Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's my pleasure to introduce Bill 8 for consideration of the House. I have further comments, and I'll provide them at the time. Actually maybe I'll just provide them at this particular time and that way we'll keep the process moving a little faster.

First of all, I want to thank the committee for its hard and diligent work as well as, and particularly the chair Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, about her continued robust and relentless effort to ensure we raise Indigenous education standards for all, and I'm very, very appreciative and respectful the work.

I want to thank the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I couldn't agree more with the Minister that accountability can be hypothetical some days, at least from this perspective of the House.

Mr. Speaker, ultimately the question now is recognizing section -- I believe it's 6 -- sorry, yeah, section 6(5)(b) about the strategy on doing this, why isn't there a consultation line in there with Members to inform them immediately when such a breach of major policy happens? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to come back to the questions around the official breach of the fiscal responsibility policy, Mr. Speaker. And so I want to start my first question off surrounding about -- sorry, encapsulating the question about when it was realized. So someone will realize, unofficially, there was a breach of the fiscal responsibility and then they'll confirm it through some analysis. So when were both of those areas identified? So in other words, when did they unofficially recognize that they had gone over and breached section 6(5)(c), and when did they...

Mr. Speaker, my questions aren't intended to be a trial by ordeal. My questions are intended to be like: be honest, how much are you asking for? So you sent a letter requesting we don't know how much we need, we don't know how much we want, but we want more? Please, we must be able to narrow it down a little bit because Northerners are the ones who are going to be saddled with this debt. Hence, Mr. Speaker, what range of debt has the Finance Minister requested that Northerners will now carry without a MLA discussion? 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 heard that response loud and clear and I also had the earpiece. That's said, what has been done to date? Because I was speaking to the school boards and their concerns about how much resources they're dedicating to address these particular needs in these students. So what's being done to date and how long has this been going on? The Minister has been Minister for a year, so she must be aware of how we're trying to address the current problem. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It must be the air conditioning in here, Mr. Speaker, or the sound of the air moving. It's hard to hear some days or sometimes today. Mr. Speaker, I was going to leave on a positive note but I'll make a list the good but not bad. The next question will be back to the Minister of education regarding supports for students. It's not terrible, but I'd like to hear what the Minister says -- the issue's terrible but not the questions per se.

We were recently at a meeting with both school boards. And I know this applies to all school boards. This is not news to me, I know it's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very excited. Mr. Speaker. It would be nice to end today -- well, we're not ending today per se, but, you know, work towards the end of today on a positive note. And the reason I'm bringing this up, in my Member's statement yesterday I talked about the naming of the Whitford building, Mr. Speaker. And there's not a specific guideline through the EIA or housing that says how do we need name buildings that are non-office buildings, but let's follow the office building process and protocol. And section number 5, Cabinet may approve a public engagement process, so may, to...