Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize the Grade 5 class from Sissons that’s here today in the gallery and has been visiting the Assembly. The students who are visiting us here today are: Kienan Ashton, Aliya Aumond, Nicolas Bennett, Grace Clark, Sophie Clark, Daniel Enge, Noah Hache, Delilah Hashi, Sean Irwin, Jack Panayi, Jacob Schubert, Lauren Seabrook, Jesper Sorensen, Niva Stephenson, Sarah Taggart-Miles, Anne Thomas, Elizabeth Thomas, and their teacher, Monique Marinier.

Finally, I would also like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a worthy recipient of today’s Education...

Mr. Speaker, it’s a real shame that I’m hearing this opinion from the Minister, and it’s very disheartening for those people who are trying to bring this project to life, again, supporting women who are at risk and who need an opportunity to stand on their own.

Mr. Speaker, this is more than just capital dollars; this also then leads into O and M dollars and programming dollars to make sure that this initiative does blossom and provide the types of focus and support that’s needed.

Mr. Speaker, the last question would be what type of community support, programming support and O and M support is...

Mr. Speaker, what we have here is particularly very clear, in my mind. We have another community organization stepping forward addressing what really, rightfully, should be a government responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister, again, responsible for Homelessness, specifically, will there be a contribution from this government towards this initiative, and if so, when and how much? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been a longstanding need for transition housing in Yellowknife for women, and through the leadership of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, we are now getting closer to achieving that goal by addressing some of that need.

The Betty House is short for Better Environment to Transition in Yellowknife. This transition house will help northern women in addressing the homelessness issue and helping those at risk of becoming homeless, giving them a place to go.

Mr. Speaker, Betty House will provide a stable atmosphere for women who have no place to go and are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent of this House to proceed and advance to recognition of visitors in the gallery under today’s agenda item number five.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is a similar issue I had as well in the committee, and it’s really about involvement from the Department of Finance side in the courts, whether it’s using our Justice people in particular to make a position known to the courts to ensure that the GNWT’s interest is exercised and acknowledged before the 10 years lapse through statute barred.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Minister of Finance, obviously through the comptroller general for providing us this briefing note on debts that arise as a result of court ordered restitution. In short, the Minister read his...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the mover of the motion, Mr. Yakeleya, the Member for Sahtu, for a very good motion. The idea of a mobile alcohol and drug treatment initiative is certainly innovative, and I would say welcome, from my point of view.

I’ve been around here awhile, almost eight years in total, and this is one of the first interesting and, I would say, hopefully ground-breaking initiatives that could probably make a lot of sense when tackling the alcohol and drug treatment problem. I certainly say problem as in lack thereof.

We can talk about education all we want. I think...

Who will be doing this particular work and initiative in order to review the program being offered in the midwifery services that were being run here in Yellowknife?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Continuing along the same vein as my other colleagues with concerns of the cancellation of the Midwifery Program here in Yellowknife. My question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is built around the fact that why couldn’t we continue the program and do the review and how much the review will cost and why didn’t he talk to Members. To get it out right on the record: how much will this review actually cost to review the actual Midwifery Program that was being done here in Yellowknife?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Your hardworking Standing Committee on Government Operations met on May 9, 2011, to review Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011. Following a clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 6 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 6. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.