Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier today in my Member’s statement, the Stanton Territorial Hospital has been without a board for the last three and a half years. The Minister had established a Joint Leadership Council using the chairs under his leadership and authority since 2003. They have been treating it in an operation governance since. My question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is, today, will he agree to give out his control and formalize the existing Joint Leadership Council and appoint them as the new board for the Stanton Territorial Hospital? Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to briefly outline the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight comments. We tabled Committee Report 8-15(4) on February 24th and it has to do with the Auditor General’s overview of March 21, 2002 to 2003.

In brief, Mr. Chairman, the Auditor General’s report on other matters consisted of several areas, but specifically it touched on areas of the NWT Housing Corporation with shipment of housing to Alaska. Committee members were concerned about that. It also consisted of diamond loan guarantees, consolidated budgets, Mr. Chairman. I will now...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I appreciate the passion that the Minister comes forward, but I mean an enforcement officer, are you telling me he has to make a judgment call? Why don’t we create a $100 tag directed just in case a cow is shot, therefore, a member of our public isn’t burdened with that type of risk of a judgment call and they pay $100 tag, which seems reasonable, because if the accident happens they shoot one, at least they’re covered? So what are we going to do to protect the accident that could happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that was a horrible response, Mr. Speaker. You know, his little wishy washy responses, Mr. Speaker, are quite offensive to hunters out there who are resident hunters, Mr. Speaker. We need to be very clear. Earlier he said, well, you know, we have a learning curve. So he never even answered the question of what happens in an honest mistake. What if a hunter, a resident hunter shoots a cow instead? I need a clear response what the Minister is going to do and instruct his enforcement staff when that case happens, because it will happen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I have to say caution should have started maybe five years ago because we have declining herds and the Minister’s document basically tells me the last survey we had done on the caribou herd was in 2000 and some had not been surveyed for well over a decade. Mr. Speaker, we have two herds that have not even been surveyed, so we’re still dealing with unknowns. So yet again we’re acting without knowing the facts. So, Mr. Speaker, noting all my objections and noting the objections of fellow Members like Mr. Villeneuve, Mr. Speaker, the Minister is seeing all this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I personally think that’s a shame that we don’t know solid numbers of what we’re talking about. So, Mr. Speaker, referring back to my Member’s statement, I had spoken about a couple of options before we implement this strategy. So I’ll name them quickly. First, let’s get the real numbers out before we react. Second, let’s create a strategy to have unused tags returned to the department as in a deposit or return fee. Third, let’s create a progressive step so people can get a third and fourth tag at an increased cost. Would the Minister consider these as reasonable...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Judith Knapp. She is a wonderful friend and a constituent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today is about Caribou Forever. The report tells us that 40 to 86 percent of the caribou have disappeared over the past five years. Are the caribou restrictions addressing the real problem? Or, Mr. Speaker, do we just react rashly to an emergency situation that should have never started? Resident hunters are being singled out, Mr. Speaker. With the lack of numbers on how many caribou are really being taken, are we really solving the problem? We don’t have solid numbers on the wolf population. We don’t know for sure what the real reason is...

I move that this committee recommends that the Executive Council table a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days in accordance with Rule 93(5) of the rules of the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to speak in support of this motion. I want people to know truly that, as the Member for Monfwi has said, this is about fair treatment. This is about respect for the elders. This is about showing that we care about their valued work and we do not believe this motion…This motion says we do not believe that their work should be undervalued. It should be appreciated for what they do. This will not break this government to take this into consideration and I certainly hope that this government is listening and I certainly hope the Premier will allow Members of...