Robert Hawkins

Thank you. How many people are contributing to this gain that we make? Can he provide a breakdown of how that works? It’s not a straight line, I realize. In other words, it’s not as if it’s 219 people providing $1,000. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I was listening to Mr. Dolynny’s questions regarding the cost of living tax credit. I’ve been actually doing research on this the last few weeks. I was wondering if the department could explain not the theory but the actual cost of how we drive our numbers. In other words, if we raise it by $1,000, the tax credit, how does that directly or indirectly affect us on a dollar amount? Could the Minister or someone provide a clear example? Is it strictly dollar for dollar or is it based on percentage? Who eats what? Right now, it’s set at a rate that has basically stayed since...

I think the Minister meant to say e-mail addresses are on their way, not on the website. I just double-checked while I was there.

Why is this Minister concerned about the feelings of the Board of Governors and not suggesting or giving them direction, which is well under his authority under Section 7 of the Aurora College Act? What is he concerned about? Is he worried about hurting their feelings? Because he’s in charge for the best benefit of the college, the students and certainly the direction the MLAs provide.

Would the Minister of the Department of Education, who is in charge to provide...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Aurora College Act under Section 8.(2) says, “The board, in exercising its powers and performing its duties under this act and the regulations, shall act in accordance with the direction of the Minister.” I won’t read the previous Section 7, which allows the Minister to provide direction to the board, because I’ve read that in the House repeatedly. I’ve asked the Minister of Education to provide e-mails to the Board of Governors and to tell the Board of Governors of Aurora College to have town meetings with their students. Has the Minister done such a thing? Thank...

I asked about a policy that redirected human resource money to other functions and I didn’t get an answer, so I will assume we don’t have one.

Wouldn’t it be in the interests of the Department of Human Resources to track this additional money because it would lend the argument to the government knowing what type of money it has and its availability to spend on human resources, and it could give the membership of this Assembly, the MLAs the opportunity to talk about redirecting it as training money to help build strengths and competencies for these types of vacancies. Would that not sound...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s been raised many times in this House about vacancies and the percentage now. The percentage is a number that moves back and forth, but we’ve agreed that in some form or fashion the government usually has about a 15 percent vacancy. It’s gone down to 13 but it’s gone as high as 16. So if we even take 15 percent, that’s 735 people not staffed at any one particular time in the Government of the Northwest Territories. So as we hire one, we lose one. It’s rote rolling, and to give you an illustration of that figure so I can get to my question, that’s approximately $60...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although not a constituent of mine, I’d like to recognize one of the Pages who happens to be the daughter of a friend of mine, which is Davida Patterson, and her mother is the constituency assistant, I think, to Mrs. Groenewegen, Orlanda Patterson.

Thank you. One of the issues I’m hearing is there are various communities that don’t know enough about the rentals office, and I’ve tried to point them in the direction of this office through the Internet and tried to encourage them that they need to learn more about their rights. They’re not in my constituency of Yellowknife Centre, but trying to point them in that direction. In some cases they actually have problems with the Housing Corporation or, more specifically, the local LHO and through that they do not know their rights. So I would wonder if it would seem reasonable for the Department...

Just to be clear, four hearings as in four opportunities for various cases, or four individual cases. Just so I’m clear.

So, is the Minister saying that there is no sort of public relationship that it would have through getting out to ensure people know their rights? Is that what he’s saying? Thank you.