Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Minister. The reason I raise this point again is to reaffirm that we still have communities that we’re not meeting their basic needs, and by no means I’d like to restrict them by saying only nurses can get them or whatnot, or only lawyers or teachers or whatever the case may be as applicable. I wouldn’t want us to think that. I mean, we have to say something. If SAOs, communities want them to do whatever they want, that’s their business and that’s not my business. Our business here is to make sure that we give them that type of resource so they...

Thank you for recognizing me, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, when I think of this, it’s about making tracks again. I stress the word "again" because I was reading one of Marleau Montpetit's books, and I was perusing one of the pages, and in 1881 the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly was fully elected. If you really wonder what that means out there, that’s what Mr. Menicoche was referring to: 125 years ago we were a government. We were a big region, but that government was dissolved and in 1905 the Northwest Territories was elected. It was dissolved and it was replaced by an appointed...

Thank you, just one last question. It has been raised at committee level, the question of being able to teach in the Tlicho language as the primary language. If the Minister could provide clarity on their ability to provide teachings or instruction; again, not questioning the quality of education that they are teaching, but in the context and the delivery vehicle of how they are teaching. If the Minister could comment in that regard. If the Tlicho people would want to proceed with teaching it in their language, do they have that ability? Are there any restrictions? Do they have to consult...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a general comment. I will first start off by saying that I am in support of this and I will be voting in favour of this bill.

Just for the sake of the public of course, there are concerns. Of course, we are establishing a new education board and health board. Maybe if the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs could outline how the agreement would work. For example, if there is incompatibility in the sense of a standard, the GNWT would like to move forward with a different standard, if the Minister could give us an example on how that type of relationship in those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this could be a hallmark of this government. We talk endlessly about hydro, the big plans of the future and whatnot. Well, let’s talk about the people who will be here after these diamond mines are gone, after these oil and gas things are gone; let’s talk about them. They are the ones underpinning our society.

This is just whitewashing the issue. Will the Premier take responsibility and say we are going to make it a mandate of this government to solve this problem? We are going to open the doors, we are not just going to send them here, send them there...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to continue asking questions to the Premier, in regard to multi-year funding.

Mr. Speaker, I was concerned that the Premier may have implied in one way or the other that we should be accountable for that money. If that was the case, I am going to go back to Hansard and see if he was implying it. Because I think that that is a point of privilege and in no way would I imply in any way that we should not be accountable for our multi-year funding.

Mr. Speaker, I am talking about how these NGOs are being funded. I am talking about making their life...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my next question for the Premier of our government truly is a straightforward one; maybe we’ll get a direct answer on this one. Mr. Speaker, in June of 2002 we had our government table the action plan for a social agenda. Where is this government’s action plan to addressing the need for multi-year funding to address the starving stability that’s out there for NGOs and volunteer organizations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise again to ask questions about multi-year funding and my questions will be directed to the Premier of our government. Mr. Speaker, it’s my opinion that multi-year funding could be the hallmark of this Assembly instead of oil and gas and hydro. So with that question with regard to multi-year funding, is it a position or a policy of this government to create instability or uncertainty amongst our volunteers or in the NGO sector, or at the very least is it a position of our government, although maybe not written, to support our volunteer or NGO sector...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just one last comment, not a question. I wish to again reaffirm my support and I will be voting in favour of this. At this time I wish to acknowledge, I have been told through my friends in Ottawa, that the Premier/Minister of Aboriginal Affairs did a great job in front of both committees, of the House of Commons as well as the Senate. This emphasized that he charged this issue forward. I have heard it firsthand from witnesses in the gallery, who watched him at play. In other words, the Senators and the MPs didn’t have a chance with Joe in the chair. Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Minister. In that regard, picking up on the small example again, to help drive forward an ultimate clarity on this. If the Tlicho people wanted to, for example, change the days of school or the number of hours the students had to attend school, does that change once it’s acknowledged, whether it’s agreed upon in the long run, once it’s established in that area? Does that force the territorial side to adopt that rule, or just formally acknowledge that they have agreed? For example, the Tlicho people go to school less, again receiving the same quality...