Robert Hawkins

So, Mr. Speaker, it seems clear there is no appeal period. There's a 'let's complain and whine period', but there's no appeal period. So, Mr. Speaker, if there's an error in the review process, the bidder, this unsuccessful bidder, is the one that ultimately gets punished. So how can we fix that, that their bid has an appeal period that's actually an appeal period where it gets reviewed with the eye that maybe an error was made and considered in the fulsome ability that it was worthy to submit and have the chance? And if it's still found wanting, that's okay too, Mr. Speaker. Where is that...

Mr. Speaker, these are very complicated processes and waiting a week or two does not change the ultimate outcome of this. Mr. Speaker, I am going to ask the Minister would she be willing to go back and revisit this process because if a contract eventually identifies the successful bidder, we should allow the people who want to appeal at least a reasonable amount of time to put their case to say maybe an error was made in awarding the process but yet only courts will solve that problem, and we could have a full transparency process if the Minister is willing to investigate this and see if she...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

WHEREAS Housing Northwest Territories is building a new 50-unit affordable housing complex on 50th Street in Yellowknife, located between the Gold Range Bistro and the Raven Pub;

AND WHEREAS it is hoped that occupancy can take place in late 2026 or early 2027 to help families with affordable housing;

AND WHEREAS the new affordable housing complex is being supported by a contribution of $20.8 million through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Rapid Housing Initiative in partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the land...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go back to item number 9 on the orders of the day, written questions. Thank you.

Excellent, Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure the Minister was listening very carefully. I was asking about where is the Yellowknife airport authority. It's a process that oversees the airport. If the Minister needs further detail, I'm pleased to help explain further.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and linking to my second question, I'll just say it's about the standards. Mr. Speaker, how do we know that the standards are being taught equivalent to what's being offered in other jurisdictions, whether they go down to NAIT or SAIT, etc.? I've been told that students aren't receiving equivalencies. Now, that said, I'm asking the Minister, how do we guarantee that they're receiving the same standard of trades education here in the Northwest Territories or as to other locations? And I can name them, but we don't have the time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to follow up a little further on the trades matter in a little bit of a different direction, but the same sort of overall concept about making sure we have a good operating program.

There used to be called, and I think it still exists in some form or another, it was called the Territorial Trades Advisory Council, and it may have changed its form, but some of the members in the past who were on it resigned because they felt they were no longer being used. Is it defunct, or has it evolved into something else, including a different type of purpose? Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those two trades I had highlighted are red seal. Mr. Speaker, I'm asking the Minister what actions or initiatives could she take to help initiate the conversation to allow some type of access opportunity to this accreditation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to once again make note on the record, in the gallery we have Mr. Marc Whitford who is president of the North Slave Metis. He's also a friend. And he was the -- or I guess technically the still much, much, much younger Whitford of the family. So good to see you. And Mr. Jeremy Bird who happens to be a constituent who lives down the street from me, who's trying not to get noticed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've been thinking about this for a year and holy smokers, I felt like something really ran over me there when I was trying to read the motion in, and I guess it's a surge of emotion and respect for the Whitford family, Tony in particular, and of course people like his brother Marc who we have here in the gallery today. And I want to thank the Whitford family for allowing me to bring forward this initiative. I'd spoken to his three sons in different forms who I knew. I think I pressed the issue in particular to two of them out of the three, and everyone I spoke to in...