Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to follow up a little further on the evacuation travel support program. And I suspect now, the Minister was saying I didn't expect the question but that said, to be all fair in all fairness, she is the Finance Minister of this government and the last government and oversaw the programs, so I expect her to know some elements of the program.

So that said, the evacuation support program paid out $750 to people as a onetime sort of payment. How did they actually come up with that specific $750 for the impacts of individuals obviously per vehicle...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And by the way, I apologize, earlier I just restated the question, so it might have sounded like two. Mr. Speaker, my question the Minister says they track them, so then why do we have the department saying that they've issued payments when they haven't if they're tracking them?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too wish to acknowledge a constituent, Mr. Shaun Dean. Thank you to the Member for Great Slave for acknowledging him as well. Many people know, and some do not know, he has served many an Assembly quite loyally for many years. I wouldn't quite go generations, but I would certainly say he's been an important fixture of the Assembly, and that should never go unacknowledged, his hard work and dedication. And he recently retired only a couple years ago. Frankly, I never thought he would retire. But that said, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Mr. Dean.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin, I wish to acknowledge you as our incoming Speaker. And I also wish to take the opportunity to acknowledge the Premier and the incoming Cabinet. We have a lot of hopes and ambition for the 20th Assembly. I believe our trust is well placed, and I look forward to seeing how it rolls out. That said, I did want it officially on the record, Mr. Speaker, that no one could ever say I didn't say anything nice about this new Cabinet and leadership, so I truly do deeply wish them well.

Mr. Speaker, my comments will be today specifically about addictions and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the information and I certainly look forward to it coming before the dissolution of this Assembly, because I’ll have to wait until next term, if things all go well. In all fairness and in all seriousness, I’m asking for an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the Government of the Northwest Territories paying RCMP to do this as an overtime job, an extra duty job, finding a couple of them, when we could be using our own resources internally through the sheriff’s office, so an evaluation and a little bit of a strategic look needs to be done on this. It’s...

I know that that’s probably normally the case that the corrections services does that one, but there’s also interjurisdictional travel that is required by shuffling inmates back and forth or other types of similar situations, and we bring the RCMP off duty and they have to find folks to wear that duty outside of normal operating hours, and that affects the RCMP, and everyone complains in this community that they’re unable to get more RCMP on the ground doing the job that they do, and they certainly do so well.

When it comes to interjurisdictional transfers of prisoners and usages of those types...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While the Minister says we don’t have people banging our doors down, but the last three years when this deal had been made, nothing has been cut. He said maybe we’ll get lease money, but my understanding is the lease has been in arrears. Reading in the Yellowknifer a number of weeks ago, you could see they weren’t even paying property taxes. We weren’t the only ones fooled in this deal. Callidus is a lending agency and they were sold a bill of goods about how great things would be. So, what is the Minister willing to do to help revoke their authority of having the polar...

I’m not getting into his private, personal matter, but it is a matter of public record out there. So it’s not a secret, but where it really matters to the people of the Northwest Territories is a particular issue of concern about where diamonds are going and that’s certainly it. You cannot have one without the other. So the Government of the Northwest Territories gave this person the ability to have sole, exclusive rights on the polar bear logo and I want to know what the next steps are.

Is the government going to retract that offer, suspend it? I don’t even know what they take back for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think I have any constituents left in the gallery. They came and then they went, as previously mentioned by colleagues. But I do want to take a second to mention and certainly pass on my kindest regards to Melody McLeod. She’s the Premier’s wife. Every time I see her I’m reminded of an anecdote that Ms. Barbara Bush once said when they asked her what’s it like being her, and she said, “Well, I’ve been married to the President of the United States and my son’s the President of the United States and another son is the Governor of Florida,” and she goes, “I’m the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I first want to start off saying it’s been an incredible honour to be here for the last 12 years. The journey as being the MLA for Yellowknife Centre has always been an exciting one. Some days have been more fun than others, but I can tell you, all Members of this House can agree it’s a passionate challenge we all do.

Most of my colleagues – except for the two lucky ones here – we will all be putting their case to the constituents once again, hoping for another mandate, if their support thinks I’m worthy.

I have to stress wholeheartedly that I’m grateful for my...