Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item number 7, oral questions, on the orders of the day. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent denied

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t doubt that the Minister has a passion for this issue. I wouldn’t doubt that the Minister cares about this particular issue, but everything seems to be hurry up, let’s wait. Stop distracting the issue, just wait. Well, unfortunately, we’ve got a lot of families who can’t wait and proceed on blind faith.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has allowed -- and, as she said, she takes full responsibility for the department – she has allowed this cut to be proposed and she is defending the cut. So what is her plan to bridge through this cut? She could make that very clear here...

I kind of find it unfortunate that the Minister keeps saying it’s unfortunate that it was brought to us in this method. To be quite honest, Mr. Speaker, if this message of respite care wasn’t brought to us by constituents, it would be so unfortunate it would have been long gone before we ever found out.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister keeps saying it’s a distraction about trying to find out what happened. I think that’s kind of the blueprint of finding out what we can do. Mr. Speaker, where is the money for the budget year 2011-12 going to be allocated to? In short, Mr. Speaker, it has been allocated...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to welcome everyone in the gallery. I’d like to specifically make note of a number of Yellowknife Centre constituents: Andrea Stewart, Keaton Hardisty, from the LeMay family I’d like to recognize James, Lisa, Jo-Jo and Ella. I’d like to recognize Kristy Samuelson and from the Kapolak family I’d like to recognize, Sam, Shayne and Susie. Finally, but not last, Billie-Rae Driscoll. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome everyone.

That was quite a confusing answer. We haven’t decided what we’re doing, but we support it through the rollout. Mr. Speaker, if the Minister could make sense on the particular issue, is the government behind this initiative and are they anticipating that they’ll be involved and support this initiative? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister’s answer was very exciting. Does the Minister see any policy problems that we have that would stop something like this from getting momentum or getting off the ground immediately? I’m only concerned that policy or process of department may have issue with this. I just want to make sure that if the Minister says we can do this and he likes it, I want to make sure we can do it right away.

As the Minister says, he’s proposed the concept to the ministerial advisory panel. Actually, we did talk about this some time ago and he did suggest that he’d make sure he brought something similar to the concept to them and it sounds positive. Does the Minister see their good value for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment with coming up with a taskforce that could target these types of initiatives as well as reach out to local businesses to see how we can dovetail our policies to do this attraction of new business to the North?

And recognizes how important it is.

---Interjection

The Minister of ITI.

It gives me great pleasure to recognize, as well, Mr. Ed Jeske and Mr. Krutko’s father.