Mahsi cho. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, today I want to make a Member’s statement to the people of Tu Nedhe, to advise the people of Tu Nedhe of the items that I will be working on in the next 25 days while I sit here in the Legislative Assembly. I will be working on the fact that the homeownership program in housing, which is a major issue in Tu Nedhe, seems to be progressing very slowly. I find that the programs are not assisting the people that they are intended to assist at this time. In the Northwest Territories there are approximately 17,000 residents and about 3,000 of those residents are residents considered to be in need, yet the NWT Housing Corporation has made a decision that four programs could cover the needs of all of those various needs across the Northwest Territories.
I also want to talk about the Income Support Public Housing Program, which has put 2,200 to 2,400 residents in the Northwest Territories who have never been on income support in their lives on income support. I want to ask the government why that is continuing and why the last government was allowed to put 2,200 to 2,400 residents on income support and this government continues to carry that through.
I want to ask this government why there is dust in the communities. Why is there no way of controlling the dust? There’s dust all over the communities. It’s a health hazard to elders and everything and yet nothing is done about that. Simple solutions could be looked at.
I want to talk about the youth and the need for youth workers in the communities, how the youth need assistance to be able to get out of their current situation and the situation of problems we’re having with youth; how elders are dying outside of their communities, away from their family, away from their friends and so on. Why are there no proper addictions services, mental health services in the communities?
Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to speak about important things like the cost of living in the communities of Tu Nedhe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.