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

Motion To Amend Motion 8-14(6), Carried March 10th, 2003

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this session of the Legislative Assembly has been dominated by this harmonization program. Those of us who have represented the smaller communities see the major impact, the negative impact, that harmonization will have on our communities and our constituents. We have been fighting in this House, explaining to our colleagues and to government the reasons why this harmonization should not go ahead. We have managed to poke holes in the harmonization program. We know our constituents have not been consulted properly. There is more work needed.

Obviously, government and a lot of Members in this Legislative Assembly believe that harmonization is something we must do in the future to encourage people to take advantage of employment. That's something that I agree with entirely. How we get there, Mr. Speaker, is important. We have to be sensitive to the fact that there are few options in the communities and fewer options in the Territories in terms of housing. Public housing clientele are going to be affected very negatively, especially those single parents, elders and students.

We are in a transition period and I believe that by establishing a working committee of Cabinet Members and Regular MLAs to go through this harmonization program in its entirety we will ensure that the sensitive factor of the confidentiality of clients of income support and public housing is addressed, that single parents will not be forced to see rent increases so drastic that their only option is to move south or get on income support. Those kinds of questions need to be asked and answered and the harmonization program should address all those things. Today it's not. I think this is a motion that will address this issue. We will go ahead with it, but we will do it responsibly. I support this amended motion. I encourage my colleagues in this House to do the same so we can do a better job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 209-14(6): GNWT Hire A Student Program March 10th, 2003

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government has been in the NWT for 35 years. Two questions in this House have determined that the majority of jobs are either in Yellowknife or the regional centres, not in the communities. Therefore, I say there's one program where government can limit its involvement to 30 percent, so that other agencies and governments can take advantage of it. There are no government jobs in our communities. There are one or two employees. Therefore, I am saying let's spread it out a little bit. The only way I can think of doing that without relying totally on the ability of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to communicate is to put a cap on it. Would the Minister consider to put a cap on government involvement of this $1 million to $300,000? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 209-14(6): GNWT Hire A Student Program March 10th, 2003

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, too many times we, as a government, create these programs and services and the only people who know about it are government employees. Therefore, it's the departments who take advantage of these programs and services, so we recycle the money within government. Would the Minister consider putting a cap on it, say perhaps 30 percent of the total budget be going to the territorial government and leaving the rest for other businesses and other government bodies in the NWT? This will ensure that it's spread out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 209-14(6): GNWT Hire A Student Program March 10th, 2003

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through statistical information, we determined that the majority of the dollars, the $1 million, was spent here in the city of Yellowknife by the Government of the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister what is he doing to ensure that that doesn't happen? What is he doing to ensure the $1 million is spread throughout the North so companies in Holman, people in Fort Resolution, people in Lutselk'e can take advantage of this program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 209-14(6): GNWT Hire A Student Program March 10th, 2003

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we speak a lot about capacity building in the NWT and, in this day and age, we should have no problem employing government people and employing people in all the communities. We don't have programs for the development of those positions in the communities, but we do have one program called the hire-a-student program and it's carried by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment that was introduced last year. Before I ask specific questions, I would like to ask the Minister if he could refresh our memory of what this program is about and the budget associated with it. Thank you.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery March 10th, 2003

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It also gives me great pleasure to introduce my constituency assistant, Mr. Steven Norn from Fort Resolution. He's expecting a baby in town here.

---Applause

Support For Community Summer Student Employment March 10th, 2003

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are finishing off our session here. Spring is coming up and our summer is coming down. Students will be leaving school and wanting to enter the workforce. Mr. Speaker, we, as a government, introduce employment opportunities for university students and we've made a budget available.

Unfortunately, we've determined through statistical information that most of those students are working for government departments and hardly any are working for industry. Very few work for chiefs and councils, municipal councils, Metis councils and NGOs in our communities. So this program does not seem to have an effect outside of government.

One of the reasons for introducing this program was to give students an opportunity to gain experience. Mr. Speaker, we need experience outside of government as well. I would like to encourage this government to see what they can do to communicate this program to communities, consult with communities so they can take advantage of this program, so that the chief and council, the Metis council in each of our communities can take advantage of these dollars so they can hire the students in our communities. It may make a difference in the communities for high school students. Sidewalks in our communities are something badly needed. Mud is a problem. We are trying to address it with chipsealing, but we could do with short-term solutions for the time-being, Mr. Speaker. Those kinds of things I would like to see this government do to address the employment issues in our communities. I will be asking the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to see if he is willing to go down that road with me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Bill 3: Appropriation Act, 2003-2004 March 9th, 2003

Mr. Chairman, I move we report progress.

Bill 3: Appropriation Act, 2003-2004 March 9th, 2003

Mr. Chairman, can the Minister tell me how many employees he has on staff at this point in time in those offices? Thank you.

Bill 3: Appropriation Act, 2003-2004 March 9th, 2003

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am just trying to get the Minister to paint us a picture of where his staff is located by numbers by community. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.