Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind all our colleagues that this government would allow overspending on the North Slave Young Offenders Corrections Centre but, Mr. Speaker, we take no drastic actions to save legal aid. We’re going to allow it to grind into the ground. When will this government recognize and take their opportunities and waive those hands and say they need help? Because I’ll tell you, Mr. Speaker, this side of the Assembly will be there to help. We need them to lead by vision, show that they want to work with us because this side of the Assembly is willing to save legal aid.

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When will this government recognize that they’re in a pickle and we’re not going to force their hands? We want to work together on this issue? Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine is now almost seven months without her very first appointment with legal aid. As I talked about earlier in previous statements, Mr. Speaker, this person has drastic issues about child support and maintenance, et cetera, so this person is under difficult circumstances, yet they’re still waiting for an appointment.

Money isn’t always the answer, but I can guarantee you that’s the first thing out of the mouth of the Minister. We need more money, cut it from another program, just point to which one you want to take. Well, you know what? I wouldn’t deny the fact that money is an issue and it is part of the solution, but we’re willing to go into debt over a corrections centre, yet we’re not willing to take drastic steps on saving programs that mean real value to our people.

Hear, Hear!

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, you know, I’ll truthfully say I’m exhausted bringing this issue up every day, but thank goodness I’m one of the youngest Members because I’m going to keep going at this darn stamina for four years if this is what it takes to make this Minister listen to this issue. Using that stamina, and sometimes being referred to as stubborn, I’ll move forward and continue to press this Minister to start focusing on the issue of vision and leadership to address this.

One day, Mr. Speaker, as I’m approaching the closing statement, someday this Minister will echo I’m working on this problem. I’ve not heard that yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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