Jane Groenewegen

Thank you. Then I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms, if he would please escort the witnesses to the table. We are on general comments.

Mr. Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses, for the record? Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, then I am led to believe -- and I hope the Minister can understand why I am a little sensitive about this subject of where we spend money, because of where we are needing to cut money, Mr. Speaker -- that the independent review on the North Slave Correctional Centre, that the Corrections Canada intervention at the North Slave Correctional Centre, the wrongful dismissal suits, the overtime, the paid leave, all these things were manageable within the existing budget of the North Slave Correctional Centre. That is amazing, considering that we have gutted...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in fact when the standing committee’s report on Social Programs is entered into the record when Justice comes up, I think it’s unfair for the Minister to say that this had not been brought up in the main estimates discussions, because that I don’t believe is correct. Mr. Speaker, I’m not asking the Minister to change the budget, I’m asking him to put actions related to the budget on hold in Hay River until such time as these numbers can be analyzed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just think it’s good to know that we operate within a government that tries to be as transparent as possible and while I understand the Premier not wanting to be prescriptive about what the Audit Bureau may do with this, I just want to make sure that the question is comprehensive enough that it actually does some good because this is going to require some work.

Might I also say, Mr. Speaker, that I’m very pleased that as of this morning I’d already received a call from the Audit Bureau asking for input. I was very impressed by that, especially given the fact that the...

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Next I have Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to talk about the not-so-visible consequences of decisions government makes without thinking beyond the economics. Mr. Dent stated in the House recently that the Justice cuts in Hay River are only about economics. It is pretty amazing that a government that prides itself on being fair to the regions and respectful of its workers can take actions that can literally destroy people’s lives. For the people in the upper echelons of government, we are told that we have limited options as to how we can deal with them when the stakes are laid and...

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Next on the list, I have Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Next, I have Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The motion is in order. The motion is not debatable. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Then we will proceed with that after a break.

---SHORT RECESS