Robert Hawkins

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have two written questions. I have a long one and a short one. I’ll start with the short one. Mr. Speaker, my first question goes to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Charles Dent.

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister, the Honourable Charles Dent, agree to take a personal challenge with me by living without a phone service and personal transportation for one single day to recognize for even a brief increment as to how exhausting the struggle must be living on income support?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, as well, had to do a lot of soul searching over this issue, and I thought it would be important for me to speak at least for the record, in all fairness. Therefore, when I vote either way, at least Mr. Zoe would have heard my thoughts.

This has truly been a struggle, as I can’t imagine it hasn’t been for most Members here. Some are pretty cut and dry, and others it really takes quite a challenge to deal with.

I will first clearly say to you, Mr. Speaker, that I like Mr. Zoe personally. I think Mr. Zoe is a pretty darn nice man, I think he has worked hard at the...

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I’m seeking unanimous consent to speak a second time to the motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I seek unanimous consent to finish my comments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to table, for the record, the Members’ Conduct Guidelines for the assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, colleagues, for showing your support of that Minister, I am sure. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to thank the government for taking the initiative of creating this legal aid clinic. I could truly believe that there will be a new functional legal aid clinic that would bring much needed program and progress for our community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank all of my honourable colleagues in this House of consensus government to allow me to finish my earlier comments. Mr. Speaker, I again will continue to speak in favour of this motion. I haven’t changed while I sat down here and thought about it some more. I just want to be quick in respecting the opportunity to speak the second time to finish my statements.

Mr. Speaker, I really believe this territory, if we become a province, won’t be affected by equalization because other provinces still receive equalization formulas and, therefore, we will still financially be...

I don’t need to? Okay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll be speaking in favour of the motion. I think what my honourable colleague, Mr. Allen, brought forward is an ambitious idea that probably has been dreamt about for many years, since the origin of the Northwest Territories, which goes back several hundreds of years. Mr. Speaker, I truly believe nothing ventured, nothing gained. I think this is an opportunity to fully get this discussion on the table. It may not be realized by Canada through fruition, yet if we don’t ask the question they can’t say no. So by moving forward with this motion, at least we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time I’d like to recognize my constituent assistant’s parents. Although they’re not constituents of mine, they hail from Capreol, Ontario, and they’re here in the Northwest Territories visiting my assistant. Their names are Gerry and Mary Lynn Sorel. Formally, I have to say that I’m not supposed to mention that Julie forgot to pick up them up at the airport, so nobody tell her I said that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

---Applause