Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I cited a number of concerns with the summer student hiring process. The process is more than just how many students we’ve hired; it’s about how we hire them and, of course, what type of promise and opportunity we provide them. I think it’s quite understood that we have an obligation to ensure that our future workforce is certainly prepared for the opportunities before them, and I think it’s an important role.

Mr. Speaker, HR at present doesn’t have the official coordination powers and authority to, in my view, fully manage the summer...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Edward Esau. He’s a Page here helping us do our business of the Assembly. He’s most notably known as the son of one of our staff members, Phoebe Esau. Thanks for your help here today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a letter sent to me from the Auditor General of Canada, dated the 26th of February 2007, and it’s regarding my issue of concerns for performance audits on northern corporations. Thank you.

I appreciate the answer from the Premier. As the former Auditor General has clearly stated, they do not have the mandate to perform these performance audits on territorial corporations unless, of course, the House passes a direct motion that issues that request. At the same time, the former Auditor General has put into writing that they would be more than willing to do those types of audits if granted the authority to do that. In essence, if the FAA is up for debate and review, this would be a good opportunity to invoke that offer. As well, all Members know that there is little or no cost to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked in my Member’s statement about the Financial Administration Act and I took a look at the opportunity before us that is potentially to be reviewed. Right now we’re in the coming days that will enter into the new government. I highlighted the importance of value for money audits, which are also referred to as performance audits. If the review of the FAA is actually being considered at this time, it would be probably wise for the government to consider a comprehensive opportunity like this to include performance audits on our corporations to ensure that they...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the Minister and the department for bringing forward these amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act. I feel strongly that road safety is more than a convenience; it’s a right for all. Often at times we forget about the privileges and rights we take advantage of and start to turn privileges into rights and get confused by what they really mean. The fact is we do have a right to want to feel safe and be safe on those roads, and this amendment addresses one of the privileges that people are using at this time and I look forward to the change on the roads...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I gave the Premier credit for the first three answers but certainly not the last one, because I’m still working and I think this Assembly should still be working on these particular issues. That’s why I’m thinking it’s quite important, if not critical, that we continue to work on these issues going forward, because we still have a mandate. Although technically it may end shortly, it’s still active. That’s why I’m asking for this.

Would the Premier inquire with the Finance Minister at the appropriate time to see if they could incorporate this opportunity again while the...

I appreciate the Premier’s answer about the corporations tabling their annual reports, but, quite frankly, most Members I would be surprised have an auditing or accounting background. Therefore we read them for what they are, to ensure that the ledger sheets are balanced.

Performance audits, as cited by the Auditor General of Canada, really look at assets, safeguards, controls, human, physical, and financial resource management, and ensure that operations are carried out efficiently. That’s not addressed in the table of the annual reports. That’s really what I’m getting down to. That type of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak to the need for mandatory regular performance audits on territorial corporations owned by the GNWT, like the NWT Housing Corporation, the NWT Power Corporation, and the Business Development and Investment Corporation. This is an issue I have raised many times before in this House, Mr. Speaker, in this Assembly and certainly in the last.

As we all know, these corporations are, of course, subject to annual financial audits by the Auditor General’s office, which examines the books and ensures the financial reporting practices are in accordance with...

I have to admit that the Department of Transportation or even this Minister is ahead in some of his ideas. I won’t take that as a criticism. I will say that’s very unusual and welcome to hear that.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, one of the big comments -- and I’ll give the credit to the Department of Transportation -- was to put a TV in there to keep people occupied while they are waiting for service. One of the observations being made is it takes too long to go through, because the average everyday person doesn’t have 15 minutes to run in, because it’s not 15 minutes. It turns into almost an hour. I...