Robert Hawkins

Thank you. So the Minister is saying that all our services that we pay under the NIHB program are completely paid up to date by the federal government and there has been no dispute on our funds and allocations of that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under grants and contributions there, we have professional development recruitment and retention in the range of $2.7 million. I’m just wondering what exactly that is and if we can get some breakdown to help me understand it or appreciate where the money is going. It just seems like a lot of money that we continually book off almost $3 million for professional development. Why is it covered under this area, why wouldn’t it be a human resource queue of some sort? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table a document, a picture I took which demonstrates that regular gas is sold at $1.389 per litre here in Yellowknife and continues to underscore my issue with gas prices. Thank you.

When does the Minister see a restructuring of this actually taking place to account for the oversubscribed physician funding column that can’t keep up to the pace of the demands?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fifteen years ago a study said that it was time to build a new courthouse in the NWT because the needs of the population had certainly increased. It would be cheaper, the study said, and more effective for the people who need the services, rather than continue to sink money into the existing building. The needs have not kept pace with modern times. Even Nunavut and Yukon have independent courthouses. When is it time that the Northwest Territories get its own independent courthouse?

If you don’t believe me, believe our Public Works. Two feasibility studies were led by our...

I was going to leave it but I think I heard a good question on the side here. Wouldn’t it be proprietary information for us?

What does the Minister have by way of information that he can share with Members, such as myself, with regard to the $2 million that would have been spent by this March 31st? I’m trying to see what project development, what’s guiding information, planning documents, trying to get a sense of it. At the same time, the other additional question is: Who is doing this work?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Where else would you do capital planning and discussion other than asking questions in the Assembly? What is the problem that’s holding this particular issue back? Is it because it’s an investment in the city of Yellowknife, or is it because the Premier has other ambitions or obligations that he is afraid to meet and cause conflict with this idea?

That’s one of the worst answers I’ve heard from Premier McLeod in a long time. The fact is, the 15-year-old study said we needed a new courthouse. The existing building was built in 1977 when we only had four judges and limited staff and processes. The territory has practically doubled in size. What will it take to get the courthouse situation reviewed by this government, weighed and balanced fairly, not an emotional decision? Because does this Premier have an issue with investing in Yellowknife or is he thinking that our needs in this territory don’t matter when it comes to a territorial...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use this occasion to recognize Kain Bezha, who is a St. Pat student and a Yellowknife Centre constituent. I would like to let him know, as well as everyone else who is a Page here, that I am greatly appreciative of their services, as Mr. Menicoche was saying. He is quite right. Several of us MLAs got our start as Pages in this Assembly. You never know where you can go next.