Robert Hawkins

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 was going to leave it at that, but just one thing did pique my interest when I talked to Mr. Nerysoo. He didn’t seem to portray that any dialogue was actually happening to that effect. So I would ask the Minister if she’d be willing to recontact President Richard Nerysoo on this matter just to make sure that everyone’s in the loop on this matter and that this initiative is going forward. Because as far as I’m concerned, helping people is the primary goal here, not where we’re helping people, and that’s why it’s important.

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...

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for recognizing how important this program is to the people of the North. I respectfully disagree with him on the size of the figure he’s pointed out. I think it’s a lot higher in the Northwest Territories. The specific benefits in theory are supposed to go to the program.

But what I will say is that the important thing is: are we getting value for money? Is the money going to the right ideals that we believe we subscribe to, which is making sure we can keep the cost of food as low as possible for all Northerners to be able to benefit, no matter what community...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS, the Government of Canada has operated the Food Mail Program for many years;

AND WHEREAS the program now costs approximately $50 million annually to administer, with those costs increasing on a yearly basis;

AND WHEREAS the intent of the Food Mail Program is to subsidize the high costs of groceries in small northern Canadian communities by reducing the cost to ship healthy food items north;

AND WHEREAS there have been many instances over the years of abuse and poor management of that program;

AND WHEREAS many people suggest that the Government of Canada is...

Mr. Speaker, I guess it’s not so much of an “if” scenario as…. I mean, we plan EMOs for exactly these types of operations when something happens. I guess I’m really searching for the answer to how prepared the government is if this problem creeps into the Northwest Territories. Because, I mean, we get our food from places like Edmonton, Calgary and beyond, and that’s a reality if that’s a problem. If they can’t fill up their trucks there to drive north, it affects the reality we live in here.

Mr. Speaker, that’s the type of information I’m trying to get here. I’m not trying to embarrass anybody...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I talked in my Member’s statement today about a concern about diesel fuel for transportation and the concern that shortage has caused. My question could apply to multiple Ministers, but I think maybe in this particular case I may ask the Premier for his perspective on the situation.

In this situation here we have a possibility of a shortage.... Well, actually, I shouldn’t say possibility. We know there’s a shortage in Western Canada. The question really is: when is this shortage going to creep up into the Northwest Territories?

I’d like to ask the Premier: from his...