Robert Hawkins

I will just say that I do not agree with that interpretation and that I hear the Minister that the legal opinion may say that, but it’s my interpretation that when the money is to benefit the building, it is intended to benefit the building, not to be a celebration, party, travel fees, whatever. So I would like to register my concern and certainly grievance on this issue. Members in this building will know this is not new, this is consistent from my earlier opinion on this and I think the additional $125,000 should not be wrapped up in plane tickets or parties or whatnot, and what the whatnot...

I appreciate the answer from the Minister. The remainder balance, just to be clear on the record, because I’m not sure it’s an O and M supp question, I’d like to know officially how much that is allocated to and if the Minister could explain to me the policy by which the money was to be spent. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It was my understanding that there was a lot more money transferred to the Legislative Assembly by, I’m not sure what we call it, the Board of Governance; I’ve forgotten what it is called, the name. Sorry, thank you, the Building Fund. So the Building Fund, how much was fully forwarded to the Government of the Northwest Territories as an appropriation to the Building Fund? They wrote a cheque and I want to sort of start cross-referencing the number being spent or allocated today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate both the answer from the Speaker and certainly Mr. Ouellette. The one thing I would like to say, though, is for them to consider innovative technologies, whereas down south if you call an office, when you leave a message it actually e-mails people the message. There may be an opportunity to look at innovation this time.

As we can see, this building is just at its 20-year cycle, so the phone system hasn’t been touched in 20 years other than, obviously, maintenance. That said, chances are the next phone system will be around for hopefully at least 20 years or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, I certainly will never make apologies for demanding accountability, and today is no different. I’m sorry; I may hit a nerve with passion, but of course, this Cabinet has got to accept the fact that some people on this side really care about the fact that they do very little over there on some of the results. The results I’m talking about nothing being done is almost 10 years on the file of 911 almost nothing has happened. Northerners keep asking for 911. Yellowknife keeps asking for 911. The NWT Association of Communities wants 911.

What is this Minister...

Mr. Speaker, I often hear how disappointed the public is about this bureaucratic style of government. Yet again I’m going to provide, if not illustrate, another example of how Northerners feel continually disappointed by this Cabinet.

The citizens of the territory keep calling for 911, but the MACA Minister won’t pick up the call for action. Citizens are struggling to understand why in the North, why in this modern time the Northwest Territories does not have 911 services for us to access. It is a reality of life. It’s beyond a doubt that 911 makes it a lot easier to call for emergency services...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on September 18, 2013, to review Bill 13, An Act to Repeal the Curfew Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 13 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

That concludes committee’s comments on Bill 13. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have a question about the phone system. Many Members have stumbled across a problem lately where it’s interrupting, and you can swear – whether lines are crossed or whatever – you will dial the phone, you will have somebody else on the line, you’ll have a conversation, somebody calls in on the line like a third party. You would think it was like the old party line back in the old days. Most of Cabinet knows what a party line is; they are pretty old. But we young people over here wouldn’t know what a party line is. That said, you do highlight in your opening...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First off, I want to pay tribute, of course, and recognize the Scott family, Patrick, Gabrielle and Dehga. I cannot imagine what they’re going through, and it’s such a horrible thing. Dehga, I’m very sorry about this experience and I don’t know if words can certainly ever fill the hole that’s in your heart, but you and my son, little Hudson, asks and wishes him well on the journey he now has taken.

I want to use this occasion, as well, with my other colleagues to recognize Yellowknife Centre constituents. I have Daryl McDonald, Brittany King, Summer Silke and Tanya Silke...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate Minister Miltenberger bringing this forward for some type of public discussion and I certainly welcome it. At the same time, this would be the same Minister telling me in the back hallway right after that exchange that he was thinking about calling a point of order just to calm me down. Now, that’s a conversation we had; hence, his point and, hence, his point of order here today.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of volume and tone, I think, is quite exaggerated. I think one is not identifying the passion and concerns about seeing issues ignored, repeatedly brought to...