Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I pulled the regulations. There is nothing that talks about this. If the Minister wants to talk about funding education through K to 12, let’s talk about that, but K to 12 funding doesn’t support the initiatives I’m talking about. I’m talking about income support. Welcome to the file. Please. My goodness. Under income support there is nothing that supports music, arts and extracurricular sports.

What is the Minister willing to do on that? Will he launch on this opportunity to say, let’s investigate this and let’s do something to ensure that these children have the same opportunity...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin, I would like to formally acknowledge and admit my error. I recognized the Mineral Development Strategy Advisory Group as the opportunities group. In all fairness, we’ve been receiving panels, advice for strategies, frameworks and many other things. They can have my apologies. They’re all blended together. Thank you for your fine work.

My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Does the Minister of Education recognize that there is a serious problem here for opportunity for those people who live in an impoverished situation...

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if the Minister can be a little more specific regarding the actual thresholds that help to determine what is considered a quality size of a herd before we can start implementing hunting once again. Will he be willing to publicize that information as to what these determining numbers are so everyone can understand what we are working towards? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement today, I would introduce the special team of energy and determination from J.H. Sissons School. First I’d like to recognize Anna Pontin, who is the organizer of this initiative. Next I’d like to introduce Krianna Strowbridge. Krianna has a special talent speaking and she was an enthusiastic presenter. Followed by Arjun Budgell, who is a very articulate young man and he provided some enthusiasm as well. Thank you very much. Next, Matthew Weibe. He was the accountant on this project. Next I have Kea Furniss. She has a special talent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to introduce to the House a group of students from Ecole J.H. Sissons School. These students in particular, who are all here in the gallery today, are an amazing group of young people who, through hard work and dedication, decided to invoke change within their community. What change do you ask? Well, these students decided that they were going to do something about homelessness.

In December of last year, Miss Anna Pontin approached her principal, Mr. Bennett, and expressed an interest in helping the homeless people in Yellowknife. Anna, a Grade 4 student...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s hard to believe there is a day and age where we still allow people to treat others in an inferior manner, in a way that bullies, and not pull out every single stop to say no. I have spoken before about losing a friend because they trod a different path. I remember people bullying.

I remember about not standing up at the time because, being young and intimidated by others, you watch people do that. I’m not the only one who has lost friends over the years because of bullying. For whatever reason, it has driven people to horrible steps that they feel that suicide is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back in November 2012, I had asked the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about identifying quotas for herds. When I say quotas, I mean, I am referring to numbers that herds rise up to a particular identifying number that we can then say once they reach this level, we can open up outfitting whether it is for resident hunters or, of course, open it up to the outfitters themselves. What work has been done on that particular issue since October?

Their enthusiasm was infectious. Within a few days, these students raised $576, with several donations of musical instruments, but it didn’t just stop there. Since their initial presentation, they have pledged many other types of assistance. One particular student said, please don’t bring gifts to my birthday party; make a donation. She was able to raise $120.

The kindergarten kids proved that they are not too young, as well, to provide an additional $30 with their fundraising. They collected many things, such as winter clothes, mitts, gloves and toques for the shelter. Further, they continue...

Mr. Speaker, I’d love to take on the drivers’ licence relationship issue, but to stay clearly on topic, what type of public process will be engaged to ensure all the public knows what the Department of Health has done? I’m acquiring maybe strong language, but there needs to be some type of credibility brought to this case. Private information has been sent and lost, and there seems to be no credibility as to what or where it may have gone to.

In short, what type of public process and engagement will the Minister develop and inform citizens of the Northwest Territories that we found what was...

There have been a lot of complaints about health care card applications being lost in the renewal process. It’s come to a number of MLAs’ attention that the integrity of this information sent to Inuvik was lost and the Department of Health has no idea how many applications were lost and has no plan. Perhaps the Minister can enlighten the House, is there going to be some type of investigation as to what happened to all this lost information that was either mailed or faxed in, and I would like to know and the citizens would like to know. Thank you.