Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my Member’s statement today – and I gave the facts and the numbers, and even the GNWT’s numbers through their partnership with the researcher on Avens – the study Where to Go and What to Do, one thing is clear: a tsunami of seniors is coming and there’s nowhere for them to turn.

As I said in my statement, if the capacity was similar to a school where once a school hit 75 percent full, it triggers a renewal of the school whether through renovation or a building of a new school, but yet we have no policy or solution for the seniors. Avens is 100 percent full...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, we all heard the other day that the population in Canada is aging. No surprise, of course, and the NWT is certainly not immune to those pressures. That’s right. Stats Canada says one out of every six persons in Canada are over the age of 64. Heck, take the statistics in this room. Twenty percent of the MLAs are over the age 60. Stats Canada can see this, why can’t the GNWT see this?

So, while the problem keeps getting ignored, Avens continues to be bursting at the seams when it comes to capacity, and as time goes on, it marches on, more seniors are on the waiting...

I thank the Minister for that answer. Is there any commitment that we can get that that will be the process followed?

I guess I go to the Minister and, hopefully, maybe if he doesn’t want to answer, maybe the other Minister will answer it, or somebody will take responsibility for it, which is: Who can confirm or commit to the House that there will be a competitive process in this particular initiative?

Thank you very much. Sorry to compare the two projects, but of course the Inuvik-Tuk Highway had a hard number, as well, and we’re having a hard time swallowing that one too. So I fully agree and think it’s fair that if we change the scope midway through where circumstances beyond control gives us the chance, but again, those are things we’ll have to deal with, or somebody will have to deal with as time goes on.

The only thing I want to say is I want to reiterate the two comments I made at the very beginning of the statement, which were the new building, I’m very glad with that process. It’s...

I’m just trying to get a sense of how far we’re going to go. I mean, are we talking about a counter that people will have between the two of them? Are we talking about putting them behind a glass wall, that they have to speak through the little vent and slide paper under the window? I’m just curious how far or how big city we’re becoming because one person may have been a little upset, and I’ve yet to find out how upset.

People get passionate. Some would maybe swear, and some define that as aggressive, absolutely. But in the bigger scheme of things, people sometimes get emotional, and you have...

The Finance Minister, in his fiscal update just two days ago, said the revenue is flat and, in essence, by the year ’19-20 he had said that we will be down to what we estimate is a $10 million surplus that will fund things like capital, and of course, it will be the short-term cash deficit.

Can the Minister of Human Resources elaborate as to what this government is doing to ensure that we don’t face that type of financial crash in our cash position, so we must be looking at layoffs, as I’ve heard repeatedly in multiple departments? Can he elaborate as to their strategy and details that they’re...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I actually took that highway four days ago and I found it challenging to drive faster than 65 over the whole highway. I am just trying to understand how we look at this highway from the context of what are the sections that require rehabilitation that are defined as dips and what are the sections that are defined as maintenance. That whole highway has deteriorated horribly. I have taken it several times this summer and I will tell you it has really deteriorated quite a bit since last fall. I would distinguish, I mean the whole thing needs to be resurfaced. So, why don’t...

Just to be clear, we are talking about the rentals office. How many incidents have happened recently and how many over the last year, just to be clear?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleagues, I wish to recognize all the Pages, most particularly the Pages from Mildred Hall who are representing us today. Specifically I would like to recognize a constituent. I believe her name is Genzi Zhang. Thank you for your work. I am glad to have all Pages here. It’s a great opportunity for all. Thank you.