Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, the current policy, which they operate on, allows any Cabinet Member to bring forward recommendations for appointments, and it has been used quite generously in the past and there's no way of suggesting it isn't going to be used generously in the future. That said but there's no transparency on what it does. And to get to the question in the context of the point, at least there's a public process for when the public service goes through a regular hiring process. That said, there's no public transparency on the number of people they hire or who they hire or when they hire. That's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure how the Premier can justify wasting the Assembly's time by not saying how he can help seniors better, Mr. Speaker, by giving the portfolio the respect and due it deserves. If there's a seniors' portfolio in the Government of Canada, I mean my goodness, are they wasting their time? So maybe the Minister can chair sorry, the Premier can clarify why that wouldn't serve them better? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my first question today will be focused to the Premier. It's been approximately three months and 20 days, or in other words a way of looking at it it's been about 113 days since the election was called. And the reason I define it that way is the public service hasn't had a direction from its leadership, its mandates, that I'm aware of. Now that said, one of the issues that the Premier does in their role is issue mandate statements. I'd like to ask the Premier has he issued ministerial mandate letters to the departments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The North is a wonderful place and despite our struggles, it's a wonderful place we all call home. Now, the NWT isn't a wealthy territory in comparison to places like Ontario or even Alberta, you know, but we are wealthy in hearts and opportunities and resources and people, just poor in cash. Now things change over time, and sometimes we identify that as wisdom. But, you know, so when you're young you're adventurous at hearts and, you know, wanting to live in the fast lane, but as you get a little bit older, like people in this room, your priorities of riches change...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be willing to either give a ministerial statement or table some documents that demonstrate how many people actually applied and received this program, be it the numbers of people applied and the amount paid out? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. But that actually didn't answer the question in any way. Like, how did they actually come up with the $750 mark? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is I see the program is closed for people to make their applications to apply for the program. Why did it close so early before at least the very least, that is, the end of the fiscal year? And I want to understand why they closed it and when did they publicly announce it so it's transparent to people? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wasn't quite clear, and maybe no one else was, is how are they actually tracking these particular things, because Yellowknife Centre can't be the only riding who gets these questions from constituents, and I'm seeing nods here. So, Mr. Speaker, does the Minister track these things, and how are they monitored to make sure that they close the loop on these applications? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to ask the Premier when he finishes drafting the letters, will he share them with Members, and will he table them before the House? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, then there lies the question what direction is being given to the public service for the last three months and 20 days? Thank you.