Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe very strongly in supporting the community and I think that this motion reflects concerns out there that I’ve heard that employable offers and opportunities are very few and thin. That being said, Mr. Speaker, I also recognize the initiatives taken on by this government to help close those gaps for people with disabilities and I strongly support the efforts that government has been making to date. Is that gap wide? I think it’s still a significant barrier for many, but I believe in my heart that people are trying to meet the government half way in trying to...

I won’t say that the Minister is incorrect, but I’ll certainly say that I don’t necessarily quite agree with the perspective. What I would like to say is it’s more of a passive approach that’s taken right now, providing information as opposed to an active market campaign to get out there, whether talking to the CGA Association of Canada, by way of a simple example, or going out to other types of associations of similar manner and saying you’ve got 300 or 400 members, why don’t you schedule your 2015 conference in the Northwest Territories and we’ll build that.

I would agree that the Minister is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the need for a convention bureau and the fact that I believe we could do more in attracting tourism from a convention marketing point of view. My questions would be to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment and I would like to ask him what work has been done by the Department of ITI in regards to establishing a tourism bureau. Thank you.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I did inquire with that office regarding the cost of how much it would be to heat and power that empty Commissioner’s house that will be sitting empty between four and five years. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Public Works have the figures that it would cost the government to have that house sit empty for those four to five years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to use my Member’s statement to acknowledge the passing of Jack Adderley in December. Jack was 86 and had lived in Yellowknife for 52 years. He was well known for many things, especially his humour. One of the lasting efforts that Jack left our community was the 1972 partnership with Jack Sigvaldson, commonly known as Sig, when the two of them launched their own newspaper, a local rag called the Yellowknifer. I’m sure many of you may have heard of it before.

The first cutting-edge newspaper was designed on the desk of a kitchen table and the dark room was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be voting for this excellent motion here today. I want to thank Mr. Menicoche for bringing it forward. Mr. Menicoche, I think, truly hits upon a nerve that should be a value that we wear on our chest every single day here. I mean, this Assembly quite often talks about its respect for elders and our seniors, and this motion replies to that call for action. It says that we should be helping people age in place. Aging in place is a philosophy out there to ensure that aging people are allowed to stay as independent as possible with the support of those around you, and...

Mr. Speaker, it is not so much about the cost; it is about the waste of money. The fact is the house will be sitting between four and five years completely empty and there is no guarantee the next Commissioner of the Northwest Territories will be taking up residency in there, regardless if they are from Yellowknife or any other jurisdiction in NWT. Mr. Speaker, my question is simple. Would the Minister be able to work with the cross-Cabinet officials, depending on whether it is the Minister of Finance or even the Premier’s office, about looking and evaluating the offer made by Bob Engle a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Public Works. Mr. Speaker, it’s regarding the Commissioner’s house of the Northwest Territories. Our present Commissioner won’t be taking up residency in the Commissioner’s house that we’ve allocated them for their privilege, of course, if that’s one that they want to exercise. It will be sitting empty for four years. Mr. Speaker, in the past, Bob Engle, a well-known aviation Northerner, has offered to give his house to the Northwest Territories for an appropriate tax credit. It’s more of a regal style of house to accept important...

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister for that offer. I just want to put it officially on the record. Would the Minister be willing to entertain a meeting, if I can put one together, to discuss this very matter about looking at addressing possibly the Engle house as the new Commissioner’s house and, of course, further discussions about selling the present Commissioner’s house even though it is sitting vacant for four to five years? If he would be willing to agree to a meeting, that would be great. Thank you.

That’s good.