Robert Hawkins
Déclarations dans les débats
No, that's fine. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, when people in the public are talking about this particular matter and when it's been investigated but there's no result in one way or the other whether the matter has been assessed and found not wanting or the matter has been assessed and found wanting and further steps, there's no public airing or clarification on this particular issue. So to be clear, Mr. Speaker -- and the last point I want to hone in on -- no one wants any names issued in this particular case, so that's not what I'm after. I'm saying how do we clear the air by ending the...
No, thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister said there was an investigation, if I heard on there, because she can't comment, so I'm asking what skills do they bring to this -- the person doing the process. So do they have the skills -- sorry? So I'm asking about their qualifications to be able to identify the issues as pointed out that could be referred to the RCMP.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, or I should say Mr. Speaker Whitford on the side, the way to massage, give the Member another chance.
Mr. Speaker, the issue here is that I want to make sure that -- is there any -- are there any barriers, policy barriers, Mr. Speaker, stopping the department from engaging the RCMP to join any potential investigation that she foresees? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, in the Child and Family Services Act, it relatively seems silent on the area of when it's duty to report to the RCMP. There's been serious concerns brought up with respect to human rights, abuse, and neglect of youth. What threshold does it take to engage the RCMP on these particular matters of urgency? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And on my acknowledgements, I just want to correct the record. It's not hearts, we were playing bridge at the seniors -- I don't know why I thought that earlier.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance, and it's with respect to my Member's statement earlier today. And what's causing me concern is this entitlement to write the federal minister exclusively on their own decision including Cabinet's without it informing Members that they're asking for more money. So my question for the Minister of Finance is, is what is the reasonable threshold on taking on...
Mr. Speaker, when I entered this building for the first time in 2003, the debt wall of the territorial government was $300 million. Since then, it's raised 600 percent, Mr. Speaker. Every Assembly that's shown up time and time again has always shown up with their wants and needs, but then now is no different. But at the same time they've always talked about how they want to live within their means. I've yet to see that after successive governments. Yes, enthusiasm can be contagious, a contagious dream, but all I've seen is this so-called live within our means is a chronic failure. Then in May...
Agreed. Yes, I guess I'm it.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister giving me a recap of the 19th Assembly but officially we're in the 20th Assembly, and we're almost a year into it, Mr. Speaker. So that said, I'm hearing conversations but really at the end of the day what would be helpful is the Minister commits to adding a component that Members are included earlier before decisions are made such as taking on generational debt, especially in a case like this when they're now reaching out with an unknown number that could potentially be any number and the Assembly, including the Members on this side of the...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Minister getting towards the answer which was specifically when, but maybe I didn't use the words specifically and hence that was the opening she used.
Mr. Speaker, once the breach is noted, what does accountability look like or should we expect from a Minister who, as she says, they continuously monitor the situation? So in other words, her fingers must be constantly on the pulse of what the debt looks like. So what type of public accountability should the legislature expect that she's now going to Ottawa over this breach of policy? Thank you.