I believe urgency is a must here. The next five years, that is a long time waiting for the community of Whati. They could have a power outage the next day or next week, another 20 hours or 30 hours. It could not be prevented by this department. Part of it is nature. My question to the Minister is: Could this particular project be expedited instead of waiting five years? I know there is a generator that is coming, but the community is wishing and hoping and praying for a transmission line to come into the community ASAP.

[Translation] When we stand here in front of the House, we ask these questions so we can prevent some of these things that is happened. The second question is: [Translation ends] When can a community expect to be connected to the power grid, the transmission line that the Minister is referring to, so you can have a reliable power source supply? Urgency for fast tracking on this power grid is necessary, so when can we see that happening.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] When I made my Member's statement, I talked about the generator and the Power Corporation. The people in Whati, this is their message. It is their words I am relaying to the government, so that is what I want to talk about. [Translation ends]

On January 13^th, Whati lost two of its three generators. They quit working in the community. It took 20 hours for the power to go back on. When power goes out, maybe it's an accident, but if two goes out, it's neglect. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for NWT Power Corporation. Can the Minister for the Power Corporation tell this House how old Whati generators are and also tell us an average recommended replacement age for these generators in the community? Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] This month is February, and it is Aboriginal language month. I would like to recognize all the interpreters in the House. They have been interpreting for us, but for my language, I have two interpreters, Mary Rose (Maro) Sundberg and Harriet Paul. Her name is Paul. They have been here for many years. We know it is a difficult job as an interpreter, and I respect every one of these interpreters here. Masi. [Translation ends]

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today I would like to speak on behalf of the interpreters, but before that, when we speak here, some days, they speak too fast for the interpreters, because when I have my earphone on, some speakers are really fast speakers. Today, the interpreters are very important for the Northwest Territories. Without them, everyone would be speaking only English. At the hospital, at the court services, in any government offices, they all speak only English. When we look at the interpreters, they are very important to us. We want those services available. This is what I want to speak on in my Member's statement. [Translation ends]

Interpreters and translators allow us, as Dene people, the speakers, the knowledge keepers, to code this in an English-speaking world. Without them, Mr. Speaker, English would be the only option in the hospitals, health centres, in the courts, and also in the government offices and the Legislative Assembly. Without our professional interpreters, we would be marginalized and isolated. Today, I want to express my deep appreciation for all of the hard work of our interpreters here in this building and outside this building; for the commitment of our interpreters, wherever they are, including right here in the Legislative Assembly.

As important as our Dene interpreters are, their professions are being taken for granted by this government. At one time, interpreting was a thriving profession, with a former language bureau and training and certification program through Aurora College. Now today, Mr. Speaker, interpreters and translators, there are no more than 10 certified interpreters in the entire territory. That is the whole Northwest Territories. Most of these 10 are near retirement, and little has been done to train more.

Mr. Speaker, this is nothing less than an emergency. I intend to ask the government how they are responding to this emergency in the Northwest Territories. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation] I would like to speak today. In our community, right now, I have to say that we have a generator. Some days, the generator would not be able to be running. If that's the case, it shuts down and everything freezes. Just recently in Whati, right now, I'd like to speak about what happened in Whati. [End of translation]

[Microphone turned off]... in the Northwest Territories hangs on a very thin wire when it comes to the security of the electrical supply. They are maybe one diesel generator away from freezing in the dark. That's because they don't have a hydro transmission line for a backup. In fact, if a generator goes, there is no backup at all. Such was the case in my constituency last month, and I want this government to do something before a tragedy really strikes.

Mr. Speaker, I am referring to Whati, where the Power Corporation has been spinning its wheels for more than a decade now, where the Power Corporation has been waffling back and forth between a mini hydro, there has been discussion for the longest time, and now it talks about a transmission line. Whether the corporation can't get its act in gear is another option. In this case, in Whati, the result is a 20-hour, Mr. Speaker, a 20-hour rotating power outage between January 13^th and January 14^th. That's a level 3 emergency alert, the Power Corporation's highest state of emergency. Imagine if it was minus 50 or minus 60 below. Good thing it was only around minus 10, minus 15, minus 20, but imagine the danger to Whati's elders, the most vulnerable citizens. It could have been a lot worse.

As we witnessed yesterday, there was a power outage in Yellowknife. It only lasted 10, 15 minutes, but in my community of Whati it lasted over 20 hours, so we have to deal with these important matters in the communities, especially the most isolated communities. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation at the appropriate time. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi, Madam Speaker. An elder once told me, "Enough talking. Do the action now. Fix the problem." There is an issue here, a real challenge for this elderly couple, and I would like to know from the Minister: could we have a dedicated person to deal with these issues? I understand she is dealing with the Tlicho government, the agency, and so forth. There is lots of talk happening, but elders want to see somebody who can service the furnaces, somebody who can service the plumbing. Could we have a dedicated service person, technician, in the community to deal with those during the winter months? Masi, Madam Speaker.

The Minister is correct: there are quite a few elders who cannot speak for themselves. In my region, they speak the Tlicho language. It's very difficult for them to access the NWT housing program. We always say there are online programs, but they can't access online programs. I am glad the Minister and her department are working with the local housing authority to establish some sort of mechanism to deal with these elders, and I certainly do not want to stand here in February or March addressing the same issue that is before us today. I am certainly hoping that it will be resolved by then. Just to continue on with my next question: what progress, and I raised this issue in the House before, has been made in creating a program under the NWT Housing Corporation so that qualified journeymen ticket holders can go into isolated communities such as my community to do this critical servicing of furnaces? We need permanent technicians in our isolated communities now, before it gets too cold.

We forwarded that information just the other day with pictures, and it's a real issue. Obviously, the screwdriver has been in place for a number of years, as you can tell. It's all rotten away, and it's unacceptable. The couple applied out of Whati. I'm not going into specific detail with their names. The couple applied, and the daughter is living with them, looking after them. Because of the daughter, they didn't qualify. That is due to the red tape that is before us. When can we see that red tape lifted? It's getting cold. It's almost minus 20, minus 30 in our communities now, and these elders are struggling. They can't fix the issue themselves, so we need the Housing Corporation and local housing authorities to come in, fix that simple issue. Again, it's all the paper, the red tape, "You don't qualify," and just leave it alone for a number of years. How long are we going to leave it alone? Change that red tape now.