Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Canadians were shocked yesterday when they heard Mike Duffy reveal that it’s the kids in short pants that are pulling the levers in that government, Mr. Speaker. Time and time again I’ve asked the Health Minister about doing things. I’ve asked for support for addictions; he closes the Nats’ejee K’eh Centre. I ask him to put social workers on the street, he quietly behind the scenes ignores it although he publicly, a year and a day, he says he’d be happy to do it and help people on the street.

The question that remains is: Is the Health file too big for him and who’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m really glad to hear what the Minister had to say, but he avoided my last question, which is simply: What is going to happen if there’s a buffalo on the bridge and somebody comes along and goes over the hump of the bridge and all of a sudden sees a buffalo? The buffalo has nowhere to go but on the side or jump over. Potentially someone could hit the buffalo; there’s nowhere to swerve. I mean, we know how narrow that bridge is. So the question essentially is: Is public safety being compromised with this failed solution to keep the buffalo off the bridge?

Thank you. Well, I guess the next question is: How does the Minister know they can’t cross the Texas gates? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were a terrible lot of lies going around the world about fracking and the worst thing of all is some of them are true. The fact is, we don’t know what the truth is about fracking until we have done our research. The GNWT and Members on this side of the House continue to go down this path and this narrative of fracking.

Is fracking right for the Northwest Territories? Yesterday I tried to articulate some of the concerns that need to be looked at if our government chooses to travel down this journey, down this path to resource riches, as we have described it. Yes, I...

Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

---Carried

It reminds me of a joke my kid would say, is why did the buffalo cross the bridge.

---Laughter

Obviously, to get to the other side.

But in all seriousness, how much will this cost now to fix this new remedy or new hole we’re finding out in the Deh Cho Bridge process and system? How much more money is required now to keep the buffalo from jumping from the side onto the bridge, and what remedy does the Department of Transportation have in its pocketbook of plays to deal with a buffalo in the middle of the bridge while people are coming over it and while they have no choice? Something is going to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use today’s opportunity for question period maybe to probe into the workings of buffalo gates on the Deh Cho Bridge. It’s come to our attention through the media, but oddly enough, I’ve been hearing about the urban legend of buffalo crossing the bridge at Fort Providence, but I have yet to actually see the facts before us.

I’d like to start off by asking the Minister of Transportation how much did the buffalo gates cost and how much will it cost to fix them or repair them so the buffalo aren’t roaming up on that bridge. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to move a motion on page 8-7 regarding J.H. Sissons School and the renovation.

I move that this committee strongly recommends that the government take immediate action to identify the funding necessary to commence renovations on Ecole J.H. Sissons School in the fiscal year 2014-2015. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Menicoche.

The committee is well aware of the significance of wildlife to the people of the Northwest Territories and the complexity of developing new wildlife management legislation. Bill 3, the Wildlife Act, is the culmination of years of effort, dedication and inestimable investment of talent, interest and emotion on the part of a group of people as wide and diverse as the North itself. The Northwest Territories has undergone significant change since the new act was initially developed, and the committee recognizes that it is no small achievement to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recognizing a point that this is going to be before committee and it’s tough for the Minister to answer all the questions, the one thing I would notice is clear contrast between North Dakota and even Saskatchewan, in this case, and the Northwest Territories is public land ownership versus private land ownership. One of the things they can’t seem to get control of is pace of development. It seems they’re in such a hurry to get it out of the ground, and it’s focused around the interests of these oil companies.

My question for the Minister of Environment and Natural...