Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, with great sadness, I wish to pause and make special note to the First Air flight that met with tragic ends on its approach into Resolute Bay this past Saturday.

As we all know, 12 of the 15 people on board didn’t make it and, without any doubt, the impact of this tragedy will have significant and lasting effects on all Northerners.

I know that this experience has affected two families directly in the riding of Yellowknife Centre, both the Golding and Merritt families. My heart goes out to them as well as all the other families that lost loved ones on that flight...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the May sitting Regular Members made it very clear to the government that summer students are a priority to us. While I’m interested to hear the number of students the government was able to hire this year, I’m even more interested to hear what, if any, lessons were learned so that we can make improvements for the next year’s wave of summer students looking for employment.

Mr. Speaker, improvements are clearly needed, not glossy reports or strategic documents, but real-life practical improvements to the practices and hiring procedures, because I still hear stories...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is a particular issue that may not have been fully supported in committee but the spirit intended in this particular one is, as I’ve stated a few times, which is we want to make sure that the fund is protected and the act is protected so that people at a whim don’t decide that they’re going to spend the money without any due thought and support. The original concept didn’t get the support in committee and certainly by the Minister, but it was presented as a suggestion to put it in the review and allow the review to take that time and give it due consideration if...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to now move a motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a few observations here. I really am concerned with the purpose not being sharp enough. I disagree with my colleague who thinks or believes strongly -- and I say that respectfully -- that dividends should be paid, but I think the purpose really needs to be narrowed down over the long haul. Although I don’t necessarily think it needs to be done today, but one of the issues being is that if the purpose is truly for the people of the Northwest Territories, then it needs to be directed as such. I think this money needs to be targeted directly to our revenues that we...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m not speaking for committee, but I certainly am sure in some ways when I say this is a very exciting opportunity for the people of the Northwest Territories to have this fund come forward.

Mr. Chairman, I had hoped over the years, over the course of the last four years that the government would develop what I call a revenue stabilization fund to help assist with corporate revenues when they go down due to downturns or re-filing of corporate taxes, and the problem with the Northwest Territories is we have a very challenging opportunity before us when we need to raise...

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...