Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I will be very brief. First of all, I will be supporting this bill. I want to recognize that rights of individuals don't evolve with the times. I won’t go on at length, but I really believe in that.

Although many of my colleagues here, I wish to stress, will not be supporting this bill, I do personally want to applaud that they are following their personal beliefs. I know that this is a decisive issue with a lot of people out there. Even with my constituency I have had calls on both sides of the equation. I want to emphasize that I do have personal respect...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment just nailed it there by saying that there’s no question that attendance is a problem in the Northwest Territories. He just nailed it exactly. Mr. Speaker, he said use their funding. Well, funding is prescriptive. It takes all the wiggle room out of schools so they just can’t do whatever they want to do. It’s already implemented and tied to certain issues. So, Mr. Speaker, I really like this comment by saying that we will support them. Well, will we support them with direct funding to one social liaison worker for each...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to admit I was lost there because we’re not talking about shoes; we’re talking about making sure that kids go to school here. Maybe my question was too fast. Mr. Speaker, I got these comments from research, who read the blues which are the unedited Hansard. I put a lot of faith in their questions, or their development of some of these questions.

Mr. Speaker, will this Minister agree to look into the problem of dealing with absentees and truancies by putting a community liaison such as a social worker in each educational authority in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have the pleasure to introduce the quest for the crown candidates on behalf of my colleagues. The candidates running for Caribou Carnival queen this year; that is, again, Ms. Mildred Wilke, Kelley Merilees-Keppel, Itoah Scott, Lila Fraser-Erasmus, Katie Bourgeois, Mary-Ellen McGonigle-Roberts. Now, for the princess list: Twyla Bruler-Vachon, Stacey Grandjambe and Jesslyn Strand. Just about as I sit down, Mr. Speaker, I will remind all people to buy their Caribou Carnival tickets to support these candidates. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am going to again talk about support for truancy in our schools. Yesterday I spoke about the lack of tools available to our schools in dealing with that truancy issue. Minister Dent then proceeded to list off all the various methods used by different schools and education authorities to deal with truancy.

What was made clear by his response is that there is no clear territorial legislative, regulatory or policy base in dealing with truancy other than the fine that we never use. Every educational jurisdiction is free to deal with this issue of truancy how they...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess in general I fail to see the need for this, because if this is just a delay and Parliament could change any time now and clause (a) is not linked to anything substantive that I see that would be earth shattering. Maybe for those in the 37th Parliament maybe, but not to me. So as far as linking to the Civil Marriage Act, I’m concerned because I don’t think it actually directly links to it. Indirectly I think it is associated and I do think the Members here do have some points that have been validly raised, but I don’t think it directly corresponds with it....

Thank you. If I could further seek clarification on this motion; then, in other words, if Parliament, for some reason, manages to stay alive maybe another four years, therefore, that would limit the ability as the way this motion is written for this bill to come into force. Is that what that means? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My time was to be used up to seek further clarification to 11 clause (a) or 11 subsection (a), which is I’m just trying to understand that, because if the present Parliament prorogues today, although they may not be able to answer this question due to process, but I’m a little concerned because if the present Parliament prorogues tomorrow, were dissolved tomorrow and would that not do the same as what we are going now to allow if it is to come into force. So I’m sorry, I have to say I can’t ask questions to the movers. Madam Chair, who can we ask these questions to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation.

Can the Minister please provide the numbers on uptake for the last three years in Yellowknife on the Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program?

Can the Minister please provide information on the amount each of the recipients received under EDAP?

Can the Minister please provide information on the reasons for any variations in the amounts received under EDAP?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate what the Minister said. On that note, what resources do we provide the schools and the district education authorities to ensure that we get these truant kids into school? Thank you.