Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have a question about the phone system. Many Members have stumbled across a problem lately where it’s interrupting, and you can swear – whether lines are crossed or whatever – you will dial the phone, you will have somebody else on the line, you’ll have a conversation, somebody calls in on the line like a third party. You would think it was like the old party line back in the old days. Most of Cabinet knows what a party line is; they are pretty old. But we young people over here wouldn’t know what a party line is. That said, you do highlight in your opening...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First off, I want to pay tribute, of course, and recognize the Scott family, Patrick, Gabrielle and Dehga. I cannot imagine what they’re going through, and it’s such a horrible thing. Dehga, I’m very sorry about this experience and I don’t know if words can certainly ever fill the hole that’s in your heart, but you and my son, little Hudson, asks and wishes him well on the journey he now has taken.

I want to use this occasion, as well, with my other colleagues to recognize Yellowknife Centre constituents. I have Daryl McDonald, Brittany King, Summer Silke and Tanya Silke...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate Minister Miltenberger bringing this forward for some type of public discussion and I certainly welcome it. At the same time, this would be the same Minister telling me in the back hallway right after that exchange that he was thinking about calling a point of order just to calm me down. Now, that’s a conversation we had; hence, his point and, hence, his point of order here today.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of volume and tone, I think, is quite exaggerated. I think one is not identifying the passion and concerns about seeing issues ignored, repeatedly brought to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on September 18, 2013, to review Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 14 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 14. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate both the answer from the Speaker and certainly Mr. Ouellette. The one thing I would like to say, though, is for them to consider innovative technologies, whereas down south if you call an office, when you leave a message it actually e-mails people the message. There may be an opportunity to look at innovation this time.

As we can see, this building is just at its 20-year cycle, so the phone system hasn’t been touched in 20 years other than, obviously, maintenance. That said, chances are the next phone system will be around for hopefully at least 20 years or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, I certainly will never make apologies for demanding accountability, and today is no different. I’m sorry; I may hit a nerve with passion, but of course, this Cabinet has got to accept the fact that some people on this side really care about the fact that they do very little over there on some of the results. The results I’m talking about nothing being done is almost 10 years on the file of 911 almost nothing has happened. Northerners keep asking for 911. Yellowknife keeps asking for 911. The NWT Association of Communities wants 911.

What is this Minister...

Mr. Speaker, I often hear how disappointed the public is about this bureaucratic style of government. Yet again I’m going to provide, if not illustrate, another example of how Northerners feel continually disappointed by this Cabinet.

The citizens of the territory keep calling for 911, but the MACA Minister won’t pick up the call for action. Citizens are struggling to understand why in the North, why in this modern time the Northwest Territories does not have 911 services for us to access. It is a reality of life. It’s beyond a doubt that 911 makes it a lot easier to call for emergency services...

October 22nd…

This Minister, a year ago, said this was a good idea. I talked to him in his office and he said it was a great idea. He said he’d appoint someone to solve this problem and work on this problem. A few days ago I heard from this very Minister, oh by the way, there’s a briefing note on my desk we never sent to you that explained over and over why we couldn’t do this. To this day I still have not been informed in any way why we can’t do this other than the fact of the Minister stating, I don’t know why we can’t do this. Who is in charge of this department and if he isn’t, come on over here. We’ll...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Canadians were shocked yesterday when they heard Mike Duffy reveal that it’s the kids in short pants that are pulling the levers in that government, Mr. Speaker. Time and time again I’ve asked the Health Minister about doing things. I’ve asked for support for addictions; he closes the Nats’ejee K’eh Centre. I ask him to put social workers on the street, he quietly behind the scenes ignores it although he publicly, a year and a day, he says he’d be happy to do it and help people on the street.

The question that remains is: Is the Health file too big for him and who’s...