This is page numbers 49 - 72 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was community.

Topics

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Minister of Finance.

Return To Question O59-12(1): Establishment Of Trust Companies Or Credit Unions
Question O59-12(1): Establishment Of Trust Companies Or Credit Unions
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John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, the previous Minister had incorporated most of the loans into one consolidated loan fund, and that presently seems to be working quite well. There is quite a demand on that fund and I am presently doing a review of it. We are aware that the co-operatives are looking at some kind of banking institution, and we are awaiting that proposal.

Return To Question O59-12(1): Establishment Of Trust Companies Or Credit Unions
Question O59-12(1): Establishment Of Trust Companies Or Credit Unions
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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Pudluk.

Ludy Pudluk High Arctic

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have the same concern as the Member for Deh Cho about transferring the money to smaller communities. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. One time I applied for a co-op membership in this town and they told me I had to wait for 18 months to deal with my name and they would put my name on the bottom of the list. You have to be a member to buy anything from the co-op here. I know that anyone who comes to Resolute Bay does not have to be a member of the co-op to buy any groceries and clothing. Why is it so different here?

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Pollard.

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, I believe it is a limited co-operative, but I will look into the matter and get back to the House.

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

The question is taken as notice. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Transportation. The previous Minister of Transportation did a study on roads or highways in the Keewatin Region. What progress is being made in this direction? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Allooloo.

Return To Question O61-12(1): Winter Roads In Keewatin Region
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Titus Allooloo Amittuq

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the government has a transportation strategy that was developed by the previous government and that strategy is still on the table. We have to look at different proposals that were developed by the previous government, plus we have to deal with airports and docks for ships going into the communities, as well as roads. I had brief discussions with the new Government Leader with regard to the transportation strategy, and she informs me she would like to revisit that area very soon to see where we go from here.

Return To Question O61-12(1): Winter Roads In Keewatin Region
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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Supplementary, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Supplementary To Question O61-12(1): Winter Roads In Keewatin Region
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Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has there been community consultation with the communities affected? If not, will there be consultation at a later date?

Supplementary To Question O61-12(1): Winter Roads In Keewatin Region
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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Allooloo.

Further Return To Question O61-12(1): Winter Roads In Keewatin Region
Question O61-12(1): Winter Roads In Keewatin Region
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Titus Allooloo Amittuq

What we find with regard to the development of the new winter roads is that there is a significant impact on the lives of the community people who have been isolated all their lives. There is also a significant impact on the environment when the roads are put in. There is ultimately going to be communication between our government and the affected communities. There will have to be a consultation process established prior to the planning of the roads.

Further Return To Question O61-12(1): Winter Roads In Keewatin Region
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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Gargan.

Question O62-12(1): Custom Adoption
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Social Services. The Minister is aware that I have always been concerned about custom adoption. The process is done by a department, I believe.

The recommendation then is given to the court on whether or not custom adoption should be granted. However, Mr. Speaker, the problem right now is that there is a review on custom adoption and there has been a review now for four years, and while the review is going on there is a stack of custom adoption applications that have not gone anywhere. The people cannot afford to wait for the Department of Justice to do the review. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not he might consider going ahead and direct his department to start processing those applications for custom adoption so that people would not have to wait for another four more years if the review continues as it has.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Whitford.

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Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like the opportunity to take that question as notice, and I will get back to the Member with a reply as soon as I can.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I would like to thank the Government Leader for answering my earlier question on working out some of the problems with the Ministers, but there is one area that has been a concern to me, and it has to do with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. The communities in my region of Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake and Wrigley are governed by chiefs and band councils, and they are not under the MACA system. I feel that these communities are being penalized and kind of bribed by MACA to go onto the MACA system. I say that because they have very old equipment, like 1972 type equipment, that is broken down most of the time and being constantly repaired. They have no roads in Trout Lake or Nahanni Butte, and in Wrigley as well there were attempts by MACA to try to get them into the MACA system.

I want to ask the Minister if it is the practice of this government to penalize communities because they are governed by chiefs and band councils. Mahsi.

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Patterson.

Return To Question O63-12(1): Communities Governed By Chiefs And Band Councils Being Penalized
Question O63-12(1): Communities Governed By Chiefs And Band Councils Being Penalized
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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

No, Mr. Speaker.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know from the Government Leader if there is going to be any attempt to work more closely with the communities that are governed by chiefs and band councils with regard to providing them with the types of services that are provided to communities that are in the MACA system. Mahsi.

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Madam Government Leader.