Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The man that cannot be ignored up there is Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford, who served this House and the people of the Northwest Territories for many years and I look forward to the many years ahead of us working together. Mr. Whitford, it’s great to see you, too, sir.

This is an important issue; it’s not a new issue. Northerners are in pain, Northerners are suffering, Northerners need help. What is this Minister willing to do as far as his briefing binder will tell him? Turn to that page and tell Northerners what the commitment is. Would the Minister do that for us?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On February 7th of this year, in this House, MLA Moses was asking about detox beds. The response from the Minister of Health and Social Services of the day was he said that there would be two detox beds in the North and there would be two detox beds in the South. This was very welcome news to people in Yellowknife. However, we continue to wait. The capital plan has just passed us and yet we’ve seen no results of these commitments. The Minister made a commitment. So the question to the Minister is: When will we see a promise made is a promise delivered? Thank you.

Study after study keeps pointing out its significant risk on youth. We have an obligation. We restrict cigarettes for youth. We restrict access to alcohol to youth. Why aren’t we doing the right thing and restricting access to tanning beds to youth? There’s an immediate opportunity here today. The Minister could issue an order for promotion activities to bring forward this concern, and we could also agree to work on a policy to restrict access for youth. Will he do that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’m going to start with first and most important visitor to recognize, and I’m going to start with David Hamilton, the first Clerk here. I’ve known David so long. I remember when we were both the same height and we both had lots of hair. It’s been a long time from those days in Fort Simpson. I’ve known him a long time, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him at the old Ledge many years ago in many capacities. To him, I’m very grateful for always being a mentor to me.

In the gallery we have many people. They’ve already been mentioned, but I think they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a couple of weeks we have the operations plan. Obviously, we still have a lot of work to do on the addictions issue. There was no capital investment for detox. Promised, but never delivered.

Will this Minister be working towards the operation plan in a few weeks, which is in about four weeks in early December? Will he be making a commitment in this House that he’ll work to deliver those detox beds in that plan? Otherwise, there should be a clear statement that this government is not interested in this issue.

The Minister’s binder would probably have a nice tab on this particular issue and I would encourage him to turn to that tab and read that page. Yellowknife continues to feel the cold shoulder of results and commitment by this government, especially on the issue of addictions. Northerners want addictions treatment.

Would the Minister read what the breaking binder page says on the tab and go to that tab and tell us what the Department of Health is doing on the detox issue?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to the committee report I gave earlier today, I wish to table the Pembina Report, titled Responsible Extraction: An Analysis of the Northwest Territories Mineral Development Strategy Panel Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister knows very well that power rates are based on what it costs to deliver power. In these communities, that’s why some of them unfairly, of course I recognize the problem associated why some of the power rates are outrageously high, but yes, they pegged them to the Yellowknife costs, but yet all they did was keep and maintain the Yellowknife cost as it ever increases but we lowered everyone, so we in de facto subsidize everyone at the Yellowknife rate, but he’s done nothing for 40 percent of the population, so there lies the question.

What is he willing as the Minister of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few days ago I was questioning Minister Miltenberger regarding the power rates in the Northwest Territories, more specifically the power rates here in Yellowknife. His assessment is we’re doing things, we’re moving forward, there are challenges, et cetera, but he’s always willing to hear a good suggestion.

So the Government of the Northwest Territories engineers or manipulates, or call it as you will, 40 percent of the power rates for residents of the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife is not on that list of 40 percent of the Northwest Territories that they are, again...