Robert Hawkins

We’ve come to one of the main issues that seem to be the problem. It’s no different than this draft AIP problem and certainly with the health one, which is the fact of who is communicating our message to the government. It’s no different than when I had asked for plain language on the other issue. We need plain language on this particular issue to make sure that people know what’s happening.

What is the Minister doing to communicate to the public exactly the territorial government’s plan? What is the message by this government to ensure that the health care of all Northerners will be enshrined...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the potential closure of the Edmonton Municipal Airport. This is a direction provided by the City of Edmonton that they have been taking and studying for some time.

I’ve met and talked with the Edmonton mayor, Stephen Mandel, and have expressed the concern of many Northerners. He says they have a plan, which begs the question: What is the plan that our Territory has and how does it work for our residents when it comes to health care? Is our government ahead of this problem or even trying to get ahead of this issue? Or is it on the heels waiting...

The Minister highlights a perfect example that I’m well aware of the fact that good tenants sometimes have to drive less nice vehicles, where tenants who aren’t paying -- and the fact is we have people who aren’t paying -- can afford, because their credit rating is good, so they can run out and afford to buy a fancy truck.

Mr. Speaker, when I hear the word “if” and when I hear “looking at the option,” that tells me we’re going to do nothing. Mr. Speaker, we can get a ministerial directive today in this House by saying we’re going to do this, we’re not going to sit on our hands and sit on our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was listening to MLA Beaulieu’s questions to the Minister of Housing, and the Minister of Housing had said that the Housing Corporation is $23 million in arrears. It is my understanding that the NWT Housing Corporation doesn’t push their arrears to a collections agency. If they do, it seems to be selective. One more step that I am also aware that they don’t do consistently, if at all, is it puts these arrears on people’s credit rating. That is known as a significant problem out there. Would the Minister of Housing tell me exactly how they pursue legally, in a lawful...

I’d like to know what the Minister of Health and Social Services has negotiated on the public’s behalf and I think the public deserves to know what the Minister has negotiated on their behalf. Furthermore, I think the public likes to see the proof of that, what they’ve done and created as a plan that will ensure that the health care for northern residents across the Territory will be protected and treated as a priority.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like a number of my colleagues here, I’ll continue with the municipal airport closure issue. Assuming that does become the eventuality, this is going to cause significant concern.

When I met with the mayor of Edmonton, Mayor Stephen Mandel, he mentioned that Senator Patterson, the senator for Nunavut, had written a letter expressing his concern about this particular issue. However, he did sort of only sprinkle light interest that the territorial government has played a significant role in this, other than the fact that he’s basically mentioned that he knows of their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Minister for that answer. That’s the type of answer they’re certainly looking for, is that the WSCC will listen and certainly evaluate, if not consider their response.

The other problem with changes to the regulations is the reality that changes mean money. One of the big fears is the cost of any of these potential regulations that will be happening. May I remind this House, and the Minister knows this, that there are almost 400 pages of regulations being updated. What is the WSCC doing to ensure that the administrative burden is not being ploughed down onto industry when...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Small and medium businesses are truly the breadbasket of our territorial economy. They are willing and able, and if I may say, resilient in their ways of finding just the right way of contributing to our North, whether it’s through their volunteerism or through their donations to the communities. But first and foremost, they are certainly one of the employers that are the building blocks of our North.

Mr. Speaker, outside of the government, without the small and medium businesses, our economy would be quite fledgling, and certainly the cost of living needs to be...

Mr. Speaker, although I enjoy question period to be disagreeable, which is my right, the reality is I think the Minister is incorrect on this particular occasion, because massage therapists, some of them do belong to national organizations, and I will say that’s correct, but they don’t have to be -- and certainly if you’re in the chiropractic industry you’re not obligated, to my knowledge -- associated with any public body or national body. If you said that they were self-regulating, there are only a couple of them, so, I mean, that’s really challenging.

Mr. Speaker, in light of that, what can...