Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On October 7, 1897, Frederick Haultain had taken the reins of the Northwest Territories as its first Premier. We lost that dream on September 1, 1905. Then Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier, who happens to be my favourite Prime Minister not because he’s liberal but for a lot of reasons, took away the rights of the Northwest Territories’ people to govern itself. For 109 years we have been waiting for home rule to finally return to the Northwest Territories where it belongs in the hands of the elected people of the Northwest Territories. Home rule has finally come home and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe if the Minister could elaborate what this goal line specifically is and when it’s targeted. The Minister has said there seems to be equipment problems and purchase agreement problems. Can he elaborate what those specific problems are and how his department is working to solve these problems so we can get people in the industry back up and working, cutting diamonds and selling them? Thank you.

Thank you. More specifically, what are the delays in the purchasing of the buildings? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a Page here who is from the Yellowknife Centre riding, Wendy Giang. She is a Sir John Student.

The other thing is, at the same time, I would like to recognize Mr. David Connelly, who has been a friend for many years. I appreciate his conviction and devotion he provides the HMCS Yellowknife. It’s good work he does.

Finally, the same as Mr. Ramsay said, I’d like to thank all the Pages, those from Sir John, Colville Lake, and certainly PWK for their hardworking services here. I’m grateful for it and I certainly hope you enjoyed the time here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise, like my colleagues, to speak in favour of this particular initiative. It’s time that this government moves forward on an emergency health services type of act which outlines what we can do and what we will do for our citizens because they’re important.

In this day and age, it’s a great surprise that we do not have some time of ambulatory act that demonstrates and says that these are the types of services we offer. What we hear today is both the passion and the struggle brought forward by many Members and their communities, where they’re almost helpless, stranded...

Thank you. In the department’s due diligence to get this industry back on its feet, what is the department doing to ensure that this diamond cutting initiative gets done in a timely manner? This project, as I understand it, has been in the works almost a year and they’ve only started signing agreements now. So what is the Department of ITI doing to insist the closure of these deals to ensure we get plants up and working? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment a couple of questions regarding the joint agreement and the development of the diamond industry here. The joint agreement was between Deepak International Limited.

Recently there’s been an announcement about the resurgence of the diamond cutting industry in the Northwest Territories, and I’d like to know what the delays have been from opening these two diamond plants that he’s made a deal with to start cutting diamonds in the Northwest Territories. As I understand it, there have been significant delays. So...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will have questions for the Minister of ITI regarding diamonds.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said yesterday, in 2003 there was a fatal accident in the Chan Lake area. What that did was it caused the government to review some of its policies. In 2003 they came forward with a response which further developed in recommendations in 2004 and, of course, a follow-up report on ground ambulance services in 2006.

MACA does do policy development and certainly protocols call upon a measure called Highway Emergency Alerting Protocols.

I will be asking the Minister of MACA questions later today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve pulled out my book that I treasure very closely. Although I’ll be speaking both for and against the point of order, but to make reference, I think the point of order makes sense, by all means, and I give credit to Minister Jackson who has brought it to the attention of the Assembly. Unfortunately, the rules call upon us to call a point of order at the earliest convenience. Therefore, it probably should have been called right after the prayer.

The only thing I will add is, I agree with the comments added by the Premier that it probably should have been done...