Robert Hawkins

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...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was getting phone calls, text messages, yesterday from people in the South Slave, more particularly in -- both in Hay River and Fort Smith, regarding the layoff notice the given to the Fort Smith correctional centre staff. And if I remember correctly, 32 employees work there. The finance Minister did say during Committee of the Whole back in June that they were pausing it with an uncosted plan, unplanned, but they were going to propose something, Mr. Speaker. I e-mailed the Premier last night for an update. I am going to ask the finance Minister, could...

Mr. Speaker, I think people would have a difficult time understanding why this is okay in the context of privacy and security during COVID when we couldn't bridge to non-COVID times. So, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister endeavour to see if we could change that -- whatever the obstructing policy is, and I'd like to hear what it is, why it was okay during COVID but not okay today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. People are still calling the phone numbers provided and reaching grave disappointment. They're also even going down to the medical centre to book appointments, but they're told well, call -- call back.

So, Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister, really, is focusing around accessibility to doctors. What is stopping the department from creating an online doctor booking appointment platform that all Northerners can access in a timely way? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would appreciate any committee update you can provide on that. And I can appreciate that these are just plans, not initiated yet but probably sort of bigger picture scoping of the issue at this particular time, and that's fine. Is there any way they could provide a monthly cost as to what the current day shelter costs the government in its current form, in its current location, where the old visitors centre is.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In economics, there's a phrase called Jevons paradox which occurs when technology progresses in a manner to increase efficiency but the resources actually inversely further demanded because we've lowered the cost. So in order, Mr. Speaker, historically governments have been trying to find ways to be more efficient, but in turn, people -- efficiency gains enthusiasm which increases consumption. This is called the rebound effect of Jevons paradox.

So a good example is when you make fuel efficiency vehicles, Mr. Speaker, people tend to drive more and hence consume more...

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.