Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government could do something with respect to the encampments and, again, given that there's space at the shelters.

Mr. Speaker, the long one sentence is the government needs to stop straddling the fence on this particular issue; therefore, would the government help take back the streets by exercising actual action in cleaning up these encampment spaces, which there are a multitude, and would the government finally make a decision to get behind this initiative? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions will focus to the Minister of housing, responsible for homelessness. Mr. Speaker, in short, citizens are not feeling safe in the community, and they're very frustrated. They have to worry about damaged property, things being stolen, and certainly their personal safety when they walk by or near these types of encampments.

Mr. Speaker, the question really boils down to is with room at the shelters that provide services and support to these types of people in these challenges, what supports is the NWT Housing Corporation providing directly to these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no doubt the Minister is familiar with the legislation that empowers this process to at least if not a perfect degree, to some degree. As such, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be familiar with what types of steps and processes it would require to eliminate any type of franchising power? In other words, getting rid of a third party and connecting directly to NWT Power Corp in all our communities directly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over a decade ago I was here on the vanguard asking the question why go to an automatic power franchise renewal.

Mr. Speaker, there's more than one company out there that could do this. I read this on the weekend, and I was kind of surprised, if not shocked, to see that the city is going to an automatic renewal with the current provider. That would be Naka Power, Mr. Speaker. No one's speaking ill will. They provide a great service to the community. They're wonderful people. But, Mr. Speaker, the problem comes down to is couldn't we do business better, and...

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister has a different definition of camping. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister enlighten this House the difference between encampments with big stovepipes and tents and all those kinds of things versus the traditional camping that most of us understand. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to target my questions to the Minister of ECC.

Mr. Speaker, not just recently but repeatedly I've been told by tourism operators how embarrassed they are to take international tourists to the museum area, park in front of where the encampment is, where we showcase our northern history, culture, our best of our best, Mr. Speaker. Given that, that there's spaces and openings and opportunities in the current shelter network, what is ECC finally doing to clean up those spaces, those public spaces? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that there is room at the shelters -- okay, that's important -- and there's a real public concern around this particular issue, why is the government not working to clean up these shelters -- or sorry, these encampments and move folks to the shelters given that we have a vacancy at -- safe space at the shelters? And the point, ultimately, is people are concerned about the spaces when the government is demonstrating inaction. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I was more trying to target process as opposed to current action, Mr. Speaker. So I guess in some ways I will just repeat the similar type of question, which is, Mr. Speaker, what type of process would it take to eliminate a third party managing power distribution in the Northwest Territories and therefore the NWT Power Corp., which in this case there really isn't competition, would directly supply customers directly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be to the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corp. Noting that Hay River has now moved from working with a franchise agreement with Naka Power and they've gone directly to NT Power Corp, Mr. Speaker, I am wondering when will we get some type of public articulation of the savings that have been hopefully realized by changing their power purchase agreement directly with NWT Power Corp. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are going to be to the Minister of education and just get an update with respect to how the polytech is evolving.

Recently, in the news, Mr. University, we saw the announcement of the Nunavut University. I also read in the news about the Manitoba Institute of Technology losing almost 50 percent of foreign students and, hence, they have to shutter their polytech. And, lastly, Mr. Speaker, I should point out that the Polytech Institute in northern Canada became a polytech within months of planning.

So I guess watching the online transitional...