Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to tell a story today about some excitement, some sadness, and hopefully opportunity, Mr. Speaker.

I was speaking with the NWT Literacy Council about their Skills 4 Success. So here's some of the excitement. They have created a program, they work with four Tlicho communities, they work in your riding, Mr. Speaker, in Fort Simpson and even in the -- Mr. Nerysoo's running of the Fort McPherson, in Aklavik, in those ridings. Mr. Speaker, at least seven community -- they work out of seven community learning centres. They create -- they have agreements...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hear that Williams Lake, BC, you know a small little town in the middle of the province of BC, gets lots of doctors and medical support people, and why? Because their recruitment and retention people cater to the needs of these particular people. Mr. Speaker, I'm talking specifically about just once we hire you, you're left alone. We can't have that attitude.

Mr. Speaker, is there any way that the Minister can do a survey through the medical association and the CAN, the nursing association, to find out what is it the nurses and the doctors need to ensure that they feel...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure what the Minister's saying I'm not allowed to ask about secrets according to you. So there's no secrets, I agree. So thank you, Mr. Speaker, for that guidance.

Mr. Speaker, the question really comes back to is that I understand disabilities is a significant need in a sense of challenges. I support that. My concern is Is the appropriate group getting the appropriate supports, one that we can bank on that can follow through without becoming a long-term financial liability of the GNWT. That said, Mr. Speaker, I repoint the question back to the Minister which is...

Was worried you weren't going to call, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up on my question to the Minister of housing, the ones I asked yesterday, regarding the potential opportunity or new contract with the NWT Disabilities Council, and I'd like to find out for the House is the Minister planning to make some type of financial arrangement with this organization in secret or is she willing to talk about hypotheticals or -- what type of transparent process is the Minister going to give Members of this House with what type of deal they may or may not be working on behind the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's nothing prohibiting the Minister from inquiring with the board chair and the president and maybe the board overall about saying, here is a partner willing to meet the needs of the communities, Mr. Speaker, and we would -- and that includes even the larger communities. So, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be willing to engage in this conversation especially because this House is the funder. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today I talked about some challenges through the CLC and community outreach program through literacy. I'm going to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment that knowing that there's going to be some significant change-ups and noting that the mandate of Aurora College no longer notes -- or maybe never have noted adult literacy, is she willing to engage with partners like the NWT Literacy Council in order to save these programs that are not only needed in the communities but in our larger centres, such as Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Fort...

Very quickly, Mr. Speaker, I'm not here to tell the Minister how to bargain; however, for years the nurses, for example, have been asking for shift premiums and labour market supplements.

Mr. Speaker, if they provide proposals, will the Minister carry that like a football all the way through FMB and score a touchdown with that industry and show them you care and you're fighting for them? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be for the Minister of Health and Social Services. So the compliment first.

Mr. Speaker, I hear the recruitment process is actually quite good. I hear that from the union. I hear that from the nurses and even the doctors. So hooray for the recruitment people. However, on the other side of the coin, I won't say what it -- call it -- but that said, it's the other side of the compliment. I often hear that the retention problem with respect to the investment and listening to those areas of concern is lacking; so in other words, it's less good.

Mr. Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister commit that before any agreement is formalized, that a discussion is brought to the appropriate standing committee? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to pick up where some of the questions were left off with respect to the Minister of Finance and the Indigenous employment program. And one of the things she had mentioned how Indigenous Canadian summer students would be able to qualify. So I'm curious would they qualify above local P2s? Thank you.