Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, that is certainly good news by all accounts. When can we expect some type of public dialogue on this change of thinking? I don’t believe that tanning is a good thing, but many people will want some type of public discussion on this, at least information on the issues and changes coming forward. Quite simply put, is there a public component to the shifts in policy thinking? How does the public get more information? Thank you.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a significant issue with a number of Members here and I’m glad we’re starting to have this type of discussion. I would like to now move a committee motion on page 10-17 and I will read it as follows:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the need for some type of regulation over tanning equipment, whether it’s beds, booths or even lamps that people use for cosmetic purposes. The risk out there is not only well known but it’s certainly proven. My question for the Minister of Health and Social Services today is: Is his department aware of the types of risks associated with indoor tanning and if they are, what are they doing out there to protect our youth? Thank you.

If there’s not a defined formal policy on social passing, where does it come up in the dialogue or policies under ECE? Where is it referenced? It seems to be an acknowledged policy or informal policy, so it must come up on something.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about tanning equipment because it’s time that we have some type of discussion on tanning beds, booths, lamps and their use for cosmetic purposes. The public discussion and information is really required.

It’s an issue brought forward to me by a number of constituents who have had grave cause in some of the recent findings, because tanning devices, as we know them, do cause cancer. The World Health Organization officially classified them as a carcinogenic item back in 2009.

The average person doesn’t know that some tanning beds emit ultraviolet...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My next question to the department would be: Do they have a defined policy on social passing?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate this opportunity to say a few brief words. The subject will be no stranger to the Minister’s ears as I bring it up, which is the independent campus of Aurora College, and spoken many times about how we should finally reach that particular point within our college development and long-term forecasting of our college programming where we should be able to say to ourselves that it is time to develop an independent campus here in Yellowknife.

Aurora College, for a number of years, has been an anchor tenant in the Northern United building, which I think the...

If the Minister wants to be evasive on the fact or use semantics, call it whatever he feels like that makes him happy. This number of $18-plus million has to show up somewhere. It doesn’t just show up as a mysterious number, because it’s allocated out to the departments through normal budgeting. Then it’s being clawed back for reasons we all know why, because of services. It’s being brought into the Department of Public Works through the TSE. Now it just looks like it sits in the Department TSE as a chargeback and it doesn’t show it goes anywhere. I’m asking where does it go after it’s being...

Well, I’m going to have to take a stab because my earpiece doesn’t work and I can’t hear anybody over there. All I heard was something about it showing up and not said. That’s not the people providing the rebut, but I mean, quite frankly I keep thinking I’m hearing that it just shows up as income on page 7-26 but it’s just treated as money that disappears.

I would say from a good accounting practice I think my point still should stand and I think any accountant would be quite concerned that it sort of disappears into general revenue if it’s just clawed back. This is more than an administrative...

I’m not sure I heard it clear on the record, but am I hearing the Minister that he would be willing to take this back to his department and investigate the feasibility of this becoming an element of our programming and give it some evaluation and consideration. If that’s the case, that’s all. Thank you.