Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As promised in my Member’s statement today, I said I would table the NWT Seniors’ Society’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Older Adults.

Mr. Speaker, the charter that I’ve spoken of as well as the particulars I’ve spoken to in my Member’s statement talk about a lot of things: recognizing the dignity, stopping elders’ abuse, among many, many other things. Does the Minister responsible for Seniors agree with that type of merit and believe that a seniors charter could help us achieve a manifesto of our principles that we believe strongly here? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to make special recognition again of Mr. Ed Jeske, Yellowknife’s very own Mr. Hockey. As well, at the same time, I’d like to recognize Vivian Squires, executive director of YK Seniors, as mentioned. As well, as mentioned earlier, I’d also like to make note of our Reverend Ron McLean. Thank you very much for joining us today.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That’s fine. I’ll just repeat it. Will Members be informed as to what the business plan, sort of, attachment of activities would be attributed to the $100,000 and, if so, when? Thank you.

I’m just trying to understand this. I’m listening to the Speaker’s answers carefully and I guess I can appreciate that there’s an expansion of accessibility information component in this, accessibility about her role that she needs to promote. It sounds like the money is being asked without a plan, that’s all. Perhaps maybe if the Speaker can paint a sense of assurance that it isn’t just can I have more money. That there will be plan attached to this type of money sounds a little better. I mean, it really sounds like she’s asked for money and will figure it out later. I’m sorry if I’m hearing...

Am I understanding the Speaker correctly when he says that this is still being assessed against her mandate? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m in full support of reduction where we can and certainly where it makes sense. The question I really have now for the Minister is: is part of this program, what type of analysis and evaluation was ever taken into consideration about the spurred off, unforeseen industry of making all these recyclable bags that people now have tons of and in the sense that instead of using paper bags as a clear, biodegradable, environmentally sound, reasonable option, a lot of people are now buying all these multiple bags or getting stuck with them when they go to conferences and...

Thank you. I wouldn’t disagree with the Minister on his comments about is it waste and is it needless waste, and I’m paraphrasing, in my own way, that more bags are probably bad. I think that that’s a common understanding out there, but the problem is, I don’t think people understood when they were supporting the bag levy process and certainly the reduction initiative, that paper bags were included in this particular initiative.

Mr. Speaker, in going forward on this particular case, is the Minister’s department going to do further work on this initiative? Would he be willing to inquire with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a number of people that I’d like to recognize today. The first person I’d like to recognize is Chris Bassi. He’s in the front here. He’s a retired bridge engineer and, of course, he retired to Yellowknife where his daughter Sheila Bassi-Kellett works, as we all know. As well in the gallery, I’d like to recognize a constituent as well as a neighbour, Didier Bourgois, and he has, I believe, his cousin here from Paris, and her name is Dr. Elizabeth Dey. May I welcome her. The last person I’d like to make note, Mr. Speaker, while I have the floor, is I’d also like to...

If I understood the Speaker correctly when he said he’d get back to Members, I assume that won’t be in the next annual report. I assume that will be in a timely way once that clarification is made.

Mr. Chairman, one other thing worth of note, and again, it just jumped off the page listening to the request for additional money, although I don’t have the report in front of me here, it’s in my office, I do recall off memory, in some manner or form, that the latest Languages Commissioner’s report is painting a picture of lack of interest in the traditional language and she points that out. We haven...