Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

---Unanimous consent granted.

I appreciate that answer. I’m noticing it a little bit myself. People will start sending large attachments. I mean, we’re starting to see reports. I mean, there’s been discussion by this House. I think this House, the Assembly is trying to lead by example, where we keep more documents in electronic form rather than paper form. Things of that nature, and I see that challenge sort of coming up. I’m just wondering how the TSC is responding to the fact that, you know, I can open up my e-mail any day of the week and there are several attachments of three, four or five megabytes each and, you know...

I know, of course, every fiscal dollar is an important fiscal dollar that we have and it’s important to use it wisely. Has the Department of Public Works considered the potential opening up of the Bellanca Building in the next year, year and a half, to consider it in the context of would it suit their needs as opposed to building a new building for general purpose office space? Has that consideration or discussion happened at all?

I’m not speaking in the sense of I don’t want investment in our territorial economy; I’m just concerned of the market disruption this will play. One of the things the...

In the market disruption study process, Mr. Guy has mentioned it had been done over the last fiscal year. Obviously it’s pretty recent, it sounds. As many people would know, the Bellanca Building is coming to a point here very shortly that it will be empty and I’m just wondering, was that building taken into consideration, knowing that that building will be empty in about a year, year and a half. Was that considered in the market disruption study? Thank you.

How far along is this general purpose office space? How far along is it within the system? Has a particular space -- and when I say “space,” I mean property, obviously -- been identified at this particular time and, if so, how large is that particular space? Thank you.

Thank you for that. Through that planning of your general office space, as you’ve pointed out for the record there, what type of work has been done to avoid market disruption? Has a study gone on and is that available for Members to take into consideration? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, if I may paint the issue as simply as this: the territorial government does not take liability on for taxi receipts, so why would a car expense receipt being an expense be any different? Hotel costs we don’t assume liability for, following the same principle, as well as meal costs we don’t assume liability when we seek reimbursement. Would the Minister, noting these types of perspectives, ensure that she honours the commitment to follow up on this issue to me before the end of March? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some time ago I talked with the Minister of Health and Social Services about changing the Medical Travel Policy to reflect modern times in such a way that people can seek reimbursement if they need to use a car instead of taking a taxi service. In many cases, we find it is actually cheaper renting a car than it is to use taxi services. No, no, no seems to keep being the response. One of the issues is servicing. Of course, on defence of the Department of Health and Social Services, they say liability. Mr. Speaker, I don’t think liability at all plays a role here because...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In October 2009 the Government of New Brunswick and Hydro Quebec announced their proposed deal that would see Hydro Quebec buy the majority of New Brunswick power assets. Some call the proposal a win-win deal. New Brunswick power rates would freeze, the sale of the corporation would ease the provincial financial burden and Hydro Quebec would gain thousands of new customers. This could be either seen as golden and historic or simply just plain foolish giving up a birthright.

I wonder if a similar situation could happen here in the Northwest Territories. If the government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister overstates how complex the issue is, because it is quite simple. Through the reimbursement process of a meal, a hotel and even taxi services, we process their claims. Again, their claim is drawn down through the normal process of medical travel. I am not referring to government employees; I am referring to the average typical normal citizen that goes on medical travel to the South. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be clear for the record today that she will have her staff certainly by her obviously return a full answer before the end of March on this...