Robert Hawkins

I guess now begs the question are we not breaking the bylaws or the spirit and the intent as prescribed that the whole surplus money, if there was money, was to be spent on infrastructure? I can appreciate maybe some is spent into the concept of packaging the infrastructure, organizing and launching it et cetera, but it sounds like more than 25 percent of it is being allocated to O and M, which, if I heard the Minister correctly, the intent was to be directed at infrastructure. Maybe he could explain that. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for that. So my next question to the Minister would be that perhaps my NWT math isn’t so good, but I’m noticing there’s a discrepancy between the $400,000 being committed here, or perhaps my NWT math is pretty good. It looks like there’s a variance between the money being allocated and that’s going forward to be spent. Where is the rest of the money, if there is outstanding money, that would have been linked to the $400,000?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think Mrs. Groenewegen put it very wonderfully in that letter in the sense of she spoke her heart. I think the letter conveys the pain that the mother had struggled forward through.

I have no doubt that this is a burden that is carried by many, if not a haunting reality that they go through every day, knowing that they have done everything perfect. Everything may have appeared perfect and then the world comes tumbling down around them.

This is a struggle that many of us may think has not touched us, but in some ways, when we dig deep, we find out that there are...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on September 18, 2013, to review Bill 13, An Act to Repeal the Curfew Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 13 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

That concludes committee’s comments on Bill 13. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have a question about the phone system. Many Members have stumbled across a problem lately where it’s interrupting, and you can swear – whether lines are crossed or whatever – you will dial the phone, you will have somebody else on the line, you’ll have a conversation, somebody calls in on the line like a third party. You would think it was like the old party line back in the old days. Most of Cabinet knows what a party line is; they are pretty old. But we young people over here wouldn’t know what a party line is. That said, you do highlight in your opening...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First off, I want to pay tribute, of course, and recognize the Scott family, Patrick, Gabrielle and Dehga. I cannot imagine what they’re going through, and it’s such a horrible thing. Dehga, I’m very sorry about this experience and I don’t know if words can certainly ever fill the hole that’s in your heart, but you and my son, little Hudson, asks and wishes him well on the journey he now has taken.

I want to use this occasion, as well, with my other colleagues to recognize Yellowknife Centre constituents. I have Daryl McDonald, Brittany King, Summer Silke and Tanya Silke...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate Minister Miltenberger bringing this forward for some type of public discussion and I certainly welcome it. At the same time, this would be the same Minister telling me in the back hallway right after that exchange that he was thinking about calling a point of order just to calm me down. Now, that’s a conversation we had; hence, his point and, hence, his point of order here today.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of volume and tone, I think, is quite exaggerated. I think one is not identifying the passion and concerns about seeing issues ignored, repeatedly brought to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on September 18, 2013, to review Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 14 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 14. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate both the answer from the Speaker and certainly Mr. Ouellette. The one thing I would like to say, though, is for them to consider innovative technologies, whereas down south if you call an office, when you leave a message it actually e-mails people the message. There may be an opportunity to look at innovation this time.

As we can see, this building is just at its 20-year cycle, so the phone system hasn’t been touched in 20 years other than, obviously, maintenance. That said, chances are the next phone system will be around for hopefully at least 20 years or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, I certainly will never make apologies for demanding accountability, and today is no different. I’m sorry; I may hit a nerve with passion, but of course, this Cabinet has got to accept the fact that some people on this side really care about the fact that they do very little over there on some of the results. The results I’m talking about nothing being done is almost 10 years on the file of 911 almost nothing has happened. Northerners keep asking for 911. Yellowknife keeps asking for 911. The NWT Association of Communities wants 911.

What is this Minister...