Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The public expects leadership from this government and many times they just don’t see it. They get frustrated when they see the marionettes in the bureaucracy pulling the strings of the political puppets. Many Assemblies have spoken about passion and forcefulness about how they can do things better. Those Assemblies, through them have risen Ministers who try to claim they are the leaders, don’t worry, we are the decision-makers, not fence sitters, Mr. Speaker.
The public demand something and when there’s a clear choice, some of these Ministers would rather sit by and watch a study tell them what to do and when to decide. As we wait for studies that support to do something or, in some cases, not to do something, the general public gets frustrated by wondering where are those leaders who passionately and forcefully have said they are deciders. These leaders are waiting for studies to buttress their decisions. May I remind the public that a buttress is something that cannot stand on its own, for goodness sakes.
So when you hear language like “we will do something when the study says so or the expert says so,” or “I will support something when the study says so or tells me to do so,” the question then arises from the public, where are those leaders?
Last summer Lodune Shelley died in a very terrible event. Could lifeguards have saved his life? I don’t know, but I can tell you 100 percent that if a lifeguard was there it would have given him a fighting chance.
When Mr. Dolynny asked questions to the Minister on October 24th, his response was, “If it’s going to make the beach and Fred Henne safer, there will be lifeguards next summer.” Well, the budget came and the budget is gone, no lifeguards. More studies, more sitting on the fence.
On February 25th the Minister goes on and says, “If the study recommends to do so, there will be.” What if the study says no lifeguards? That’s not leadership. That’s sitting on the fence, hiding behind the study. I’d say if there was real leadership over there, they’d say there’s lifeguards, we are going to consult the experts and those experts are going to tell us how to do it, not if we do it. That is the problem with this government and that’s the particular problem.
I spoke to the grandfather on the weekend and he’s burning upset that this government still drags its heels. We expect leadership. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
