Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, October 31st, 2024, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that the Legislative Assembly recommends the reappointment of Ms. Nicole MacNeil of Yellowknife as executive director of the Human Rights Commission during good behaviour for a term of four years as recommended by the board of management;

And furthermore, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of the appointment to the Commissioner.

And Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking...

Mr. Speaker, so in other words, is the government planning to lay these employees off noting that the official paperwork of layoff notices isn't given but this 21-week articulation of be aware of, well just be aware, and we don't know yet. So I need to understand, was it just a shout out over their bow to say we're not laying you off today but we don't have a plan, which means there may not be a job for you? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was getting phone calls, text messages, yesterday from people in the South Slave, more particularly in -- both in Hay River and Fort Smith, regarding the layoff notice the given to the Fort Smith correctional centre staff. And if I remember correctly, 32 employees work there. The finance Minister did say during Committee of the Whole back in June that they were pausing it with an uncosted plan, unplanned, but they were going to propose something, Mr. Speaker. I e-mailed the Premier last night for an update. I am going to ask the finance Minister, could...

Mr. Speaker, I think people would have a difficult time understanding why this is okay in the context of privacy and security during COVID when we couldn't bridge to non-COVID times. So, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister endeavour to see if we could change that -- whatever the obstructing policy is, and I'd like to hear what it is, why it was okay during COVID but not okay today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. People are still calling the phone numbers provided and reaching grave disappointment. They're also even going down to the medical centre to book appointments, but they're told well, call -- call back.

So, Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister, really, is focusing around accessibility to doctors. What is stopping the department from creating an online doctor booking appointment platform that all Northerners can access in a timely way? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would appreciate any committee update you can provide on that. And I can appreciate that these are just plans, not initiated yet but probably sort of bigger picture scoping of the issue at this particular time, and that's fine. Is there any way they could provide a monthly cost as to what the current day shelter costs the government in its current form, in its current location, where the old visitors centre is.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In economics, there's a phrase called Jevons paradox which occurs when technology progresses in a manner to increase efficiency but the resources actually inversely further demanded because we've lowered the cost. So in order, Mr. Speaker, historically governments have been trying to find ways to be more efficient, but in turn, people -- efficiency gains enthusiasm which increases consumption. This is called the rebound effect of Jevons paradox.

So a good example is when you make fuel efficiency vehicles, Mr. Speaker, people tend to drive more and hence consume more...

Sorry. I thought the ADM was going to answer.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I was just reading some notes there. I just wanted to follow up on a particular area my colleague had just raised a moment ago under the wellness and recovery centre area. Oddly enough, I'm not going to speak specifically to the wellness recovery but sort of how we're going to deal with the broader picture, and she mentioned about sort of space and whatnot for people to stay, whether it's stay overnight or sleep during the day, and we have a perfectly good territorial treatment centre which is, you know, I hate to say it, two blocks over. And is there any...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice earlier today. Thank you.