Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As always, it gives me great pleasure to acknowledge and welcome NWT’s favorite son – and we all know who that is – Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford. There he is. He attends hearings quite often.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to acknowledge Ms. Lydia Bardak. She’s the executive director of the John Howard Society. As I understand it, right on the side here we have Hannah Allen. She’s a Page for this session and she’s from Yellowknife Centre.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the last person I’d like to acknowledge in the gallery here today is Zoe Ignacio-Pacunayen. She’s my constituency...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I could sit here and point to the loopholes provided by the Minister’s answer about our customers, and certainly our everyday families that are working to get by, but the question is: What proactive powers can be put into place for consumer protection to ensure that they are being protected over the pariah of poaching, whether it’s high fees, lack of transparency or certainly being held hostage by being the only retailer? We want to put Northerners first. What powers can be put into the Consumer Affairs Act to protect our citizens, not leave them at risk? I would like...

Thank you. I guess it’s my job to answer my questions and not be posed them by the government, I guess.

My next question, if the Finance Minister wishes to answer rather than pose a question back to me is, of course, what powers of investigation does the consumer affairs division have in their own ability under the Consumer Affairs Act to go out, scrutinize some of these particular issues as I’ve highlighted, which are gasoline pricing, payday loans and cellphone contracts, in the public’s interest? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I continue to be concerned for the everyday working family. In most cases that family is trying to struggle to get by each and every single day, but the problems, as I see it, continue to point towards this government’s inaction when it comes to using the leverage before it. If anything, they’re not taking the responsibility they should. So this government continues to watch the everyday family struggle through their normal course of trying to get by rather than reaching for those levers to do something. That could be more described as inaction than action.

Here are some...

Now, I’m going to continue to speak in favour of doing business differently such as these things, but I would hope that the options and choices before us would be known as successful ones.

Would the Minister be able to point to where these have been seen as successful options so our Northerners are getting the best treatment for them available?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve said repeatedly on the record that I support on-the-land treatment programs because I believe that there’s certainly a need and a role for them. I even had a great discussion with an elder from the Sahtu, Ms. Besha Blondin, the other day and we talked greatly about the wonderful things that they do. One of the things of concern with them is the quality of on-the-land treatment programs when they come to treating heavy alcohol and drug addictions and that type of problem where, really, you need experts. I’d like to hear more from the Minister of Health and Social...

Thank you. I really wish we had an expert on the act here today because the act only gives a reactionary power. What is the government willing to do to provide proactive powers to do investigations that protect consumers, protect working families, especially in the area I’ve highlighted, such as gasoline, payday loans and cellphone contracts, that put Northerners first? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m rising on the heels of my Member’s statement, which I want to continue the questions about working for the everyday family, which, of course, cost is pretty tough on them. Speaking to the question of gasoline, payday loans and cell phone contracts, heavy scrutiny needs to be put on these things.

So my question is to somebody over there in Cabinet, I’m not sure to who we will direct the question to, but the question is: What powers and opportunities avail themselves to the consumer affairs division to deal with these types of problems to demonstrate there is...

Mr. Speaker, I would think Northerners would want to know, especially the Department of Health and Social Services, that we can point to that these programs have been successful in some form or matter in other jurisdictions through their implementation when trying to deal with alcohol and drugs. Is the Minister able to point to anywhere that these types of programs have been successful? Because I believe we need to provide options. I’m not against them. I just want to see that they’re working in the right, appropriate areas.

Is he able to point to any successful indicators whether they’re stats...

Is the Minister able to speak to actual results of these types of programs where they have worked and cite any examples, because as I understand it, Nunavut shut down their mobile treatment program because they didn’t think it worked or solved the problems they were striving for.

I would ask the Minister what success he can point to these two particular programs where they demonstrate they’re worth investing in and, again, solving alcohol and drug treatment problems.