Robert Hawkins

I’d like to thank the Minister. Is the Department of Finance planning to hire more summer students by the end of summer and are they looking to expand into the regions?

No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying it should be clearly stating that rent is coming in at whatever capacity, and separate it from the arrears. Because what it does is give you a blanket number, so we don’t know who’s paying the rent on time and we don’t know who’s paying the arrears on time. That’s ultimately the goal on this particular issue. I want to make sure, the 161 percent sounds good but we don’t really know what 161 percent means in the bigger context.

I want to give credit for the Minister’s previous answer, and what I’d like to ask him in this particular case, then, is...

Mr. Speaker, BHP Billiton has generously stepped forward, as I’ve said, on a couple of occasions, and again their generosity needs to be acknowledged, but yet again I say this: that private sector is stepping in what truly is a government responsibility. Mr. Speaker, if these people were anywhere else, government would step down in some type of form or capacity to support an NGO to help protect these particular women at risk, yet when an initiative is presented to help provide some coordinated and safe transition housing, the government is stepping away and saying it’s a community organization...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have questions to the Minister responsible for homelessness today. In my Member’s statement earlier today I talked about the issue of the Betty House and how particularly it is important to addressing the need for women who need transition housing. It’s a significant step forward in addressing this particular problem and I recognize the important work provided by the YWCA as well as the City of Yellowknife, for moving this initiative forward.

BHP Billiton has generously offered and given a cheque for $700,000 to this association so that they can work forward to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize the Grade 5 class from Sissons that’s here today in the gallery and has been visiting the Assembly. The students who are visiting us here today are: Kienan Ashton, Aliya Aumond, Nicolas Bennett, Grace Clark, Sophie Clark, Daniel Enge, Noah Hache, Delilah Hashi, Sean Irwin, Jack Panayi, Jacob Schubert, Lauren Seabrook, Jesper Sorensen, Niva Stephenson, Sarah Taggart-Miles, Anne Thomas, Elizabeth Thomas, and their teacher, Monique Marinier.

Finally, I would also like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a worthy recipient of today’s Education...

Mr. Speaker, it’s a real shame that I’m hearing this opinion from the Minister, and it’s very disheartening for those people who are trying to bring this project to life, again, supporting women who are at risk and who need an opportunity to stand on their own.

Mr. Speaker, this is more than just capital dollars; this also then leads into O and M dollars and programming dollars to make sure that this initiative does blossom and provide the types of focus and support that’s needed.

Mr. Speaker, the last question would be what type of community support, programming support and O and M support is...

Mr. Speaker, what we have here is particularly very clear, in my mind. We have another community organization stepping forward addressing what really, rightfully, should be a government responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister, again, responsible for Homelessness, specifically, will there be a contribution from this government towards this initiative, and if so, when and how much? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been a longstanding need for transition housing in Yellowknife for women, and through the leadership of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, we are now getting closer to achieving that goal by addressing some of that need.

The Betty House is short for Better Environment to Transition in Yellowknife. This transition house will help northern women in addressing the homelessness issue and helping those at risk of becoming homeless, giving them a place to go.

Mr. Speaker, Betty House will provide a stable atmosphere for women who have no place to go and are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent of this House to proceed and advance to recognition of visitors in the gallery under today’s agenda item number five.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is a similar issue I had as well in the committee, and it’s really about involvement from the Department of Finance side in the courts, whether it’s using our Justice people in particular to make a position known to the courts to ensure that the GNWT’s interest is exercised and acknowledged before the 10 years lapse through statute barred.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Minister of Finance, obviously through the comptroller general for providing us this briefing note on debts that arise as a result of court ordered restitution. In short, the Minister read his...