Robert Hawkins

If MACA becomes a new steward of the NGO Stabilization Fund, would there be an access point for people to be able to apply for capital projects like this where they offer programing? Again, focusing on our citizens of the disabled or senior community that have, you know, I don’t want to say no means of getting around, but I just want to use a broad statement if people will allow me to say they have little to no means of getting around the community.

So, would he see the NGO Stabilization Fund as a program available for people to apply for these types of opportunities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you’ve already heard, it’s Pink Shirt Day. We should be all yelling this and bellowing it in the highest of our trumpet voices and saying we need to help join in the fight to help eliminate bullying, all types of bullying, any type of bullying. It’s often a struggle carried alone, as we all know, but it should never be that way. Today many of us wear pink shirts or pink apparel to show our support for this cause.

Today is February 25th, just another day on the calendar for many. But there are others out there. Today is just another day in a long nightmare where they...

The famous gas tax answer. I wondered how long we would get there. If you are part of what we call the NWT Disabilities Council, you don’t qualify for the gas tax money. How does the Minister suggest, or what program is available to these types of folks who want to help enable our citizens to contribute to be involved in our territory’s activities? Thank you.

I appreciate the very warm reception to that thought. That said, I just want to underscore that I certainly am in favour of fluoridation. I think it is a good thing. I think it does wonders for the dental community, and dental health is very important not just for children but lifelong adults in our scope.

Mr. Chairman, just on that note, I wanted to change gears. One more second before I change gears. Can I get the Minister to confirm that he will inform me once it has been updated so I assume that it will be either checked or updated in a timely way, and could I get the Minister to also...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Minister for that because this lack of safety trend is quite alarming and it’s not just about one facility, it’s about all our territorial staff. I’m going to quote Minister Abernethy’s comment the other day, “Our staff are the most valuable resources. They are the backbone of our system and we need to ensure that.” I want to make sure that the Minister is very clear on exactly what he’s going to do and when we’re going to do it, because I don’t want to wait for yet another incident to happen for anyone to be standing by and saying I told you so. We...

With this recent trend of incidents at Stanton or even downtown in some of our offices or anywhere else, for that matter, there’s been a bit of a trend. Has this not stimulated the need for this type of discussion to ensure that our employees are safe, and as such, what about the government taking initiative on doing an assessment to ensure our staff are not only safe but have the proper resources at their beck and call as and when necessary?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess Minister Beaulieu and I will share recognition of constituent Cheryl Mandeville who actually lives in Yellowknife Centre but is from Fort Res, so we’ll share the constituent.

As my colleagues Mr. Dolynny, Mr. Ramsay, Mr. Moses and Mr. McLeod, I too wish to recognize Malcolm Austin. The Austin family has been going through a terrible challenge and I think they deserve to be recognized for their strength and I admire very much how they’ve come together for this fight. I also recognize how much this community has come together to help support them. I was at the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it’s really important to express how important this issue is, I guess I’d say it that way. This is really a hard, a long path that has finally come to fruition and I am certainly excited to see it happen for the people of the Sahtu. The Deline Self-Government Agreement has my support and my heartfelt congratulations for the many hours, many days, many years that the people have struggled through to bring this together to where it is today.

Their future is in their hands right where it belongs. They will join other governments such as the Tlicho Government who we...

The Minister says it takes a community, but it also takes leadership at the Minister’s office. What is the Minister doing to engage the students to find out what types of incentives they need to be partners in their own future? Not just the parents, not just the district education authorities and not just everybody in the ivory tower at the buildings downtown.

What are the students being talked to and engaged about? What it would take for them to want to graduate? Is the Minister doing that outreach and what is the outreach determining?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to ask a question. My question will be to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment just to help build a little further on our theme day for education, Mr. Speaker. First I should say, once again, thank you to the Bureau of Stats for their great assistance in helping me with this question because their details, I couldn’t live without.

In 2012-13 in grades 10 to 12 we had 2,582 students enrolled. However, current details tell us that only 437 students graduated. That’s approximately 50 percent if we just work the math through and...