Robert Hawkins

Thank you, sir. And what important representation it is, may I point out.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about how important this motion is to Avens but, in fairness, the motion is also important to all territorial partners that help ensure Northerners were well cared for during the 2023 evacuation. Let us not forget the important role that NGOs play in service to our northern people, our government, and any institution that they collaborate with. They are key partners to our northern success.

What an experience, Mr. Speaker. Like no others, you know very well yourself more than 50 percent of the...

It can happen to anyone, Mr. Speaker. And even twice a day. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to read a motion.

WHEREAS Avens is a care community for elders and seniors based in Yellowknife that provides long-term care services for residents under contract with the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA);

AND WHEREAS in August 2023, when the city of Yellowknife was under evacuation order, Avens was forced to evacuate 57 vulnerable residents, including some from long-term care facilities in Hay River and Fort Smith who were selected by the Government of the Northwest Territories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Similar to my colleague for Frame Lake, I too wish to speak about the report.

Transitional Solutions Inc., also known as TSI, was awarded the after-action report, not because they were friends with somebody, Mr. Speaker, not because they were a northern company and demanded a sole source, Mr. Speaker. They were hired because they were the absolute experts in their field.

Mr. Speaker, they are certainly way better than good. They are absolute experts in the areas of fire, master plan, industrial exercise, facilitation, organizational review, community risk assessment, fire...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Implying I don't check Drive NWT almost hurt my feelings. Not to the point of a point of order, but it kind of hurt a little bit.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister be willing to commit to having some type of an update to the House before we start the February session? Because capital projects just don't happen overnight, respectfully, but it would be a good update to give people the following into the next session we head towards, the February-March. Could he do that? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I'm always so excited.

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Infrastructure. I almost said transportation. Sorry. I'm old school. It used to be transportation.

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister. And the question really is built around a lot of people had talked about the emergencies, the evacuation that happened to my good colleague -- sadly, of course, in many of these ridings. And they said, you know, when people are driving down the highway, they don't have enough information given to them. And the question was posed to me as why isn't the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I didn't hear any analysis. I heard we did an internal, and if the Minister wishes to cherry pick quotes -- which is fine. I mean, it's the nature of the business -- I would hope he'd also spend time on the CBC article where they had two experts say this is the direction this problem is going, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to know how much a dedicated agency would cost. And I'm kind of hoping the Minister would have spent a little time in that 15-minute answer -- or it felt like 15 minutes -- to tell me how much it would cost given the fact that the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through you, I'd like to recognize is Canaan MacDonald. Kenan is a page here, and I believe if I'm correct, from Mildred Hall as well. And at the same time, I'd also like to recognize the pages who are here from the Mildred Hall School. It's a great school, a community school. It's a school with a big heart. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I gave a recommendation. He's giving me a recommendation. I'll give him one back, Mr. Speaker.

My first question is about could we do some analysis around that, Mr. Speaker. So not to repeat it, but, Mr. Speaker, he did say Drive NT. It only works if you're in cell phone range, and you're not allowed to use your cell phone when you're driving, just for the record. So that said, it's real-time information, Mr. Speaker. So the question, just clearly stated once again, is would the Minister be willing to do this type of analysis that we could have these big billboard...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the guidance you provide in the House.

Mr. Speaker, that's the creativity I'm asking for, and that's where I was going with my third question, which is, you know, I'm concerned that that analysis wasn't done. The Minister confirmed it and said he would do it. So thank you for clarifying that.

Mr. Speaker, my final question is built around the decision of no. So who did the department consult with to come up with this final determination. Did they speak to Indigenous governments? Did they speak to other type of territorial leadership? Did they talk to MLAs...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll start off by saying I heard the Minister of MACA's response in -- to the question provided by the Member for Great Slave, and I kind of wonder if the Minister has had the opportunity to read the fullness of the report and recommendations. And I'll let him answer that. Because recommendation number 4 I have says, very specifically, it says to create one dedicated emergency management agency for the NWT.

So my question specifically, ultimately boils down to, is what analysis did the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs do to create this decision...