Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Premier for his support in this important cost-of-living issue for the Member for Tu Nedhe.

Will the Premier commit to placing the cost-of-living item on the Cabinet agenda so his Cabinet representatives can keep the committee informed and keep the cost-of-living issue on the front burner?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. (English translation not provided.)

Mr. Speaker, last week I spoke about the cost of living and the impacts on our residents in the smaller communities. This is an everyday concern for my constituents, and today I would like to summarize this concern.

This issue is an everyday concern for many residents in smaller communities. Many are struggling to make ends meet. I talked about a young mother of three who has to pay $8 for two litres of milk and almost $90 for formula. If one of her children requires medical attention, this could mean leaving her home and her community...

Aboriginal employment for all employees is low. It’s 31 per cent across the Territory. I think our objective is to try to achieve 51 per cent, according to the Affirmative Action Policy. For all employees, this department has an affirmative action number of 27 per cent.

The aboriginal percentage of employees in management is 17 per cent, or one position of the six senior management positions. The committee felt that it was vitally important in this department that we have some aboriginal management, and more aboriginal employees, as we’re engaging in our share of the negotiations across the...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to seek the Premier’s opinion. I’d like to ask the Premier if he agrees that the level of service to our citizens is not balanced between small communities and larger centres. Thank you.

I’d like to ask the Premier: has the Premier initiated any discussions in his Cabinet on the requirement to have a needs assessment to determine the current gap in determining where the small communities are and where they should be?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. All week I have been highlighting the differences between small communities like Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution and life in the larger centres. I have talked about the limited resources to medical services, professional counselling, and education and training options, which people in Yellowknife and the towns take for granted. I have talked about the higher rates of suicide and youth crime; the limited resources available to our schools and RCMP detachments; the lack of municipal infrastructure like paved roads and sidewalks, recreation facilities, piped water and sewer...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee strongly recommends that the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations take immediate action to develop a strategy to increase aboriginal employment in management positions, and across the department, too, at minimum representative levels and, further, that the department include the strategy within its departmental business plan to be considered in the fall of 2008.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to setting up a joint committee to address these issues, would the Premier put this project or this initiative on the Cabinet agenda so that this does not lose its focus during this Assembly?

Mr. Speaker, all week I drew comparisons between smaller communities and the larger centres. I understand the smaller communities cannot have high schools with full curriculua like the larger centres, arenas and even indoor swimming pools. However, I’d like to ask the Premier if he has had any Cabinet discussions on closing the gap between larger centres and the smaller communities.