Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now we have a great opportunity for the future of education in the NWT. The last 10 years have shown some encouraging trends in terms of graduation rates. Enrolment in post-secondary programs and academic interest in the North continues to grow. There has never been a better time to take steps to create a northern university.

Aurora College, now over 40 years old, offers degree programs in nursing and education through partnership with southern universities. Enrolment at Aurora College is increasing. There is an opportunity to strengthen linkages with colleges in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue really comes down to this: just because they do it, why does it mean we have to do it? I believe this is a capital cost within our system that rightly belongs on the Department of Transportation’s normal capital budget. Why didn’t the Minister take it from that point of view? Thank you.

Thank you. New Brunswick updated their plates and gave people the option if you wanted a new style plate you could pay the fee and take the new plate.

Mr. Speaker, a couple of years ago the government wisely listened to the ideas that came from this side of the House about upgrading drivers’ licences and they didn’t pass on an additional fee when they modernized the territorial driver’s licence. Mr. Speaker, this can’t be viewed as any more than nickeling and diming the average northern resident when the cost of living continues to be an issue.

Finally, if they needed the money and felt that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 7, oral questions, on our orders of the day. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, just working in this direction, I am not necessarily sure bricks and mortar needs to be our first stop on this future goal to bring in a university to the Northwest Territories working in a pan-territorial way with Nunavut and the Yukon. I think when you have excellent examples like Athabasca University, I think that shows that you can create courses and a system that works well for everyone. It is really about the designation and the quality of education that we can provide people to the next step. As the Minister is quite correct, we are aiding people in their pursuit through a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions will be to the Minister of Education today and it will be a follow-up to my Member’s statement regarding the potential of a pan-territorial university, perhaps an aurora university, that could be either based out of the Northwest Territories or in certainly some partnership with our two other sister territories. Mr. Speaker, my question is: has the Minister of Education given any consideration to the creation of a northern university? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The last question about the licence plate issue is quite an obvious one, although I would not necessarily encourage significant and prolonged public input when it’s on an unnecessary cause, but in this particular case it’s quite evident that they only asked NWT Tourism and the Legion, outside of a few other professionals. Why didn’t the Minister of Transportation, in some form, even via newspaper ad, radio ad or information on their website, explain to people what their plan is and seek any type of public engagement or input on this particular issue? Does the Minister...

Thank you. Very respectfully, but yesterday we heard the Health Minister talk about Ontario and Alberta and whatnot. Today we hear about the Transportation Minister leaning on what New Brunswick and B.C. do. It’s odd how we seem to want to govern by other provinces and what they do, because, I mean, if Quebec decided to drive over the cliff, would our government start lining up behind them?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about an unaccountable legacy provided by the previous Cabinet. Mr. Speaker, the issue really is that former Cabinet has made substantial policy initiatives and changes that have affected the incoming government. Mr. Speaker, my question will be to the Government House Leader, Mr. Miltenberger. Would he be willing to address this issue and pass a Cabinet directive to ensure that no future Cabinet can pass substantial changes to government policy while there is an election period on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to reflect on the tumultuous life of the 16th Assembly. Cabinet, Regular Members and the public have had fierce debate on issues such as board reform, the Deh Cho Bridge and certainly the supplementary health benefits.

Our first budget sent the public service reeling with the threat of layoffs and cutbacks that seemed to come out of nowhere. Earlier this week, the YK Seniors, in collaboration with the Union of Northern Workers as well as many other concerned citizens, staged yet another protest, an excellent protest against changes to the supplementary...