Minister’s Statement 4-16(6): Creating Our Future Together  Thank you, Mr Speaker. This Assembly has a vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories. We called our plan Northerners Working Together because we kn

Question 26-16(6): Food Mail Program  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The food mail issue has indeed been raised here a number of times in past sessions and during this session. We worked and supported the work of many groups in the North to have that program reviewed by the federal government. It’s our understanding, throug

Question 26-16(6): Food Mail Program  Thank you. From our understanding, the review has been done. They were working to implement the new program that would see retailers dealing with the subsidy instead of through Canada Post and what we were informed was it’s October 2012 that they will implement this revised Food

Question 26-16(6): Food Mail Program  Thank you. The area of the Food Mail Program, again, as a government department we’ve handled it through a number of departments in the past. At this point, through Minister Lee’s office she has the charge of working with the groups on this and any information or concerns that pe

Question 26-16(6): Food Mail Program  Thank you. There are a number of other communities as well that benefit from the Food Mail Program. Of course, we will look at the implementation of this program and ensure that the appropriate people benefit from this program, and many times it’s been raised in here that it’s th

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome my constituents to this House: Charlie and Ann Kasook, and as was recognized earlier, Ann’s commitment to our community. I can remember a long time ago, it seems like almost 15, close to 16 years ago, some of my first meetings, Ann call

Question 5-16(6): Taltson Hydro Project  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we’ve done our work around the previous draft Hydro Strategy and beginning to look at that strategy once again, the issues of connectivity in the grid, to greenhouse gases, to helping reduce the cost of living are all those pieces that will be looked at

Question 5-16(6): Taltson Hydro Project  In fact, the Power Corporation with the new chair and the new president/CEO are beginning to look at the ways the Power Corporation can be more involved across our Territory with the customer base, whether it’s residential or industry side, to look at a balance and to see how we

Question 5-16(6): Taltson Hydro Project  I believe that is affirmative that, yes, as we begin to look at that area and establish our strategies and implementation of those strategies, we are able to put targets in place and the requirements to meet those. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources along with th

Question 5-16(6): Taltson Hydro Project  The work that’s being done with the consultations that need to go out, with the work with Members of this Assembly, all the avenues I think we’ve had discussions about will be looked at in one degree or another, but the final product needs to go through our system of working with

Question 6-16(6): Capacity Building And Government Contracting In Small And Remote Communities  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Government of the Northwest Territories we use a number of tools to do just what the Member has spoken to, building capacity throughout the North both in our people and in our construction industry, for example. We have, as the Government of the Nor

Question 6-16(6): Capacity Building And Government Contracting In Small And Remote Communities  Yes, we do have quite a number of programs, as I touched base earlier on, in trying to stimulate the economy. Just the announcement earlier today by the Minister of Transportation on the Community Access Program, expanding that because we see the good work it does in many of our

Question 6-16(6): Capacity Building And Government Contracting In Small And Remote Communities  I guess the process, if I understand properly the question, goes to with the as and whens in many of our communities are posted on an annual basis for businesses to put their names in and show interest in that area, to provide those services in our communities and regions. We d

Question 6-16(6): Capacity Building And Government Contracting In Small And Remote Communities  One of the interesting areas we began to look at prior to division and leading up to division of the Northwest Territories and the creation of Nunavut was we started the geographic tracking of our costs in our Territory at the territorial, regional and community level. This gover

Minister’s Statement 125-16(5): Devolution Of Lands And Resources  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Devolution is another step in an ongoing process that has seen the Government of the Northwest Territories take more and more responsibility over the decisions that affect all of us. Decisions about our land and resources should be made by people who live