe insofar as resource development and exploration goes? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I spoke of the need for environment officers in Tu Nedhe. I’d like to ask the Minister of ENR questions. Could the Minister tell me if there are any regulatory impediments to hiring environment officers in non-settled areas? Thank you.