Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t really have a lot to say because all of my colleagues have said quite a bit already. Keeping that in mind, I have not had a lot of personal calls from injured workers. I wish to assure everyone that my phone is on the hook.

I will emphasize, Mr. Speaker, I have had phone calls from the employer’s side. The employer’s side is they are very concerned with the way the rates are and how they keep climbing up. One year it is 26 percent, the next year it’s even more, and who knows where it is going to be the next year.

Mr. Speaker, I am in support of this and I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to start off by officially saying that I will not be singing in any key…

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…but I do wish to rise and continue the spirit of serious disappointment in regard to non-northerners getting serious board appointments, jobs and lost opportunities that rightly belong to our northerners here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to say two things. The first thing is I'm very supportive of Bill 17…and I stress, wait for the second. I can't see why we would stop or stall, because I really believe in rights and the acceptance of rights. But I can't say that on one hand, without giving my colleagues the extra couple of months that they have asked for. That's all that they have asked for. The problem is what do we do if it prorogues, and that's exactly it. I need to hear how it's brought back on the paper by someone who is speaking in favour of the delay, how we assure that that can...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will be voting in favour of the motion. Although I personally prefer winter elections to show how hardy we are as northerners. I want to emphasize that I think Mr. Zoe is right; we will see this a few times, so it can be further debated later. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to add my voice to my colleague Mr. Robert Villeneuve, and I want to speak of my support for the affirmative action policy. I am in support of the policy. I am a firm believer of providing opportunities to our northerners, born and bred, to our long-time residents and minority groups, so we can get them involved in the process of governing and running the territory. Mr. Speaker, the NWT is a fine example where policies such as ours are beneficial to the development and prosperity of all regions and our people.

The diverse makeup of our shared territory and the recent...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess in general I fail to see the need for this, because if this is just a delay and Parliament could change any time now and clause (a) is not linked to anything substantive that I see that would be earth shattering. Maybe for those in the 37th Parliament maybe, but not to me. So as far as linking to the Civil Marriage Act, I’m concerned because I don’t think it actually directly links to it. Indirectly I think it is associated and I do think the Members here do have some points that have been validly raised, but I don’t think it directly corresponds with it....

Thank you. If I could further seek clarification on this motion; then, in other words, if Parliament, for some reason, manages to stay alive maybe another four years, therefore, that would limit the ability as the way this motion is written for this bill to come into force. Is that what that means? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My time was to be used up to seek further clarification to 11 clause (a) or 11 subsection (a), which is I’m just trying to understand that, because if the present Parliament prorogues today, although they may not be able to answer this question due to process, but I’m a little concerned because if the present Parliament prorogues tomorrow, were dissolved tomorrow and would that not do the same as what we are going now to allow if it is to come into force. So I’m sorry, I have to say I can’t ask questions to the movers. Madam Chair, who can we ask these questions to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation.

Can the Minister please provide the numbers on uptake for the last three years in Yellowknife on the Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program?

Can the Minister please provide information on the amount each of the recipients received under EDAP?

Can the Minister please provide information on the reasons for any variations in the amounts received under EDAP?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay, Mr. Speaker. I can see we’re playing an interesting game because yesterday the Minister was challenging me. Now I challenge him back by saying that these kids are poor. Now he’s saying the poor kids are coming to school from the regions. Well, who knows where these facts are coming from? So I challenge him to prove that the poor kids can’t go to school because they don’t have shoes. We live in the North, everybody knows we have shoes and boots here; we’re not talking about who knows where. Mr. Speaker, I didn’t say yesterday to use the law. I asked about why we aren’t using the law when...