Robert Hawkins

Thanks very much. I think in large it speaks to what I am talking about, which is we have an opportunity to expand.

I guess I'll lead into the next area of saying, let’s start with first, can I get a copy of the list, or all Members, that is, so we can have it in front of us? What type of evaluation or discussion did the department have with the BIP office? Discussion and evaluation of the BIP office, to decentralize it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I won’t spend a lot of time, although I could probably talk well beyond 10 minutes. I just have a few things I want to pick up where I commented the other day and was unable to sort of highlight my thoughts on the budget because of the restriction on the Member’s statement.

I wish to applaud the government’s focus on the early childhood development, although I caution the government in the sense that I worry about where the money may be coming from or be filtered through and what departmental programs through education school boards will be suffering for that. I’m...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From what I’ve been hearing on the ground, is an actual royalty rate has been negotiated and signed off between the territorial government and the IRC. I have yet to hear what that final number is and I think the public deserves to know. Also, why isn’t the government negotiating a zero royalty considering two things: first of all, this road is, in essence, at the request of people in that region, which I think is a reasonable request per se, but by the same token will this philosophy apply to every single new highway established here? Are we setting a dangerous...

I think that report hedged around a $300 million figure. Is that the actual cost that we will be working from on a construction basis, and is that the figure that the public can be referring to the Inuvik-Tuk highway as the actual cost?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use the occasion today to talk about the Inuvik-Tuk highway. As you know very well, over the years you’ve heard me always say that I’ve been a supporter of the highway, and that support for the principle of the highway has not changed at all. I believe in some vision, in a manner of speaking, that it is nation building in its own way.

It is a new highway and may I remind this House, certainly the Transportation Minister and, of course, our Premier – the one that led the great vision I talked about last week in Ottawa – a new highway is supposed to be a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Sorry. For some reason I couldn’t hear that. It must be the ventilation or whatnot. But maybe if the Minister could repeat his answer on that. Are all four transferring to Hay River or what’s happening to the four bodies? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I guess I’m getting at the fact that what type of discussion and evaluation was considered in the BIP office to move?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’m not sure why Mrs. Groenewegen would say there we go or here we go. I think it is very short-sighted and very narrow to thinking what I’m going to…(inaudible)... Actually, I don’t disagree with some of the things she said. My issue was more about the planning and evaluation of what they did. Minister Miltenberger didn’t answer that question, which was, when we look at those jobs, which jobs exactly were they? What type of evaluation? And maybe we can hear about where they’re going. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to use this opportunity to table a document. It’s a letter I wrote on January 7th to the Finance Minister, Minister Miltenberger, and it’s regarding a possible breach of the FAM Directive 3307. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.