Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last week, Members and I have spoken to the issue of high costs of living in NWT communities. The high cost of living is directly linked to the cost of fuel. It has become clear that the only way to reduce fuel cost is to reduce fuel use.

The NWT Energy Plan was an important piece of policy work for the 17th Assembly. It lays out a

framework for how we will supply energy to our communities and industry. The planed proposal ties Kakisa and Fort Providence into the hydro grid and expanding hydro power to create the NWT grid.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support these actions. With the opening of the Deh Cho Bridge, the GNWT has new options for extending a transmission line to Fort Providence, Dory Point and Kakisa. For too long, these communities have paid for diesel power while their neighbours just a few hours to the south have cheaper, cleaner hydro power.

One option is to run a low voltage line from the Taltson power plant directly to Kakisa and Fort Providence. Another plan would be to run a high voltage transmission line around the west side of the Great Slave Lake to connect the Taltson and

Snare power systems. A low voltage “step down” line would reach Fort Providence and Kakisa.

There are many benefits to developing a grid. The major challenge is cost. A transmission line to Fort Providence is estimated to cost between $20 million to $30 million. This sounds like a lot of money, but we must consider the long-term payback of hydro power. Hydro dams don’t have the gigantic environmental footprint that fossil fuels do. Once diesel is burned, it’s gone forever. Water, properly managed and protected, can supply energy as long as the river flows.

The Kakisa and Fort Providence transmission line appears in the Energy Action Plan but not in our budget. We need to earmark some dollars for future development. We must seek opportunities to partner with industry wherever possible. We need to get industrial customers online while projects are in the review process, ensuring no opportunities are missed, even opportunities we have yet to discover. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This spring I’ve had the opportunity to go on the land with my family. I brought my little boy out there. He’s 12 years old. Being out on the land for 11 days, I truly believe that the land is alive and well, and the land is the boss. The land has certain laws that when we’re in a certain type of environment that we really don’t understand. I know that when I was with my son, we were talking about walking with his grandparents on the land. His grandparents from my side of the family are not alive anymore, but they have put a place where we can go and fish, hunt and trap and enjoy a good life.

All over the Sahtu, there was excitement that people were going out on the land. Close to 300 or 400 people went out and they used the modern technology of a helicopter for the business they have with the helicopter companies. A lot of them took advantage of that. Historically, there are a lot of trails in the Northwest Territories and in the Sahtu region. Even in our land claim, Chapter 12, it states we are going to strengthen the traditional way of life and the people.

I want to continue that and support the traditional use of our lands. It’s stated clearly in our land claims and our hearts that that is given by our elders. Our Sahtu Land Use Plan states that, traditional knowledge states that. Spring hunts are exciting times. Ninety-four percent of people in Colville Lake use traditional foods and the other areas, about 7 percent. We have a high number of harvesters in our area, 112 trappers and 60 percent

so far that we’ve identified have cabins in the Sahtu area. Over 400 sites have been identified. Take a Kid Trapping is powerful.

This summer we are going to hike the Canol Trail. So far there have been 87 hikers on that trail in the past eight years.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

I want to thank Members and colleagues and say, in my grandmother’s words, when I asked her about her husband, Chief Albert Wright, about the future, Chief Albert Wright said, “Go onto the land. In the future it’s going to be very valuable.” That’s where I take my inspiration when I hike – in the past years there have been 87 hikers on the Canol – is to go on the land, live on the land. You know what? If we continue to go on the land and teach our children the value that anything in life that you want, you need to practice it first. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As spring arrives and the trees leaf out, it’s clear that money is not growing on those trees. But perhaps our Minister of Finance has a different view.

Our government is deeper in debt than it has ever been, yet the Minister wants a spending spree that will put us another billion dollars in the red. We continue to aggressively pursue more and more massive and expensive infrastructure projects that we can ill afford, while seeking ever-increasing debt limits. We spend big on infrastructure for large private sector projects that never materialize, stranding us with unaffordable costs and few benefits. Some might call this living beyond our means; others, perhaps, dreaming in colour.

Unfortunately, added to the financial costs of these so-called investments are the cost of foregone investment in truly sustainable development; increased, rather than decreased, cost of living; and impacts which often run counter to the intent of our Land Use and Sustainability Policy.

The government refuses to come to terms with reality with what projects, policies and directions are actually environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. Growth in the number of migrant workers snapping up jobs more suitably filled by the unemployed and skilled workers of the NWT continues unconstrained, fuelling the leakage of $500 million in wages and over $33 million in tax dollars from our territory every year. This grows annually.

Meanwhile, our soaring debt builds up on the backs of fewer and fewer people. This demands a revenue response, of course, so there’s no surprise that government is bent on aggressive resource exploitation that will service this black hole.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We know what is required for truly sustainable development, development that strengthens our social fabric, supports our different cultures, creates local and lasting jobs and real economies, and is environmentally benign or restorative.

Clearly, a new approach to territorial financial planning and a move to development versus exploitation at all cost are needed. It ain’t rocket science, as attractive as such rocket science might seem.

When will the Cabinet come to us with fresh, new proposals based upon sound and effective policy and focused on truly sustainable development? People in the Northwest Territories are waiting. While we enjoy spring, we know fall will be here soon enough and even the leaves will disappear. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to use the opportunity here to return to a subject I’ve raised in this House before and it’s the health care card issue.

