Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that the GNWT work with Aurora College to deliver a basic interpreter/translator training program for aboriginal languages, as well as specialized training in medical terminology. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s my opinion that buildings are far more than bricks and mortar. They can breathe life into our community and certainly a policy like this will breathe life into the institutions we know as government.

Mr. Speaker, a public art scale of this mass will change the culture and the way we do business and although it looks like a little piece of paper, I think it goes far beyond that. It will define us for generations to come.

From my time being a Member here for the last three years, the Leg is truly an example of doing things right and doing them upfront as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the Minister is dithering over these explanations because there is no intelligent transit system in the Northwest Territories. Again, there is no bike lane system in the Northwest Territories. Is he suggesting now that we are going to start funding bike paths on this transit money? Maybe we should get some clarification from the Minister on his context of what transit system means. I think that is the issue. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be clear on what transit system means, because we seem to mean everything under the sun? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has been well aware, since the initial announcement in June of last year, that this transit money was coming. The Minister is also aware, because he just pointed out, that in November, seven months ago, that the deal was being processed. So now we are talking about March of this year and who knows what else is going to be the next stumbling block. So obviously the Minister is probably glad to see him here to help straighten him up. We have three problems. The first one is Yellowknife has the only transit system; the second is the federal money was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although mentioned a couple times already, I’d also like to recognize Daryl Dolynny, a well-known community supporter in the city of Yellowknife and he goes a long way to helping a lot of good causes. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be quick. A few years ago I started advocating this problem that constituents of mine had unruly behaviour next to them in the parks and whatnot. There were fires and people cutting down trees, creating trash. While they were out in a lawful way enjoying the use of their property, people were shooting guns at them. It was noted the difficulty of having the RCMP bolt out of the city of Yellowknife to an area about 45 minutes outside of the city and getting there in a timely way. The difficulty, as I saw it, was they weren’t being protected by some type of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee noted, with concern, that the Commissioner received only one complaint in 2004-2005 and believes this is likely the result of a lack of awareness about the Official Languages Act and the Commissioner, especially in smaller communities. We, therefore, encourage the Commissioner to step up her efforts to publicize her office. In particular, we encourage her to undertake community visits to meet with stakeholders and to raise public awareness about her office and to also ensure that printed information about the complaints process is made available in...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You are correct; I will be reading the report of the Review of the 2004-2005 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner.

Effective July 1, 2004, the mandate to preserve and promote official languages was transferred from the Languages Commissioner to two new languages boards under the authority of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The Commissioner’s role is now focused on ombudsman-like functions: monitoring compliance with the act; reviewing complaints; responding to requests for information; and initiating investigations where appropriate.

Membe...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in this year the Conservative government initiated through discussion about $100 per month per child…National Childcare Allowance Program. As a parent with two little monsters, any extra money is certainly welcome. But the fact is, I’m not here to advocate the system that they’ve sort of instituted because the bottom line is their $100 a month pays for three days and what about the other 17? But, Mr. Speaker, my questions here today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment from the income support point of view. With that said, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the definitions the MACA Minister was rambling off don’t apply to the Northwest Territories. I have lived here almost 30 years and I have never seen a bicycle lane. I haven’t seen some of the infrastructure he’s talked about. None of them apply directly to the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife has the only transit bus system here. So can we get some type of commitment from the MACA Minister today that we will at least start by committing 80 percent of that funding, which rightly belongs to the City of Yellowknife, which has said it belongs to the City of...