Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I'm going to quote Premier Simpson: It does take time to work together, but that is important. Mr. Speaker, that was said on November 27th by Premier Simpson.

Mr. Speaker, my questions for Premier Simpson is how is he meeting those objectives, the hallmarks of consensus government, by publicly by allowing publicly the release of carbon tax policy and the restoring fiscal balance plan to the public in advance of working with Members? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just be brief. I think the if I understood the Member correctly, I think she was curious if it included the forced growth cost reflective of certain contracts, and I think that's ultimately the question that was being asked. And then I have a clearer a separate followup. Thank you.

Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Kam Lake, that Ms. Renee Caron be appointed as the Equal Pay Commissioner in accordance with the Public Service Act by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories as recommended by the Legislative Assembly;

And further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of the appointment to the Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm going to say thank you to the Premier for that. At least it's direct, it's honest, and it's straightforward.

Mr. Speaker, in their policy release, that strategy, they talk about consulting with employees, not Members of the such as us as the MLAs. They talk about the the Finance Minister mentioned she had crushing public pressure and outcry to make decisions. My question for them is why are they going to employees through an internal survey that they can be individually identified to act like a rat squad to tell the government where to cut and save money...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister talks as if she's still in the 19th Assembly. Mr. Speaker, this is about the 20th Assembly making these decisions, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister clearly and simply will she work with committee in advance of releasing this information? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Minister, not the Premier in this case obviously, has just said public their public position is they're responding to the cries of the public, not to Members. That's what I just heard. And she said it was shared to get it out there but my letter to my office says confidential. So how am I supposed to share it? So, Mr. Speaker, my question, I guess for the Finance Minister, who is a recycled Minister from the last government, is how are Members supposed to share confidential documents when you stamp them confidential and you get to publicly release them without...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I couldn't have said or sorry, it was a perfect answer in the context of hearing that they want to grow the workforce. So I'd like to hear how that office directly works with employers to grow the workforce? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the challenge of finding employees in the territory is not new just to Yellowknife; it affects all our communities. And, Mr. Speaker, one of the interest things about this is that jobs beget jobs. In other words, when we stimulate the economy, more things happen. People earn money. You know, money gets spent, and it has a positive ripple effect. So whether you're trying to keep the restaurant open in Inuvik or you're trying to help people serve contracts in Yellowknife, it's the same problem from the top to the bottom of the Northwest Territories.

Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the tabled report called GNWT Seniors Strategic Framework sets out a lot of information provided by the department and the government on how to help seniors age in place.

Mr. Speaker, seniors are very important to me, as they are to everyone on this side of the House. I can't speak to that side of the House because they deleted the role for a Minister responsible for seniors but hopefully one day they'll realize their mistake. And it's not too late to change it, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the seniors will tell me different things, and they certainly tell me...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a former employee with the department of public works for the government, I actually helped do projects in that building. Many of us in this room, you know, maybe even some Cabinet folks, will remember the crisis that happened to the YWCA where one of their buildings burnt down and they were able to facilitate to let people move into that place even for about a year. So, Mr. Speaker and there were other opportunities. What is so dangerous to that building that we couldn't do a phased move in and a phased repair to ensure people and families are safely...