Robert Hawkins

October 22nd…

This Minister, a year ago, said this was a good idea. I talked to him in his office and he said it was a great idea. He said he’d appoint someone to solve this problem and work on this problem. A few days ago I heard from this very Minister, oh by the way, there’s a briefing note on my desk we never sent to you that explained over and over why we couldn’t do this. To this day I still have not been informed in any way why we can’t do this other than the fact of the Minister stating, I don’t know why we can’t do this. Who is in charge of this department and if he isn’t, come on over here. We’ll...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Canadians were shocked yesterday when they heard Mike Duffy reveal that it’s the kids in short pants that are pulling the levers in that government, Mr. Speaker. Time and time again I’ve asked the Health Minister about doing things. I’ve asked for support for addictions; he closes the Nats’ejee K’eh Centre. I ask him to put social workers on the street, he quietly behind the scenes ignores it although he publicly, a year and a day, he says he’d be happy to do it and help people on the street.

The question that remains is: Is the Health file too big for him and who’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were a terrible lot of lies going around the world about fracking and the worst thing of all is some of them are true. The fact is, we don’t know what the truth is about fracking until we have done our research. The GNWT and Members on this side of the House continue to go down this path and this narrative of fracking.

Is fracking right for the Northwest Territories? Yesterday I tried to articulate some of the concerns that need to be looked at if our government chooses to travel down this journey, down this path to resource riches, as we have described it. Yes, I...

Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

---Carried

It reminds me of a joke my kid would say, is why did the buffalo cross the bridge.

---Laughter

Obviously, to get to the other side.

But in all seriousness, how much will this cost now to fix this new remedy or new hole we’re finding out in the Deh Cho Bridge process and system? How much more money is required now to keep the buffalo from jumping from the side onto the bridge, and what remedy does the Department of Transportation have in its pocketbook of plays to deal with a buffalo in the middle of the bridge while people are coming over it and while they have no choice? Something is going to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use today’s opportunity for question period maybe to probe into the workings of buffalo gates on the Deh Cho Bridge. It’s come to our attention through the media, but oddly enough, I’ve been hearing about the urban legend of buffalo crossing the bridge at Fort Providence, but I have yet to actually see the facts before us.

I’d like to start off by asking the Minister of Transportation how much did the buffalo gates cost and how much will it cost to fix them or repair them so the buffalo aren’t roaming up on that bridge. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m really glad to hear what the Minister had to say, but he avoided my last question, which is simply: What is going to happen if there’s a buffalo on the bridge and somebody comes along and goes over the hump of the bridge and all of a sudden sees a buffalo? The buffalo has nowhere to go but on the side or jump over. Potentially someone could hit the buffalo; there’s nowhere to swerve. I mean, we know how narrow that bridge is. So the question essentially is: Is public safety being compromised with this failed solution to keep the buffalo off the bridge?

Thank you. Well, I guess the next question is: How does the Minister know they can’t cross the Texas gates? Thank you.

On the recent hydraulic fracturing tour that Member Bromley referenced, that we had gone with the Minister and many others, we had heard from Saskatchewan officials, one in particular – I believe he was a bioengineer of some sort or a biochemist – and he put great emphasis on the quality of the water being used and the fact that they’re not monitoring the fracking fluids that go in and come out. In their case, yes, they agreed that they go in and then much of it comes out, but they don’t know where it goes after that.

I suggested, well, why don’t we put tracers or markers in these things so we...