Robert Hawkins

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. This July an email was sent to the Department of Health and Social Services. Seven GNWT employees were included on that email. One of them in particular, Mr. Speaker, was the CEO of NT Health and Social Services so I know the department has it at the toppest -- sorry, at the top of the highest officials we have.

Mr. Speaker, I won't name the particular facility, but it was highlighting something very serious. The subject matter in part reads: Urgent, child and youth safety concerns at... I won't fill in the rest. And the email then begins, Mr. Speaker -- and I take a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for the Sahtu, that Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, when you're a funding agent and you're doing an investigation under the public guise of the public service in the process of -- you know, that falls into the child and family services area, don't you think there's some level of responsibility for clearing the air at the end of an investigation? Would the Minister comment on that? Thank you.

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.

Thank you. That was a hint of Mr. Whitford style of managing the House, Mr. Speaker. Good for you. Mr. Speaker, what if Ottawa says no; what is plan B? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unilateral decision to ask for how much, that's the problem here. We have no idea what generational debt this Minister is now taking on and saddling this Assembly. So this is well beyond an operational decision, Mr. Speaker. How much debt has the Minister requested from the Minister of Finance of Canada? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although I don't see her in the House, I believe I have constituent Ariella Fox from Yellowknife Centre, and I'd like to acknowledge her officially on the record. As well as I'd like to take a brief moment, as you did, Mr. Speaker, acknowledge the Handley family. Mrs. Theresa playing hearts with her at Avens and, of course, I served with Premier Joe Handley for some good years at the House, and we did some wonderful things. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.