Robert Hawkins

Mr. Chair, I move that we report progress. Thank you.

---Carried

A perfect answer, Mr. Speaker, a perfect answer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use the occasion, as well, to recognize both Val Watsyk and Shari Olsen. They are two friends of mine who have grown up in the South Slave for many years. As well, I would like to take the opportunity to recognize Pat Waugh, who I have known for a long time. As well, welcome to all the court workers. Thank you for your work.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use my time here today to focus in on the pluses and minuses of this motion. First, on the plus side of the ledger, I want to thank Mr. Bromley for bringing forward this motion. This is the second time it’s been around. The first time, I’ll have to tell you, the tone brought forward to the Members was less than receptive I have to admit. But that said, I wish to acknowledge Mr. Bromley’s relentless pursuit of environmental initiatives. There are times that we think that that’s the only focus he’s got, but I have to admit he is a good colleague to work with and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement on the Mackenzie Valley Review Board employees, those six employees that were fired. Mr. Speaker, if I may, the review board is almost like an arm’s length, a bit of a reach on some of the work we do here, but they were unceremoniously fired last week. My question to the Premier is, and I’m going to link towards a devolution type of relationship because they are an agency we depend on. Would the Premier be willing to look at assisting those employees, those six Yellowknifers that were fired, by putting them on our priority...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow your lead and acknowledge my wife, Sue, of almost 13 years. I want to say, when you add the wind chill to that some days…

---Laughter

… it’s still 13 years happily married, Mr. Speaker.

A great deal has been said in the House and in the media this week about disturbing news that the Mackenzie Valley Review Board has fired, not laid off, fired six members of their staff. I am sure that every Member of this House would agree it is detrimental to the protection of our environment in the NWT, and our federal government Department of Aboriginal Affairs and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table two documents. They are both from the Northern Journal. Ironically, both of them are from the same page and the same date, but I will table them separately. The date is Tuesday, January 29, 2013. The first article is a clipping on Pressures Affecting Slave River. The second one is the NWT River Metals Far Below Guidelines Study Finds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Would the Minister responsible for Seniors agree that if we had a seniors’ charter, it be useful, in his view, to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of seniors, and if he does believe that being the case, what would he be prepared to do to work on a seniors’ charter for the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I include my preamble as before? It’s so exciting.

What is the Minister responsible for Seniors using as his guiding mandate that builds and bridges the relationship between his responsibilities as Minister responsible for Seniors and certainly the relationship and their needs by seniors in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to use today’s opportunity to talk about the Financial Administration Manual. I’m going to frame it around the administration and the conduct built around that.

The public is concerned, certainly as I am, about the accountability of this manual and the transparency that’s brought with it. So I’m not going to speak to any specific example whether we’ve had problems in the past or even in the recent situation.

I’d like to focus my concerns around the administration and our guiding book, our bible, as such when it comes to finances and economics of the NWT. What...