Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two people I would like to recognize in the gallery. Mr. Ed Jeske is a very respected yet feisty senior here in Yellowknife.

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The second, I am not sure if she is still up there but Ms. Julie Sorel. She is my constituency assistant, which I want to point out if I look good, the credit is solely due to her, and if I don’t look good, obviously I didn’t pay attention to her. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, March 18, 2004, I will move the following motion. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Minister, for offering that. Mr. Minister, would you also be further willing to supply information to all Members of the Legislative Assembly, noting reoffender rates of sex crimes for the last 10 years in the NWT, and if this could be linked to offence locations in correlation to their home location, and further out-of-province offenders who commit crimes in the Northwest Territories, and would you bring that forward to all Members of the Legislative Assembly?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for your answer. Mr. Minister, my next question to you is what are you prepared to do in a reasonable sense to help assist with this access, so that people can access family law services much sooner? Is the Minister prepared today to reassure me that he will take steps so that all approved legal aid files will receive at least a first-base meeting within 30 days?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my riding of Yellowknife Centre has come forward to express that they have many concerns with the swiftness of access to justice through the legal aid system, whereby access to this justice seems to wear lead shoes. Mr. Speaker, reading past Hansards shows many questions have been put to the government, yet it also shows very few real responses.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will be bringing some of the concerns forward of the people of my riding. Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe we’re truly taking care of our people and later, during question period, I will be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the Minister for pointing out the independence of the board. The independent board is very important. Although it cannot be overlooked, the board is also accountable to the Minister. Mr. Minister, can I get your commitment today that you would make statistical information available to the Members of this Assembly regarding typical workload breakdown of legal aid files within the system from where they start as they enter, to where they get their first meetings, and when they come to a relative close, and if you could tie this together...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Justice will have the pleasure of receiving my questions regarding my concerns with legal aid access when it comes to family law issues. Mr. Speaker, concerns have been brought forward to me by someone in my riding.

I've only recently learned that in fact if you are a person accused of a crime, you have the appointment of a lawyer immediately. However, Mr. Speaker, if you're a mother of two who is desperately struggling to put milk and butter on the table and attempting to get legal custody of your children and you need to make an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’m here to talk to you about family. This past weekend, I happened to have the pleasure of attending a special surprise birthday party for a couple of constituents of mine, Larry and Hermie Pineda. They’re 75 years and 74 years of age respectively, and they’ve been married almost 54 years. I think that’s an incredible feat to recognize and it’s with an amazing amount of respect you have to look towards folks like this. They don’t just build a family; they build a community, folks like this.

On that note, sometimes you can look around and there are sad stories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to note one of our most notable seniors in Yellowknife, Mr. Ed Jeske. I believe he is up there, he was waving to me when I came in. Thank you.

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