Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I just have one question. I think we’ve cleared up everything, as far as I’m concerned, and I just want to say I think I just have one question. It speaks more to the philosophy. I think the Minister’s heard enough from me about my concerns on consumer affairs and whatnot. I’d kind of like to bottle it up and maybe I’ll call it one, hopefully, clear ask, which is: What can the Minister do about the somewhat public anonymity that hides behind consumer affairs?

I’m not suggesting they’re not trying to reach out there, but I think there’s a general perception from...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week – the exact date was Monday, February 25th – I had asked the Minister of Transportation some information regarding the work on the winter road, or potential permanent road to the NICO Mine, to the Dogrib communities of Gameti and Whati. In that Tlicho area that I wrote, one of the comments back from the Minister, he says my speculation about the work going on behind the scenes and the person I was talking to from Fortune Minerals is it was all guesswork on the Member’s part. I just received an e-mail from the Minister’s office. Maybe the Minister can inform...

Thank you. There have been piles and piles of reports by experts, advice in these particular areas. The government could field a library on its own on how much it’s studied over these particular initiatives.

I’m tying this point to expert advice and expertise on the panel. Maybe the Minister can speak to the expertise this panel brings to this discussion on the Addictions Forum, and maybe he could use this occasion to highlight what expertise and experience they have around this to ensure we’ve got the right people in this process. It seems like one that was kicked off quietly then set out to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I was talking about the Addictions Forum work and certainly trying to compare it to the work that’s already been done to date and tying it equally together with some of the issues I’ve raised, as well as many other Members have raised here in the Assembly today. It’s no surprise to the Minister and I’ve repeated it many times. I believe we need a treatment centre here in Yellowknife and that we need treatment facilities that are appropriate, of course.

My question to the Minister of Health and Social Services today is: Speaking to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to say that the $299 million was not hypothetical; those are the Minister’s own words. So let’s roll down to some of this.

It’s not hypothetical when the GNWT is brokering a deal with the federal government. So maybe the Minister can enlighten this House, and educate the public, on what the risks are with this particular deal if and when cost overruns do happen. And that’s not hypothetical because there’s not one single GNWT project that hasn’t had cost overruns. These are real risk matrix problems that the department will be working on.

So is the policy not to collect as much revenue off this particular fund? Basically, I assume we’re collecting our revenue lottery commission of some sort, if that’s correct, and if that is what is the percentage or what is the revenue based on in the value of the number?

Thank you. The next question was going to be, could I have some recent examples. So I guess there are none. Followed by, I guess the only other question of that is what would be considered a normal example if the New Deal trumps this? What’s left to apply for? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Part of the process of getting into bed with a project, and becoming a partner in it, and understanding the project is knowing where your upper limit is. I’m asking the government what our upper limit is on this particular project, because once it’s started, it’s too late to stop. We need to help identify these things. That’s all part of the process of our original ask, which is defining the project as almost a $300 million initiative. Clearly, the taxpayers, the citizens need to know what the government’s upper limit is, what is the cut-off point we cannot proceed with...

How long has the department been dealing with this particular issue of a hotel levy?

I’m just trying to understand why we have a departmental head on the board and what relationship it has with the department other than being a funding source. If the government sat on every board we were a funding source for, we would be on the Centre for Northern Families, we’d be on the John Howard Society, we’d be on all these boards. I’m just trying to understand the role. Maybe if the Minister could provide a better description as to why MACA… I think this is a fair question probably for every department, it’s just one that has popped up as the obvious for this department, is what role...