The NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 minister for Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) says his department has no additional funds to offer Behchok谦虁 to resolve the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 chronic plumbing issues.
MondaySA国际影视传媒檚 sitting of the Legislative Assembly was the site of a heated exchange between Minister Shane Thompson and Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong, who represents the community, over what Weyallon Armstrong saw as the departmentSA国际影视传媒檚 failure to properly address Behchok谦虁SA国际影视传媒檚 infrastructure problems.
SA国际影视传媒淎s we speak, Elizabeth Mackenzie Elementary School is closed because of a frozen water pipe,SA国际影视传媒� said Weyallon Armstrong in her opening remarks on Feb. 21. SA国际影视传媒淓ducation outcomes in the T艂谋台ch谦 region are poor; disruption with water is not helping.SA国际影视传媒�
Among other issues, she said that in January, workers at the Jimmy Erasmus Seniors Home had to use buckets of water to manually flush toilets due to plumbing issues.
SA国际影视传媒淏y not helping the community resolve this problem, I feel the GNWT is making a decision that will impact essential community services,SA国际影视传媒� said Weyallon Armstrong.
During question period, she asked if Thompson would commit to providing additional funding to fix the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 aging plumbing.
The minister responded that MACA already allocates money for infrastructure to the community through the gas tax and other sources.
SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 have any other money. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 no slush fund out there,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
Thompson said itSA国际影视传媒檚 up to the community to decide what to do with the funds it receives from the GNWT.
Weyallon Armstrong accused Thompson of SA国际影视传媒渢rying to discredit the community government, and playing blame games. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 have time for that if thatSA国际影视传媒檚 what heSA国际影视传媒檚 trying to do,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Minister R.J. Simpson then intervened, asserting that Armstrong was SA国际影视传媒渋mpugning (the) motivesSA国际影视传媒� of the minister.
Speaker of the Assembly Frederick Blake Jr. asked Armstrong to rescind her comments and apologize, which she did.
