Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to present a petition dealing with the matter of increasing funding for local programming and governance workshops for communityled boards and district education authorities. Mr. Speaker, the petition contains 144 signatures of the Northwest Territories residents, and, Mr. Speaker, the petition requests that the Government of the Northwest Territories increase funding to communityled boards and district education authorities to increase local programming in areas such as governance, workshops readiness, trades, and outdoor and cultural activities...

I didn't understand that, but I have another question I need to forward on. We know that at least there are 43 exemptions in Cassidy Point, which is Commissioner's land, and that there's other out there that I'm aware of. That as I continue to bring this issue forward from my constituents there is exceptions to this rule. So can the Minister please advise this House what the process is for making exemptions to the rules?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, my questions will be for the Minister of Lands. I'm very grateful to hear that they make a commitment that he follow through on it, and I wish the other Ministers would follow the lead and follow the Lands Minister and any verbal commitments will follow through. Well, can the Minister please explain why the department still uses the Commissioner’s lands application process in areas where the unsettled land claim area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his answer. Can the Minister please explain to this House what arrangements were made with the Yellowknife Dene First Nation to allow this land to be sold instead of the common practice of returning the lease in the areas where land claims are not settled? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I'm just going to assume I know this answer already but I'm going to ask it anyway: has this been shared with the communities and are the councils informed of their ability to do that? Because there seems to be some confusion out there so I'm wondering if it has been available to the communities that that’s what they can do. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the June sitting, I asked some questions for the Minister of Lands. Today, I wish to follow up on these questions. Can the Minister please provide the title of the official who made the commitment to move ahead with the fee simple transaction at Cassidy Point? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister who will be providing that for us. In regards to this funding, the infrastructure deficit, does this funding allow communities to purchase or build homes for staff so they can get quality people in to the communities and give them homes so that they can do the work that's needed? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Does the department with this money have rules and guidelines for the projects that each community can and cannot do? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess my big thing is that, if we're only going back to status quo, we're not going to move ahead. That's my biggest challenge. Yes, I understand the facility was built in 1953, but we need to be looking outside the box, and here's an opportunity. I would hope the Minister will work with this department to develop something for the future so, when these opportunities do come available, it's outside the major centres and it'll have an impact on the smaller communities. So thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate it. Yesterday, the Minister was talking about I think heavy equipment operators' facility thing there and saying that 60 per cent territorial government, 40 per cent federal government. My biggest struggle is why is this program being put in Fort Smith or utilizing the money in Fort Smith, where it cannot sit at the end of the road? Why couldn't it be located in maybe Fort Providence, where there is a lot of highways or Fort Simpson, as there are a lot of highways there available and a lot of industry available? So I'm asking why this was done this way...