Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use the opportunity today to talk about a January 7th letter I wrote to Mr. Miltenberger regarding a Financial Administration Manual breach of 3307. It refers to aircraft chartering.

In my January 7th letter I wrote to Mr. Miltenberger and said that it looks like Mr. Ramsay led a charter to Fort Providence and several Members attended that. According to Mr. Ramsay’s November 19th letter, he encouraged Members to bring family members along. Although it was an occasion to celebrate – and that should not be forgotten on this occasion – the letter did not sort of...

I didn’t ask the question he answered, but I was grateful for the time he did spend providing information to the House again. My issue is about coordination. Is it something he can’t do, or doesn’t want to do?

Well, the Minister keeps echoing about how different places are, but when we talk about filing of paperwork, for example, we’ve have incidents where people don’t file on time, so why are departments so difficult they can’t file their paperwork in a compliance form? Maybe he could explain in a risk matrix complex, sort of explain all the deviations that apply to these things and why they are so different and maybe we can get an education here today. Because, ultimately, what we’re asking for is compliance and consistency. Do they all have different types of risks? Absolutely. That’s as plain as...

Who is there to guide the performance and consistency of the policy? It sounds as if I keep getting the same answer that it’s up to the departments, up to the deputy ministers and in some ways up to the Minister, but all I hear is inconsistencies of application. What I’m asking for, and other Members are asking for, is consistent application and someone to take a leadership role.

So back to the issue at hand is, who is ensuring there is consistent policy being complied with, because it’s a carrot or stick approach. It’s great that you can write all these guidelines and come up with some...

So there’s no way of guaranteeing consistent application of policy. We’re all allowing the departments to run in on their own and to apply the policy as they feel satisfied.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use the occasion today to talk about the Inuvik-Tuk highway. As you know very well, over the years you’ve heard me always say that I’ve been a supporter of the highway, and that support for the principle of the highway has not changed at all. I believe in some vision, in a manner of speaking, that it is nation building in its own way.

It is a new highway and may I remind this House, certainly the Transportation Minister and, of course, our Premier – the one that led the great vision I talked about last week in Ottawa – a new highway is supposed to be a...

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

---Carried

Sorry. For some reason I couldn’t hear that. It must be the ventilation or whatnot. But maybe if the Minister could repeat his answer on that. Are all four transferring to Hay River or what’s happening to the four bodies? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I guess I’m getting at the fact that what type of discussion and evaluation was considered in the BIP office to move?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’m not sure why Mrs. Groenewegen would say there we go or here we go. I think it is very short-sighted and very narrow to thinking what I’m going to…(inaudible)... Actually, I don’t disagree with some of the things she said. My issue was more about the planning and evaluation of what they did. Minister Miltenberger didn’t answer that question, which was, when we look at those jobs, which jobs exactly were they? What type of evaluation? And maybe we can hear about where they’re going. Thank you.