Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I get a commitment and recognition from the Minister that the NWTAC has requested the Auditor General’s office, through a letter to all Members of the Assembly, that the NWT Power Corp go through a value for money audit? Would the Minister be willing to commit to follow up on this issue? Recognizing that even though the Power Corp doesn’t necessarily fall under his portfolio, I think sound fiscal management falls on his shoulders. Therefore, I hope he would lead the charge in recognition of this difficult problem. Would he be willing to follow up on it?

Mr. Speaker, I promised to be nice to the Minister because his little brother was in the gallery. I may not have used “seasoned.” I normally would have used “galvanized” or “crusty” Minister. But for the sake of being nice, of course, I won’t say those words today.

I’m asking for a reasonable time, value for money audit. The Auditor General does a value for money audit on the federal departments in between five and ten year blocks. That’s the kind of thing I’m suggesting. I wouldn’t suggest we do one every week, every year, every two years. Then they build up a program, and if the Crown...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February 2006 and again in March 2007 I made a Member’s statement on the need to perform regular performance or value for money audits on Crown corporations owned by the GNWT. In response to my repeated questions, the Finance Minister indicated this was something he was willing to examine. Well, another year has gone by, and I have yet to hear from the Minister, or even the new Minister, to see or hear about any concept being implemented.

We all know that Crown corporations are subjected to annual financial audits by the Auditor General’s office, which examines the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The other day Mr. Richard Nerysoo was here, and I had a chance to speak to him. He’s the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council. It’s always a pleasure to speak to him, because he always has a lot of wisdom and experience that he brings forward. I learn a lot when I speak to folks like him.

In our discussion this year we had a talk about the Gwich’in Wellness Camp, and I posed a question to him: would the Gwich’in folks be willing or interested if some type of discussion could be created between the Department of Health and them about having a treatment centre located...

Mr. Speaker, I didn’t hear an outright no, but it sure sounded like one slipped in there somehow.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister citing a strategic plan, but the problem is it’s not a strategic plan issue; it’s an accountability factor that could be built into legislation, and the legislation could be amended to reflect this issue specifically and on the appropriateness.

Would the Minister of Finance be willing to look at this issue and work with the Auditor General’s office? The Edmonton office has offered their resources to help with this type of program. Would he be willing to look at...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my Member’s statement today I talked about the issue of performance audits. What I really wanted to try to characterize is the fact that performance audits are actually like a barometer test. They tell you how healthy an organization is by looking at how the organization deals with its policies and are we getting value for money.

So, Mr. Speaker, my question goes to the newly minted Finance Minister. I’m curious if he understands the importance of the issue I’m raising, and would he be willing to implement a Crown corporation accountability act along with the...

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize Mr. Bromley’s motion as very important, and I appreciate the spirit and intent of it.

Mr. Speaker, as the father of two young children I certainly understand and in no way dispute the nutritional value of milk. I understand that clearly, and it makes perfect sense to me. I also understand the impacts of what happens when you don’t have milk.

It’s difficult to say this, but I cannot support this motion at this time the way it’s designed. This program, in my view, is what the Food Mail Program, in principle, should be doing but isn’t doing. I believe that the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the motion speaks for itself as to the merits of why this should be taken on. I want to thank the seconder, Mr. Jackie Jacobson of Nunakput, for seconding this.

Mr. Speaker, this issue is very important. I’ve been made aware through a number of sources that the Food Mail Program is probably not used regularly in the context of being used properly and as efficiently as possible. When push comes to shove, at times the good, healthy food tends to get pushed aside for the less healthy food. That’s a shame.

Although the federal government at this time is doing a review...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seconded the motion proudly because I believe in this initiative. My wife and I bought a hybrid vehicle two years ago. I can tell you that when we were there, the salesperson said: where do you live? I said: we live in Yellowknife. He felt at that time, due to the analysis, that a hybrid vehicle might not necessarily give us the best payback. But that’s not how we run our family. We said that this is a smart, economical choice, and we’re making choices because we’re thinking of tomorrow as opposed to just today.

I would encourage any incentives that could be brought...

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to hear that the supply won’t affect the resupply process that happened already this summer. I mean, from a community perspective, knowing that you only get filled up once, maybe even twice a year if you’re lucky, you’re right: it has a significant impact. I’m glad that there’s stability there.

But, Mr. Speaker, there are things like food that have to be delivered to the Northwest Territories through the trucking system. There is home heating fuel that has to be delivered as well — things along those lines. That’s some of the issue that’s being raised here, the concern...