Debates of October 21, 2005 (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in this House, we take pride in having a consensus style of government where the Members on both sides are supposed to work together to achieve things for the benefit of all our people. When it works, Mr. Speaker, it is really the best form of government, in terms of giving the strongest voice to the smallest constituency of the Territories. But when it doesn’t work, Mr. Speaker, it functions like nothing but a majority dictatorship, where the government knows it has the numbers, and they plough through with their agenda without listening to any input from the Members on this side or the concerned public out there. People are feeling like this is what is happening lately, whether it is the issue of the day care closing, or the nonchalant and no-big-deal attitude about moving money and projects on a political whim.

Mr. Speaker, in the whole debate about Novel housing, the Minister of Housing has the audacity to get up and say, that we have no home building capacity. No one in the North could do the job. He doesn’t even care enough to take a few minutes to meet with local builders with proposals.

Mr. Speaker, I suggest the Minister and Cabinet get themselves a little bit of modesty and humbleness, and start listening to the people they are supposed to serve. Mr. Speaker, since the Novel housing issues were raised in this House, I have received at least three calls from people in the North who say they can do the job. There is a business in Hay River, for example, who is actually building trailers and exporting to northern Alberta. He submitted a proposal to the Housing Minister and the Premier last year and has not heard a thing; not even a thank you note.

Mr. Speaker, I urge this government to start acting like a responsible and a responsive government, not an arrogant dictatorship of majority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Hear! Hear!

---Applause