Tom Beaulieu

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister about, you know, I talked about all the benefits of hosting events and so on: does the department help fund the traditional games that go on across the territory?

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my member's statement, I speak of the importance of hand games to the youth of the Northwest Territories. I'd like to ask the Minister of MACA questions: does the Minister and the department support and encourage funding for hand game tournaments? Thank you.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about the cost of obesity to our people and to our healthcare system. According to Statistics Canada, the Northwest Territories has the highest obesity levels in the country, at 35.3 per cent.

Mr. Speaker, two of the four pillars of health are to eat healthy food and exercise. In small communities, it is costly to eat fresh vegetables and fruits on a regular basis. However, it is still possible to get healthy traditional food, like caribou, moose, fish, and small game, like wild chickens, ducks, and rabbits. In addition, many of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, one of the, I think, important maybe objectives or goals of the government should be to try to reduce the rate of repeat offenders. I recognize that, in the past, from my hometown we have had quite a few correction officers, many of whom are retired at this point, working in the system. I found that they have lots of discussions with the individuals who are serving a sentence in corrections and trying to have those discussions so that those guys don't return.

I'm asking the Minister, I guess, other than just following the regular process, which is failing...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in this section, there are almost 250 employees. I was wondering if the department has an affirmative action plan to increase the number of priority one candidates in the public service in this particular section. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the department do or get some reports on the traditional activities, traditional games at middle school games, as the Minister stated, and report that to residents or develop some sort of report that the MLAs can see? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we see school championships such as Super Soccer and Spike It, to name a couple. Does the department fund a territorial championship for hand games?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was once told by a community leader that they do everything they can as a community to help their youth do well. As a result of their efforts, no youth from that community has appeared in court in over three years. It is no wonder that in recent years the number of youth in North Slave Young Offenders facility has dropped to record low-inmate populations. I urge this government to continue to help people in the Northwest Territories value our Dene games, more particularly the hand games. One day, I hope to see hand games have equal value as other...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Nothing further, thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, so this is a group of low-income, non-Aboriginal families or individuals who have no extended health benefit but they are under 60, they are not Metis, they are not treaty. I guess that is correct? I just ask for confirmation on that from the Minister. Thank you.