Robert Hawkins

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s why this motion is so important, because we have to reconnect what these things are doing. Rather than following along blindly of what’s being served up, we need to support this motion. Don’t be afraid, Cabinet. Don’t be afraid, Premier McLeod, or as Mr. Bouchard says, don’t be afraid, McLeod government, to release the shackles of Cabinet solidarity and vote with us. It’s true, because you want to deep down inside, and I can tell. I can see it right now. Be honest with yourselves. Don’t accept what the federal government’s had.

Mr. Bromley has presented an option...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

I understand what assets are and donated are and timing. I hate to say this, but could you boil this down to an MLA level and a little bit of English, because some of us aren’t accountants here. Maybe you can give us an example. One example would be fine – you don’t have to give me 25 – and make it an MLA level, I’m sorry to say. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Premier saying in this House – and I’d like him to be crystal clear about this – after the affected employees are sent off for re-programming, retraining or reclassification, whatever you want to call it, will he guarantee them positions after this? They are told they are out on their own after they have been retrained and good luck. That’s the message they are being told. The Premier is trying to tell me something different in this House. I want him to be very clear. Will these employees be offered employment after their training program has been done? Thank you...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m trying to get a sense, although I see the money is not carried forward into the main estimates. I remember being at the launch of the wait times reduction money, and what type of evaluation or what type of results did we actually see from it? I’m very curious on that. I mean, there must be some type of overall review now that the money has come and gone. I mean, to me, I didn’t see any impact or change in, sort of, the system itself, so did the department do an actual review as to what the deliverable money caused, changed, affected, or improved?

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

Many of these employees have 10, 20 and 25 years of experience. They don’t meet their numbers, so in other words, they’re too young to retire, they don’t have enough years in the public service to qualify, so even if they wanted to take early retirement, they don’t qualify. Some are being offered these eight-month training programs and told good luck after that. There have been a few who have been able to hit their numbers and said the only option for them is to retire, obviously.

I’m asking the Premier, would he be willing to use his authority at the Cabinet table to direct appoint these...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

I think it all links back to the reciprocal billing.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to acknowledge Mr. Wally Schumann, who is also the owner of Poison Painting. It’s good to see him. As well, I wish to acknowledge Mr. Bob Wilson who is a good friend and certainly a dedicated Yellowknifer and an amazing photographer as well. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

I appreciate the comment there that they will provide that information. Is the Minister in a position to speak about the disallowances in 2008-09? It looked like about $34,000 in 2009-10, $52,000 the following year. The following year of 2010-11 is $610,000 but there is no information or allocation for the years 2010-11 and 2012-13. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

I’m curious. How do we know the capacity level there is appropriate? I thought we also worked and serviced Nunavut equipment as well. Can the Minister speak to that? Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 15)

Is the Minister saying, so I understand, that there is availability at all times and we are not refusing clients or we are not booking them further down the road for treatment or therapy, whatever the particular case may be, because of the availability of staff? Is he saying that there is more than enough staff and capacity built into our Stanton facility to address for those types of anomalies? As I understand it, they will travel for a week or close to a week servicing these things. That said, I just want to make sure that our residents aren’t waiting unnecessarily, aren’t able to book...