Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge Ms. Maud Robinson-Spence. She’s my summer student and she’ll be working with me here at the Legislative Assembly and helping me do my duties as a Member for Yellowknife Centre. I’d like to thank her for joining the team and acknowledge her here today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011, and wishes to report that Bill 6 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Minister for that particular answer. I think he knows exactly the concern I’m on, and I think I recognize that in his response from the last questions.

Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if I need my fourth question. My third one will quite simply be: would the Minister be willing to have a meeting with some of the industry reps from the medevac community? Again, if I could coordinate them in a very succinct way that had solutions to fine tuning our medevac process or system, would he be willing to sit down with them and discuss these types of issues and perhaps maybe we can find a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like earlier today, a number of my colleagues both had statements and asked questions regarding the closure of the Edmonton Municipal Airport and the planes being diverted to the International Airport. As such, I think they thoroughly thrashed around the concerns about being involved in the process of the advisory committee.

I think the next phase of this particular problem, really we should use this as an opportunity and perhaps maybe a call to action to address how we run our medevac system, Mr. Speaker. Our health system would issue a tender and have protocols...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my other colleague today, I’d like to speak about the Edmonton airport closure. The closure of the Edmonton City Airport has alarming implications on our medevac patients. Our medevac patients already face a very long flight from the NWT to Edmonton for help, Mr. Speaker. Now their transportation time from the airport to the hospital is getting much longer. To be frank, Mr. Speaker, access to timely health care emergency services is the single most important priority I have; as well it’s of great concern to many northern residents.

In the context of the changing of...

In many cases income support provides the cost of power at any cost, which runs into hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for that department. Again, they provide rental costs, actual costs which again run into hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Mr. Speaker, this is a health and safety lifeline which could help many families ensure that they are protected if something arises, whether it’s a health and safety issue due to personal health as I highlighted as an example, or what if there were domestic abuse problems? What do they do? Do they have to wait until somebody else...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The other day I had a constituent come forward to me with concerns regarding income support and the ability to have a telephone as an allowance expense that income support can help them with. Mr. Speaker, I am asking the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment why the policy of income support does not allow a person to have a telephone as an allowable expense when we consider that we provide expenses for daycare, shelter, food, clothing but when health and safety concerns could arise, a telephone is very important and that’s not considered an allowable expense...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement I talked about some concerns and observations about the development of the Wildlife Act and I specifically noted Section 87. Just to boil straight down to it, close observation does create some contradictions as to what’s happening out there and, as I highlighted as well in my Member’s statement, ENR has said that they would try to make some accommodations but I think it really develops an industry of red tape.

For clarity, to start off with, could the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources define for the House and perhaps those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a similar vein, I want to stress, like Mr. Menicoche did, I think we still have a lot of work to do, which is to hear from people in a broad sense. Right now a number of us have heard from certain groups that they’re worried about their particular areas. For example, as mentioned, Mr. Abernethy had pointed out the NWT mining had made contact, and I certainly received an e-mail from them. I think their concerns are valid in the sense that they need to be looked at and examined and see how it’s weighed. I’ve been contacted by the tourism industry concerned about their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Income support is supposed to be the backstop of public policy if you are down and out due to whatever reason has brought you to that point. It’s to ensure you have the basic necessities and I agree with that, Mr. Speaker, but one of the programs in income support is to encourage people to get out there and get work. I’m quite curious on how a person on income support could make that type of contact with a potential employer without a phone call or to be waiting for that opportunity and to say that they have extra money, I would assure you that at least 80 to 90...