Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What say we head out for coffee and a visit? Oops! Sorry. You have a role defined by this Assembly that you’re required to discharge here in the House right now. In theory that applies to my colleagues and myself, too, but in practice it would appear that our presence here is superfluous as it’s apparent that Cabinet neither requires nor welcomes our input into matters of state, that we are an annoyance to be swatted away like a mosquito, or we are to be best treated like mushrooms, kept in the dark and well fed. You get the idea.
Recent examples of this attitude towards Members on this side of the House exemplify the situation. First, the recent revelations of cost overruns on the Inuvik to Tuk Highway amounting to $32 million estimated. Before the recent discovery of documents stating otherwise, we were told the project was moving along splendidly, on time and on budget. Clearly, this is not at all the case and hasn’t been the case for some time.
The government had plenty of time and ample opportunity to keep us apprised of the situation, most recently during committee meetings leading up to this session, but they chose not to. They only came clean when they were forced to through an accidentally distributed document. I wonder if we would still be in the dark if that document had not come to light.
Then there is the Stanton Hospital P3 upgrade. Oh, wait. I just read in the newspaper that we’re getting a whole new hospital with a whole new budget. That was news to me. I suspect it was news to all Regular MLAs not in the Cabinet loop. We have no plans for the old and sturdy building that will be vacated after renovations, or do we? Who am I to know?
Add to these $50 million worth of diesel going up in smoke with a one-time momentary benefit, not a peep from Cabinet until the decision was done, timed just before the election and, of course, no opportunity for input from MLAs. All of this happening while we are in committee meetings to deal with these very subjects.
Cabinet had the opportunity and responsibility to inform, but again chose not to do so.
There appears to be clear and deliberate intent to bypass any involvement of MLAs in the decision-making process that the principles of consensus government define and all of us are sworn to uphold.
It seems that we on this side of the House could make better use of our time by raising our caffeine levels. I expect that Cabinet will let us know if we take cream and sugar.
Mr. Speaker, I envy you your opportunity to fulfill the job for which you were elected and the support you receive from all Members of the House to do so. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
