Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement on the Mackenzie Valley Review Board employees, those six employees that were fired. Mr. Speaker, if I may, the review board is almost like an arm’s length, a bit of a reach on some of the work we do here, but they were unceremoniously fired last week. My question to the Premier is, and I’m going to link towards a devolution type of relationship because they are an agency we depend on. Would the Premier be willing to look at assisting those employees, those six Yellowknifers that were fired, by putting them on our priority...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow your lead and acknowledge my wife, Sue, of almost 13 years. I want to say, when you add the wind chill to that some days…

---Laughter

… it’s still 13 years happily married, Mr. Speaker.

A great deal has been said in the House and in the media this week about disturbing news that the Mackenzie Valley Review Board has fired, not laid off, fired six members of their staff. I am sure that every Member of this House would agree it is detrimental to the protection of our environment in the NWT, and our federal government Department of Aboriginal Affairs and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table two documents. They are both from the Northern Journal. Ironically, both of them are from the same page and the same date, but I will table them separately. The date is Tuesday, January 29, 2013. The first article is a clipping on Pressures Affecting Slave River. The second one is the NWT River Metals Far Below Guidelines Study Finds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Would the Minister responsible for Seniors agree that if we had a seniors’ charter, it be useful, in his view, to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of seniors, and if he does believe that being the case, what would he be prepared to do to work on a seniors’ charter for the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I include my preamble as before? It’s so exciting.

What is the Minister responsible for Seniors using as his guiding mandate that builds and bridges the relationship between his responsibilities as Minister responsible for Seniors and certainly the relationship and their needs by seniors in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to use today’s opportunity to talk about the Financial Administration Manual. I’m going to frame it around the administration and the conduct built around that.

The public is concerned, certainly as I am, about the accountability of this manual and the transparency that’s brought with it. So I’m not going to speak to any specific example whether we’ve had problems in the past or even in the recent situation.

I’d like to focus my concerns around the administration and our guiding book, our bible, as such when it comes to finances and economics of the NWT. What...

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I think I’ll use the occasion to clear up the record officially. That was my picture I gave to Mr. Yakeleya. And he can’t speak after me because he’s already spoken.

Mr. Chairman, I’ll be voting in favour of this motion. I support this initiative and I look forward to further discussions about seeing how we can make sure an idea such as this, that seems to be common sense, we can get off the ground and get proven results, which I’m not sure further studies need to be done. Thank you.

I am actually appreciative that the Minister mentioned drums. I think at one time I suggested putting a finder’s fee on that. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has mentioned that over the years about a finder’s fee on those drums, whether they are worth $50 or $100. When people travel out on the land, they can throw them in whatever. They can take a boat, whether it is a truck or a plane, they can throw a few in and certainly they can supplement some of the gas they need to get out there.

That said, the Minister had mentioned next on the list, as always, when do we think that this will be a...

Thank you, Madam Chair. It’s a great pleasure to provide a few opening comments to the Minister. I guess I would start off with this, although it’s been mentioned. I will be brief.

The department I think needs, from a forward thinking point of view, to develop a fracking strategy from the Environment and Natural Resources perspective. I know that as a Member on the Economic Development and Infrastructure committee, the environment issues are constantly brought up. We have to find ways to steward ourselves that balance the needs of infrastructure and development in the context of appreciation...

Thank you. A seniors’ charter would be a mission statement of this government on its principles and support for its seniors. Does the Minister believe in that type of concept and ideals? Would he lead this initiative? Thank you.