Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I do have a bridge question. It’s not quite as exciting as the other Members have portrayed, but I do have some questions on process and inclusion on the project.

Mr. Speaker, a constituent came to me the other day and wanted to be assured on a couple of matters, and the fact is they were all dollar-related issues. And again, for the record, was the ramping-up portion of the bridge project included in the overall tender? We know what the cost of the actual bridge is. I want to know about the earthworks and the work included for bringing the road right up to the bridge. I want to...

Mr. Speaker, these are financially tight times, as everyone is extremely well aware. I just want to be clear for the record, here. The Abbotsford company doing these water treatment plant projects: were they the cheaper, bottom-line dollar company, or was the Northern firm working out of Inuvik with the Yellowknife group the cheaper one?

Mr. Speaker, I wish I could say I was done with MACA on this matter. Unfortunately, the answers are still very disappointing. There’s just continual doublespeak on the result and on where this project is going.

Mr. Speaker, I have a list here of contracts, and the Abbotsford company, the B.C. company I keep referring to — I’m not using their name; I know how that makes people edgy here, so I’m avoiding their actual specific name — did give a proposal for $22,500, and it was a contract to develop a proposal for a water facility.

So could the MACA Minister explain to this House — in good...

I guess if the Minister can give hypothetical answers, you know…. And it kind of puts me in an unfair position, because I can’t ask hypothetical questions to get the facts.

If we’re going to live in this sort of hypothetical world, are they in negotiations with this Northern company, or are they in negotiations with this Abbotsford, B.C., company for these water treatment plants?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to continue questions directed to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I am very disappointed with his answers, because they were very lacking, to say the least.

Although I can’t quote from a letter that hasn’t been tabled in the House — as of yet, I stress — when you write a letter and say, “I regret to inform you your proposal wasn’t the highest, and by the way, the other proponent was the highest,” that then leads one to realize that the project is going to the other group.

Could the Minister explain to me the involvement that this Abbotsford, B.C...

My choice today will be to support this motion, to let my colleagues know that though sometimes I don’t agree with all of their initiatives, I do support their aspirations. So, Mr. Speaker, I won’t be walking over to hug that Member, but on the record, he should know that he has my support on this issue.

I do have some concerns. I am worried about the rollout of it. But certainly we will have to deal with the details when they come forward. I have always supported the initiative of trying to find ways to decrease the cost of community living. What that means, as Mrs. Groenewegen has mentioned...

I would like to see the ruling first, Mr. Speaker, if that’s in order in this particular case.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I’ll thank the Member from Thebacha for bringing forward the concern. If he felt there was an issue, I appreciate him bringing it and highlighting it as an issue.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I have to cite a book called Beauchesne’s, which this Assembly is very familiar with. It talks about tone and intent. I’m bringing forward the tone and intent and concerns of my constituents who sent family members to that community.

Mr. Speaker, on page 28 of yesterday’s Hansard I explicitly qualified my comments by stating that there was no mal-intention intended with respect to...

One of the consequences of decentralization is that even where we have good intentions, it may not work. Such is the case when concentrating Aurora College programs at the Thebacha Campus in Fort Smith.

As much as it pains me to say this — and it does — the Thebacha Campus is not meeting the needs of all Northern students. I’ve had concerns from constituents brought forward to me who fear for their personal safety because of the incidents of violence and intimidation in Fort Smith. This causes them to change their mind and refuse to want to continue training at the Fort Smith College.

How can we...

Mr. Chairman, sadly, the only function we have on this side of the House in these particular cases is to delete. I would much rather put a motion forward to defer it, although that is not a function of this House.

My issue here is that we’re running out with $500,000 of more planning money. I think this should be an item in the potential budget that will be brought forward in the May-June session. Mr. Chairman, really, the issue is about how this is being fed to Members. As far as I’m concerned, there needs to be further coordination between other facilities that are being beefed up in that...