Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to build on my Member's statement with my questions specific to the Minister of health. Mr. Speaker, when you get a health bursary, it either comes with a return to service agreement or you have to pay it back. It's that simple, Mr. Speaker. But the department of health pulled the carpet out from the dreams of this young person who was inspired to do service Northerners.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health and Social Services do the honourable thing and reinstate that $6,000 grant to help inspire this young person to help Northerners? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and to have Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council, moved to the Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member from Kam Lake, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for a second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to adjust the maximum amounts allowed for Members' expenses as adjusted by using the average change in the consumer price index over the last past five years. This aligns the Act with changes already made in the previous Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and to have Bill 1, An Act to Amend the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm convinced the Minister doesn't understand the question. Her response to me was written response, sir, is the 2,000 people are on the waitlist. So they know what the waitlist for a doctor means. That said, what is the apprehension or hesitation for providing some level of transparency, so you know where you are on the waitlist? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank my colleagues for their indulgence.

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services following up on some of my questions yesterday. And one of the questions the nature of the question or the heart of the question is transparency on the doctors' waiting list, and her brazen response is, you know, that's only an issue in Yellowknife. Actually half the population here is in Yellowknife but it's a respect factor of how people in Yellowknife feel. And I got some phone calls how upset people were about that perspective. So my question...

So is the thank you, Mr. Speaker. So is the Minister saying that the three staff in that particular section just tell employers, who are trying to create economic opportunities and growth in the North, to just go to the website? Is that their main role? Or do they actually spend some efforts with them helping them fill out the paperwork so they can process the paperwork properly? Because we all know how busy these employers are. Thank you.

All right, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, employment issues are varied throughout the Northwest Territories. There's not a onesizefitall solution. You know, there's those positions where we want to hire local employment, but sometimes we need skilled and foreign workers to come to our communities, whether it's Inuvik opening up or making sure the restaurant's opened. It's in Nahanni; we need a SAO. We need specialized skills sometimes in special places.

I'd like to ask the Minister what is she doing to support employers to bring in specialized skills, often referred to as skilled workers...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I appreciate the question from the Member just to further clarify. It does not. This guidance has been this guidance is offered and given by the independent review committee and passed on to the Assembly for final direction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Ministers want the questions in advance. They got the question in advance by me asking it. It should be pretty straightforward. Will they revisit this decision, yes or no?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the question. I believe if I have it correctly, the change is to bring consistency over a fiveyear period that reflect the consumer price index. If it went year by year, it would be influenced by major spikes, be it up and down, therefore this brought longerterm consistency. I look to the I look to the clerk for maybe some further explanation beyond that.