Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unlike -- I'm going to use all my 20 minutes. No, no, I'm kidding. It's been a long day. No, I won't be using my 20 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I too want to rise in favour of this initiative. I've spoken to some of the leadership. I certainly like the intent. It was sold to me on the initiative. It's a great investment of new dollars. We should not overlook the fact that this brings not only federal government dollars to empower Indigenous organizations and groups, but peoples and families and help protect our environment. This is all good stuff, Mr. Speaker.

The one thing of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whatever the last two speakers said, I say the opposite. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to recognize the tone the Premier brought to that. I think it was certainly appropriate. I'm not trying to do jabby or clever questions. This is very important, and it's a very important subject for our -- Mr. Speaker, I just want to make absolutely clear. 32 jobs in a region matter to a Yellowknife MLA because it affects us all in one way or another. That said, Mr. Speaker, the letter, including the phone calls I received, talked about finding a solution or a course of path for these jobs and this potential facility. Again, written from the direction and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to say supporting youth with autism in the Northwest Territories is critical. We need to look at it through a multifaceted approach by addressing their needs, whether it's regional or in large centre, Mr. Speaker, like Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, imagine if you're in a small community and you have children or a child or there's other types of people with learning disabilities in your community, where do they go? Well, they come to Yellowknife often because the services and supports aren't there. Mr. Speaker, but what I also find here in Yellowknife is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to put on the record that the meeting -- in the letter, it says the Premier was very cordial, it was a cordial meeting, again so I just want to emphasize his tone is appropriate in my opinion for this important discussion. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice has had years to study this particular problem. I'm assuming they didn't make this decision overnight, and I'm certainly recognizing that.

Mr. Speaker, the Thebacha Leadership Council feels they've been given days or weeks to come up with a solution to counter or provide other options without resources. Is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are going to be about exploring the options of what can be done. And the reason I put that in context, first, Mr. Speaker, because I don't want it to be thought it perceived in any other way. So that said, Mr. Speaker, I'm in possession of a letter from the Thebacha Leadership Council addressed to the Premier and/or Minister of Justice, and the question really comes down to is their concerns about their due diligence on the transition from an operational jail that has no inmates to the 32 jobs that may be forcing -- being forced through in the...

Sorry. I thought the ADM was going to answer.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I was just reading some notes there. I just wanted to follow up on a particular area my colleague had just raised a moment ago under the wellness and recovery centre area. Oddly enough, I'm not going to speak specifically to the wellness recovery but sort of how we're going to deal with the broader picture, and she mentioned about sort of space and whatnot for people to stay, whether it's stay overnight or sleep during the day, and we have a perfectly good territorial treatment centre which is, you know, I hate to say it, two blocks over. And is there any...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice earlier today. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I think I'm having a difficult time, and I'm sure this will be a personal joke back or a shot or whatever, but I'm having a difficult time understanding this little dance between what a real layoff notice is. Can you imagine the employees, the 32 employees there, hearing this message. 21 weeks is 150 -- or sorry, 40 -- 147 days. It's 153 days. In other words, six days difference between the end of March 31st. So those who follow the math quickly, is it's almost 21 weeks until the end of the budget year. Mr. Speaker, my question specifically to the Minister is can she make it...