Steven Nitah

Roles

In the Legislative Assembly

Elsewhere

Historical Information Steven Nitah is no longer a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Last in the Legislative Assembly November 2003, as MLA for Tu Nedhe

Lost his last election, in 2003, with 18% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Oral Question 137-14(2): Incremental Cost To Health Boards March 26th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, I represent two communities in the Assembly. I also have two health boards to represent the people in these two communities. When these two boards were formed after the conclusion of the Mackenzie Health, funding transferred to local control was very low as always, Mr. Speaker.

As a result, one of the communities had to dismantle its board, leaving individuals in the community to do the work of delivering programs and services in this area with very little resources for staff support. The other one is working very hard, as we speak, to get over the deficit.

Mr. Speaker, the boards in the community, after they took control and have done some great work in delivering programs, have an understanding of the specific needs of each community and the members.

Unfortunately, they do not have the proper resources to do the kind of work that is really necessary. The kind of work that this government wants to be done in the communities in terms of educating people on smoking and the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, et cetera.

Can the Minister tell the House whether the block funding formula makes allowances for forced growth at the board level? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Expansion Of NWT Diamond Industry March 26th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is about my recent trip to Tel Aviv for the Second International Rough Diamond Conference. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has become a major player, as Mr. Ootes alluded to earlier in his statement.

We are in the beginning stages of a very young industry in Canada. We showed some imagination and commitment to create a secondary industry out of the diamond mines that exist in the Northwest Territories.

We have to continue in that line of thinking, towards developing a jewellery manufacturing industry that will complement the diamond industry, which will hopefully work towards the establishment of a tourism industry in the Northwest Territories.

I think there are opportunities in the Northwest Territories to develop industries where people from all over the Northwest Territories can be involved in the industry, as supported by their respective governments and the Government of the Northwest Territories.

So I challenge the Members of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, the government, and the people to throw on their imagination caps and start coming up with ways of developing the jewellery and secondary industries in the Northwest Territories to complement the future of tourism. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Question 88-14(2): Government Support Of Manufacturing February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the diamond and mineral industry is important to the Northwest Territories, as is the oil and gas industry. But there are all kinds of industries outside of those two areas. What is this government doing to vigorously look at different options of economic growth, outside of the mining and oil gas industry in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 88-14(2): Government Support Of Manufacturing February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question was for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. What is this government doing to ensure there is a market out there for things that are manufactured? For example, what is this government doing to look into the manufacturing of homes we sell to other governments and within the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Question 87-14(2): Resource Development Programs February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This question is for Mr. Kakfwi, the Minister responsible for...

Question 87-14(2): Resource Development Programs February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Speaker, no disrespect to my honourable colleague, Mr. Krutko, on his initiative of pushing the pipeline. When diamonds were discovered, there was great initiative by this government to spend a lot of energy and resources on secondary industries surrounding the diamond industry.

I am afraid that with the recent developments in the oil and gas industry in the Northwest Territories, that might be repeated. This government has put other industries such as forestry, tourism, manufacturing, and fishing on the back burner. I would like to get some assurances from the Minister that with this new gas pipeline initiative, those renewable resource industries are not going to be put on the back burner, so those people who depend on these industries are not going to be second class citizens to the diamond industry and the development of oil and gas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 81-14(2): Aboriginal Treaty Rights For Education February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister assumes there is some work in progress that will pass within the committee system. However, I will try to repeat my question again in exactly the same words. Funding for non-aboriginal, Metis and Inuvialuit and status Indians are administered and provided differently. The expected results are different, why is that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 81-14(2): Aboriginal Treaty Rights For Education February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The funding provided for language development and the amount for the different ethnic groups is not my question. My question is; why are there different types of student financial assistance for different ethnic groups if the money was not slated for different groups?

If the money was not coming from the federal government to the Government of the Northwest Territories for treaty Indians, then why are they treated differently from the Metis, the Inuvialuit and the non-aboriginal people? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Question 81-14(2): Aboriginal Treaty Rights For Education February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister then answer the question; why are there different forms of grants and loans for different ethnic groups within the Northwest Territories? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Question 81-14(2): Aboriginal Treaty Rights For Education February 28th, 2000

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Ootes, this is related to a question I asked you a few days ago, which you took notice. Can you or your department start a process that will determine the amount of dollars that has been routed through this government for aboriginal post-secondary education as a right from the treaties? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.