Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also would like to respond to the amendments made to the Executive Council Act. I think that you have to be realistic in most cases, that the North is a small place where everybody knows each other. A lot of times people who got into politics were in politics one way or another, such as myself where I was involved in Aboriginal politics and the consultant business. I think we also have to be realistic that there is a close-knit tie between the Aboriginal leadership and municipal leadership and those organizations, that we’ll probably end up being employed at in the community level. I think our services are still going to be required in those different areas and there’s still going to be that ongoing dialogue and discussions with former Ministers and government agents and whatnot.

We have to be realistic: the North operates by communication and dialogue. I think we can’t be putting ourselves under the microscope every time you want to talk to somebody. I think we have to realize that we are limited on human resources in the Northwest Territories especially in the area of political development, regardless if it’s in the Aboriginal field or self-government or even land claims negotiations or even devolution. I think we have to be realistic that we need all the capacity and the people we can to facilitate this transition in

the North by way of political development, economic development, social development in the Northwest Territories.

Again, personally, I think that it does hinder a person’s ability to really help the people regardless if we help them in this format as the Legislature or we help them in the format of us going back to our home communities and get elected to the local hamlet council or the band council or working for Aboriginal organizations. I think that sometimes great intentions really put barriers on achieving succession by way of moving this Territory forward.

I, for one, would like to say, again, we do have the ability to fall back on the Conflict Commissioner and, again, that element offers the...(inaudible)...that area, but again, we’ve got to be within reason to realize that we do have important roles to play regardless of where we go from this format. But again, there have been situations in the past that have caused us to come to this point because of how contracts were let or, more importantly, how appointments were made and basically who ended up in which area. I don’t want to call it patriotism, but as we all know in the North it’s a question of the skills that people provide and the skills that they are able to bring to the table. I think that we can’t lose sight of that knowledge that people encompass either in this setting or basically the political history and dialogue that people have been able to bring forward with the process of political and social development in the Northwest Territories.

Stating all that, I think that at the end of the day having the insight of the Conflict Commissioner there to give you that insight, I think again, that’s there to serve that purpose. But personally I think that we have to be realistic that sometimes we over restrict ourselves and restrict people in the Northwest Territories that have knowledge and ability to really help the North devolve and expand. I just want it leave it at that. I just wanted to put that on the public record. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I would like to thank the Minister and department. Again, I have to encourage her that we do have to go back to the public. I know we had a public meeting in Aklavik. We had over 100 people in attendance. Can we basically host another public meeting, say in mid-April, to ensure the transition has taken place smoothly and we basically continue the dialogue with our community with the Minister and myself? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, in regards to any type of transition or change of a program, residents do have problems trying to adapt to it. Can the Minister give me some assurance that her department will continue to work closely with the family members in the communities, the elders in the communities and the community leadership to basically work through this transitional period and basically have an open dialogue and try to have as much openness as we can so that people are aware that this transition is happening but include them in the discussions that are taking place? Can I get that commitment from the Minister?

Mr. Speaker, the concerns are more coming from the family members who have had residents in the Joe Greenland Centre who are now being asked to either move out or be taken care of in a home setting. Those individuals, the reason they were in the Joe Greenland Centre is because they need that specialized care. What are we doing in regards to the area such as respite care and ensuring that those people with disabilities, either visual disabilities or physical disabilities, are going to be taken care of in the community of Aklavik and ensuring that the health care side of this program will continue?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services in regard to improving the quality of health services to our seniors, and more importantly, providing them more independent service and also meeting their needs in regard to our aging population.

Mr. Speaker, my question is in regard to the situation we’re running into in Aklavik with the closure of the long-term care program at Joe Greenland. People are concerned about what’s going to happen to the elders that have moved out of there. What’s going to happen to the remaining elders in the community? There are some 39 elders over the age of 70. What is the Minister’s department doing to ensure the residents of Aklavik that the elders that are in the community will be taken care of and there are programs and services that are going to be offered? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last couple of weeks I have raised issues in regards to the Joe Greenland Centre, the closure of the long-term care side of the facility. Mr. Speaker, I am still getting calls from a lot of the residents of Aklavik and especially concerns of their loved ones, and more importantly, the elders, and also what is going to happen to them.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important as government that we relay the message that there is a transition taking place, but more importantly, what is going to change.

Mr. Speaker, we have to improve the quality of life for our seniors no matter where they live, identify specialized programs to allow more independent services to meet the needs of our elders and the aging population. Those would include personal care, use of handicapped devices and finding the supports they need in regards to ensuring the seniors can live a long time yet in their home communities by being provided the physical and

mental services that other people receive in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, we also have to ensure that we do have programs in the communities like respite care, having the caregivers utilize these programs and services in our communities ensuring that we utilize all government programs and services throughout the Northwest Territories regardless if it is Meals on Wheels or ensuring that we have home support services for those elders who need the assistance regardless of their disability, their age or their mobility, to be able to take advantage of different programs and services ensuring that they are independent and that the safety and health of the individuals are taken care of.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the government has to do more to ensure that we are offering programs and services to communities such as Aklavik in light of the closure of the long-term care facility in the Joe Greenland Centre. I would like to give some assurance in the government with a motion passed here in the House, and what type of investments are we going to make as a government to ensure that those elders in the Joe Greenland Centre who basically have been relocated or have to be relocated will continue to be given supports in their home communities.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services on where the government is going on this matter. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

1. Please provide the number of negotiated

contracts and the amounts of each one for housing in the communities of Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic issued to local contractors over the past five fiscal years.

2. Please provide the number of contracts and

the amounts for each one for housing in the communities of Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic issued to contractors based outside of those communities over the past five years.

3. Please provide the list of all contracts for

housing in the communities of Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic, including the contractor and the amounts for each contract, over the past five years.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister that now there’s a new operational motto that’s in place for policing in small communities, can the Minister assure us that this policy will be distributed, and more importantly, that communities will have input in regard to ensuring that we find improvements in policing in our small communities by enhancing the policy and putting in the adequate resources that are needed to ensure that we do have the policing services that we do require and ensure that they also have the equipment that they need to do their job? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to the last fiscal year there was some 72 calls made from the community of Tsiigehtchic requesting services in the community which required the RCMP presence. So I’d like to ask the Minister

what do we do to ensure that those 72 calls have been responded to and how long does it take to respond. So is there a way that we can track these calls to see exactly what action was taken and if any action has been taken? Thank you.