Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just on the TSC area, I’ve always been a good supporter of the direction the TSC has been going. I think it made good sense when they were going the direction. One concern I’d like to highlight, perhaps it more of a myth as opposed to a fact, but I’m hearing a lot of concern about the size of the network sort of being pared down on employees. So, in other words, the usage, storage, those types of things are being pared back, if I can leave it as simple as that. Is there any truth to that, from this point of view? Are there any changes in our network that are reflecting...

Is there anything that the Minister can speak to the size of the market, how it will change, or is that a better question for the Department of Executive? In essence, I want to get a sense of the type of impact this will have on the Yellowknife market at this particular time, knowing that potentially again -- we’re speaking potentially here -- of a new government office building and we also know that one commercial building is opening up very quickly here. So I’m trying to get a sense of the size and magnitude of shift in the market that may or may not happen. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, has a particular size of the general office space been decided upon at this particular stage? If I hear the Minister correctly and the DM, that this project is sort of in the early stages, but has a particular size of a potential building been identified? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

When was that market analysis done and would the department be willing to offer a copy to Members? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m just trying to find out a little information through this next budgeting cycle. Has the Department of Public Works done any work to establish any office space in the Yellowknife core, either consolidating space or developing future space for some type of organization of some of the teams that the territorial government has throughout its system? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister overstates how complex the issue is, because it is quite simple. Through the reimbursement process of a meal, a hotel and even taxi services, we process their claims. Again, their claim is drawn down through the normal process of medical travel. I am not referring to government employees; I am referring to the average typical normal citizen that goes on medical travel to the South. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be clear for the record today that she will have her staff certainly by her obviously return a full answer before the end of March on this...

Mr. Speaker, the Minister did commit but it has been four months or more. The fact is I don’t really remember the commitment actually meaning anything. Mr. Speaker, the commitment today could be as such that the policy in the Department of Health and Social Services will make that policy change reflective of modern times. The Minister can send that message quite clearly by saying the department will work this out before summer’s end. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about concerns and possibilities with the ATCO proposal as well as the future of power in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, could he give this House an update to the status of the ATCO proposal and what is the mandate of that proposal. Is it to sell it to ATCO or is it to work in partnership?

Mr. Speaker, if I may paint the issue as simply as this: the territorial government does not take liability on for taxi receipts, so why would a car expense receipt being an expense be any different? Hotel costs we don’t assume liability for, following the same principle, as well as meal costs we don’t assume liability when we seek reimbursement. Would the Minister, noting these types of perspectives, ensure that she honours the commitment to follow up on this issue to me before the end of March? Thank you.