Jackson Lafferty

That is the fear that I have right now, where we are not being proactive as the GNWT, reaching out to those organizations and assisting them in submitting the proposal, so we don't raise that issue in the House here. It should have been dealt with a long time ago. I am more concerned about those 42 homeless people today who do not have a place to go to. We are sitting around the table here, talking about the process. This is what we need to do. What is the Minister doing today that will benefit those individuals who are out there hopeless, no shelter, no food? What is happening today from the...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Along the same lines as the Member for Kam Lake, Arnica Inn has been on our radar since the election. September, October, we've heard it. Members, these women here, have supported it going forward, so it's surprising that we are still talking about the process itself.

Mr. Speaker, the territory's 25 percent share of capital cost spread over the project, 42 self-contained apartments, also lists $17,000 per unit. For the sake of people sleeping in apartment building stairways in Yellowknife or, even worse, outside, why did the Minister not jump on the chance to help provide...

I understand where the Minister is coming from. She was not part of the process, but she is the Minister today who can deal with this matter. There is an American firm operating at site. The money is going south. We are not benefitting from that in the Northwest Territories, the tax implications and so forth. Mr. Speaker, this is a very crucial issue that we need to deal with. We have experienced Stanton hospital. We have experienced major projects, Deh Cho Bridge and other places. We are still dealing with that in this House in 2020, Mr. Speaker. When is that going to stop?

Since the Minister...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I don't know how difficult it is to provide the answer of a policy-based decision. What was it based on? Was it based on an act? I'd like to know. I was being forthcoming with the Aurora College Act, stating in section 19 that a Minister, through consultation with the Aurora College Board, shall appoint the president of Aurora College. I'd like to know, the Premier, when she made her decision, what was it based on? Please provide that in writing to me. Which section is it based on, of the act, if she is referring to an act, so I can have that information? It's not only me...

I would still like to know the process of what happened. The public needs to be aware how the decision was made. All I am asking for is: what was the decision based on? If that can be provided to me so at least I have some information in front of me that I can share with the public, as well.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I certainly hope that is the plan, 2022, not 2023 or 2024, when our term is up, here. My final question is regarding the polytechnic transition period. I'm just curious to know, because I haven't seen any of these areas, if we have any Aboriginal or Indigenous persons or resource people who are involved as part of the management team during this transition period. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Obviously, we're looking forward to the statement. As the government has stated, we need to be open and transparent, and, if we have nothing to hide, let's lay it on the table. It's going to be almost five years, in 2022, without a board of governors. During the polytechnic university transition period, we need that expertise, which we don't have today; until 2022, 2024, 2025, whatever the case is. Why does the Minister believe a duly appointed, arm's-length board, as envisioned by the Aurora College Act, is incapable of transitioning the college to a polytechnic university? This is a very...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I want to make a statement on the Aurora College Act. It is stated that the Aurora Board of Governors make a decision. It is written that we say, the Aurora College Act, it's a big act for us. If we were to take a look at that act, we need to all work together in order to go forward. [Translation ends.]

The Aurora College Act gives the governance of Aurora College to our board of governors to guide the college's overall direction and supervise the college president in the exercise of his or her duties. Mr. Speaker, that act is based on a very important...

Masi, Madam Chair. [Translation] This mandate that is in front of us today, it's a big document. We have 22 mandates listed. When we first started, we had a lot more issues than this which is not on this list, but we've been on this job for four or five months, now. We still have another three-and-a-half years, when another election will happen. This mandate is here only for three-and-a-half years, so I think we want to tackle the mandate as soon as possible. Sometimes when we talk about issues, we're always trying to find a solution to resolve our issues. When one of the Members has spoken...

I am not mentioning names here. I am mentioning the president of Aurora College. The document the Minister is referring to is not a signed document yet, today. Other signed documents in the past have occurred based on what decision that was made from the Premier of the day. I would like to know. The public would like to know. Here, we talk about being a transparent, being an accountable government. Please provide that information to me so I can have and I can explain to the public this is what occurred based on the facts, based on the act that was before us.