Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I did earlier this afternoon provide some committee observations. I just wanted to provide a few of my own, and seeing as how we have an opportunity to vote on this deletion, it’s probably a good time to throw them in as well.

Just quickly, the Minister did agree to look into many things, as I highlighted earlier today, and he’s giving me his nod and he’s certainly doing that. I believe he will do that as he’s agreed to follow through.

Just some of the concerns that I’ve had, which is there is a lot of good faith taken in on committee’s side of this equation whether we...

No, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today as well as yesterday and in my oral questions yesterday and certainly today will be principally based on the fact that I don’t feel fair consultation was given on this particular project. Discussion and debate are the pillars of democracy in this Assembly and I would ask the Premier to this House if this is going to be the tone of this particular government when we get great projects like this. Are they just going to pass them through without committee consultation, or are they going to ensure that they engage the Membership on this...

Thank you, Madam Chair. One of the particular issues in this briefing note is the Inuvik-Tuk highway. I thought it would be beneficial for everyone if he provided a quick synopsis of some of the discussions that were happening. I will speak in terms of theme as opposed to specifics and allow Members to speak in favour or against or their overall position.

Some of the issues that have arisen out of the Inuvik-Tuk highway have been things along the lines of funding arrangements with the federal government to build a proportion of 75/25 being sort of the final billing. Are there other...

May I state for the record that’s one of the best answers I’ve heard in this House in years.

My next question to the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation is: Would he provide at least a written briefing note to Members to show us where this particular money came from, how it was flowed through and how it will affect the bottom line books of the NWT? If it’s flow-through money I’m sure the briefing note will explain this. That’s the type of information I feel was lost in this discussion and debate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to return to the issue I raised yesterday, which is the Betty House, and I want to again state to this House that the Betty House is a very important project in the Northwest Territories. It’s very exciting what it will do, and the fact is it will provide so much support for women here trying to get on their feet. Whether they’re by themselves or with their children, sometimes they just need that extra lending hand of support. I certainly support the objectives of this particular project.

Since yesterday’s statement and certain questions in the House, I’ve...

While this Premier is out, busy courting new relationships and he’s filling that wonderful dance card with all his new friends, he’s forgetting about us sitting on this side of the House looking to be involved in this investment.

It’s been my experience, with more than eight years behind me, that when any new contribution or major contribution is a budget investment or certainly infrastructure item of this type, typically the affected Member or Members are involved. What working relationship is this Premier telling his Cabinet Minister to build? Regular Members want to be involved. He’ll say...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past Friday the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corp made a capital contribution announcement regarding the Betty House. First off, Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize clearly that as a Member I’m very pleased to hear about this commitment on behalf of our government, and it’s something that I have spoken in the past about and stressed the need we need to invest into. But sadly, at the same time, I, like many Members in this House, was shocked to hear this announcement. What should have been seen strictly as a good-news story, something we’re doing to promote...

Thank you, Madam Chair. After extensive and diligent review of the government’s books, I’d like to move that we report progress.

---Carried

I want to acknowledge the tone seems to have changed in the Premier’s response towards me. I want to thank him for that because I felt very insulted by I should have known, and the fact is I think other people at the same time were insulted.

This being vetted in 2010, well, I can tell you in 2011 I asked questions specifically about what type of contribution from the NWT Housing Corporation will be made towards the Betty House. At the time the Minister of Housing had said well, geez, there’s no money, the wallet is bare. So in fact this contribution seems to have come out of the air. So how are...