Robert Hawkins

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.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple areas I want to talk to today. The first one, of course, is Public Works taking back the utilities to track them. I support this initiative. I think consolidation in the sense of one billing process, one group organizing this and being able to track it and monitor it, and certainly hopefully someday understand it will be a useful step I think for us to get a grip on what we are using as far as utilities are concerned.

The only concern I have with this particular issue -- and I like to think that because it’s at the beginning we will certainly have a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about SCAN, that’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act. Mr. Speaker, a couple of years ago I raised this issue as a way and a means to deal with drug dealers in our communities. Mr. Speaker, I felt very strongly at the time that it is a way that our government can help support our government officials to help push back on the drug community.

Mr. Speaker, this is legislation that’s found in other places across Canada. It’s found in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, even the Yukon, Mr. Speaker. It works in the Yukon by showing that...

Thank you for that. That’s good news to hear. I feel very sad to say I actually understand what you’re saying and I can see how it works too.

Just for the record one more time, has there been any change in restriction of flow or storage capacity that we’ve enjoyed in the context of doing work via e-mail or storage of our work? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just on the TSC area, I’ve always been a good supporter of the direction the TSC has been going. I think it made good sense when they were going the direction. One concern I’d like to highlight, perhaps it more of a myth as opposed to a fact, but I’m hearing a lot of concern about the size of the network sort of being pared down on employees. So, in other words, the usage, storage, those types of things are being pared back, if I can leave it as simple as that. Is there any truth to that, from this point of view? Are there any changes in our network that are reflecting...

Mr. Speaker, the Minister did commit but it has been four months or more. The fact is I don’t really remember the commitment actually meaning anything. Mr. Speaker, the commitment today could be as such that the policy in the Department of Health and Social Services will make that policy change reflective of modern times. The Minister can send that message quite clearly by saying the department will work this out before summer’s end. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about concerns and possibilities with the ATCO proposal as well as the future of power in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, could he give this House an update to the status of the ATCO proposal and what is the mandate of that proposal. Is it to sell it to ATCO or is it to work in partnership?

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...