Robert Hawkins

The Minister had said we need more consultation with the public and then he said a few other things I didn’t quite write down, but he also said works towards this with the standing committee. I just want to be clear, in my experience here, that almost sounded like a commitment that the Department of Justice will investigate this issue and create some type of public dialogue. Can I get that clearly on the record today, that the Minister of Justice will create some type of dialogue framework or discussion paper, get out, speak to committee as well as speak to the public?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue that I raised today in my Member’s statement will be the focus of my questions to the Minister of Justice. I keep raising the issue of fair rent for working families. My first question to the Minister of Justice is, what is stopping his department from looking into the issue of some type of rent control that provides protection for working families due to increased cost to the rent?

Is the Minister willing to, if I was to refresh the Minister with that name here later today…refresh his memory, that is; I said refresh the Minister...

---Laughter

…I’ll leave that up to his own discretion. Mr. Speaker, if I remind the Minister later of this name, would he be willing to send someone down tomorrow morning to make sure that this business that I would describe as a mock northern business, to make sure that they, sort of, get the treatment that they deserve when we have true northern businesses wanting to make further investment but they don’t believe that there’s a true level...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the issues here we are really facing is the fact that this used to be a MACA program and then MACA transfers the community gas money and the gas tax money, and then they say sorry, we don’t do this anymore. That is sort of one of the problems that we are faced with. That is why these motions keep coming up.

I have often said that there is a policy problem here, where the government used to do this but then they decide that now they are not in this business. I don’t think that there has ever been a heart-to-heart deciding on what government should be responsible...

Mr. Speaker, I spoke to some people in the community and they’re quite concerned that there’s no mandate or terms of reference on how this is proceeding. It’s designed pretty much as an open, like a blank page approach for community consultation. Mr. Speaker, I would think that it would be more useful if we had a terms of reference and a mandate that demonstrated how they plug into the other two components, which is, of course, the value for money audit and the proposal that’s being reviewed through ATCO and the GNWT partners. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister not agree that a terms of reference...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While asking questions to the Premier earlier, what seemed to keep getting slipped in the whole process was the fact that there’s no mandate or terms of reference for this electrical review that’s going on. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to hear from the Premier why there isn’t a mandate but we’re sending them out starting in Inuvik in the next couple days to hear from the people. Why is it just treated as a public discussion without a mandate? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the work is done and the work is in place and the work is in gear, whatever analogy the Premier wants to use, then would the Premier table the terms of reference and the mandate of all these three entities and show how they converge for long-term better power to all Northerners?

I finally understand it. We have Stevie Wonder over there driving the car. That’s why it’s so banged up. No one knows where they’re going. So I only mean it as someone blind is driving this car in the context of the analogy. The fact is, nobody knows where these plug in and are hoping like heck they are not going to be the solution. Would the Premier put a halt to this, come up with a terms of mandate and show where this plan is going, where this car is going, for better power, better solutions in northern hands?

Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, there is an electrical review that is supposed to go on, but again no terms of reference, no mandate. There is none. They will travel all through the North and meet a lot of great people. The press release reads, engage NWT residents of a territorial-wide discussion. That is exactly what they will get, a discussion on everything. Mr. Speaker, it is going to take the direction of the JRP hearings. It is going to run for as long as people can talk.

Mr. Speaker, I challenge the Premier to table terms of reference and show us how the mandates of all of these...

Mr. Speaker, I’m only asking these questions because it seems it’s being asked in the public. I appreciate the frustration the Minister may be having, but the fact is there are people out there concerned that it doesn’t have a mandate and there’s no blueprint on how they converge. Mr. Speaker, I’ve heard answers from the Premier today and he seems to assume they will converge sometime in the fall, if they do. I’d like to know, without a mandate and terms of reference, how do we stay on track, how do we stay focused, how does it make sense and how do we know where we’re going without that type...