In the past I’ve raised with the Health Minister, more accurately the former Health Minister, about the need to move towards photo ID cards. As many of us will remember, and certainly want to forget, the last health care card renewal was no thrill with any standard we should be looking back to as a benchmark. So we should use this opportunity to be planning forward with better health care cards.

The recent issue of cards, I believe, are good for about three years. That would certainly give us substantial time to proceed at a very smart and strategic way to copy other jurisdictions such as Ontario and even British Columbia.

A photo health care card comes with many incredible advantages, security certainly being the first. We have to recall that many photo cards can carry substantial basic information such as things like bar codes that show valid information, indicate a person’s wishes if they choose to be an organ donor. They even have a person’s signature on these.

Of course, in talking to seniors, they will all tell you a health care card is just like gold. Nothing is more important than your health care opportunities,

because the NWT’s health care system is second to none, so it must be protected.

There are opportunities here to proceed in a manner that makes a lot of sense, and in some ways it could eliminate our general I.D. card. Now, we could find ways to work this out for those who can’t show up and have their photos taken, but there are many opportunities that could help here. We could blend this nicely with our Electronic Health Record system. Regardless of what language you carry, there could be a bar code on the back and they can scan it and know everything they need to know about you.

A photo health care card issued to our residents proves that they are residents, because they have the picture to match who they are, and if they’re done under a secure situation, just like our driver’s licence, we could ensure that all residents can have them.

May I remind you it was only a few short weeks ago we were listening to the federal government talk about taking voting opportunities away from our citizens because they didn’t have photo I.D. The opportunities of photo health care cards are endless, and now is an opportunity.

Let me finish with this. A few years ago we had found that we had over 4,000 extra health care cards. This would give us a great chance to audit them properly and ensure that when we are giving health care to our citizens and supporting them in the way that they are meant to be supported, we can guarantee that they are who they are.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. First and foremost, I’d like to recognize all the Pages that are here today working for us, and it has been a long session as well. I’d like to thank them for their services. More specifically, for two Pages from Wekweeti, they are Autumn Football and Laylu Judas who are with us today. I’d like to say mahsi for your services.

I’d also like to recognize my former constituents, but they’re still from Behchoko in my view. That’s Debbie Lemouelle and also Stephanie Lafferty who are here with us. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You’ll notice we have a group of young people in the gallery today. I’m very pleased to welcome the Grade 6 social studies class from William McDonald School. Ecole William McDonald School,

pardon me. I’m going to ask them to stand when I read their names so you can be recognized. Your name will go into our Hansard, which is a recording of our proceedings for the day, so you’re going to be forever marked in our register. My apologies if I get your name wrong, but I’m trying very hard to follow the rules in front of me. Chasity Atigikyoak, Kameron Burt, Dustin Caisse, Cameron Chambers, Brayden Christofferson, Logan Doyle, A.J. Lawrence, Siad Mohamud, Kenny Neyelle, Drayton Pagonis-Friesen, Mason Saunders, Cerynn True-Jewell, Kathy Truong, and accompanying them are teacher Paul McDonald and student-teacher Paige McDonald, long-time residents of Yellowknife. Welcome to them. I would also like to say welcome to Frame Lake resident Mr. Byrne Richards who is here watching us.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to welcome Byrne Richards, certainly a community advocate and very well known to all of us. I want to also use the occasion to recognize Paul McDonald. I used to be a neighbour of his, and a little known talent of his was he was a clown, so all the students there with him here today… No clowning around. He was a professional clown. He may have been both. I’ll leave it with the students to see if they can get some gags and tricks out of him, but he’s quite the gentleman.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Byrne Richards and all the work that he has done in the mental health and addictions field and his consideration for people with addictions. Welcome to the House.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. I’d like to welcome everybody here in the public gallery. It’s so good to see our youth in the House today. Thank you for coming and taking interest in our proceedings here today to all.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate our elder Mr. Edward Oudzi from Norman Wells on being selected as the territorial recipient of the 2014 NWT Outstanding Volunteer Award for the Elder Category.

Mr. Oudzi is a well-respected elder and is especially known for his traditional knowledge,

spirituality and his tireless volunteering in the town of Norman Wells.

On behalf of the Sahtu region, I pass on good wishes to Mr. Oudzi for his outstanding volunteer efforts, and all the best to him, his family and his community. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 7, oral questions. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a number of supports through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment that help people get out on the land through the CHAP funding, also the Take a Kid Trapping Program that we have. We’ve also got some other programs that we’ve got up and running – Take a Kid Gardening Program, that’s run by the regions around the territory – we’ll also encourage people to get out on the land and pursue traditional-type activities. Thank you.

Thank you. In the Sahtu region, there is a high rate of families that are not working today that are looking for work. A lot of these families would love to pursue a lifestyle on the land.

I ask the Minister, has he had any type of discussion yet as to what type of activities or programs could be looked at to support young families who are not working, who want to go on the land? Is there any type of family harvesting assistance program for these young people?

Thank you. I talked of some earlier and the issue the Member brings up, of course, runs across the numerous departments with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Health and Social Services, Education, Culture and Employment, certainly ITI. We have initiatives, the Healthy Lifestyle Initiative, that encourages people to pursue activities and certainly that’s a discussion that we have to continue to have on how to get people out on the land pursuing their traditional activities.

As we mentioned, we have programs and I’d be more than happy to talk to the Member and the other Regular Members about opportunities to enhance how we can get more people out pursing traditional activities on the land. Thank you.