Robert Hawkins

I think the opportunity really lies before us as breaking out of our normal way of doing business. I mean, the demands on public government to find new ways to be more efficient, to be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the Elkin family, Cappy and Larry. I know they watch our Assembly quite regularly on television, as well as follow our proceedings quite closely through the community. I suspect that they are not here just to watch us. Their granddaughter, who also is a Yellowknife Centre constituent, Paige Elkin is here to help us today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think the Minister misunderstands my point. I’m not talking about subsidizing the WCB of the Yukon Territory. I’m talking about finding a joint partnership where perhaps we can create a pan-territorial WCB that could work for the three of us. If it means that we could streamline our legislation that works cooperatively, if it means that we could streamline our administration, perhaps that’s the route, or perhaps it means our investment of our money that we collect through the WCB rates. That’s the type of thinking that I’m suggesting that we take that approach as opposed to subsidizing in a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about possibly our Territory breaking out, embarking onto a new vision of opportunity. I talked about perhaps the opportunity of our WSCC working more closely together with the Yukon WCB. We’ve heard many times over, from our constituents, about the cost of rates and the services provided, and one of the troubling factors that keeps rising always is the fact that we have a small base of population to do these types of calculations.

The WCB in the Yukon, I can’t tell you if they’re in favour of this idea or not, but one thing I can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce launched a petition asking their government to consider outsourcing the Yukon’s Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board to B.C. The petition was based on a number of employers complaining that the Yukon premiums are too high. With little consideration of the matter, in the end neither government supported the petition, possibly because when balancing the significant differences between the provincial and territorial workers’ compensation acts and in considering that B.C. has a significantly larger population and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS Northwest Territories seniors have participated in the Canada 55-plus Games since 1998;

AND WHEREAS more than 100 Northwest Territories seniors from a variety of NWT communities have expressed an interest in participating in the Canada 55-plus Games in Brockville, Ontario, in August 2010;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has previously contributed towards the costs of the Northwest Territories seniors’ participation in these events;

AND WHEREAS assisting seniors in keeping active and engaged in healthy activities is entirely consistent with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, November 9, 2009, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories contribute $50,000 to support Northwest Territories seniors’ participation in the Canada 55-plus Games in August 2010; and further, that the government consider providing funding through the Northwest Territories Sport and Recreation Council to ensure the ongoing participation of the Northwest Territories seniors at future...

Mr. Speaker, I will respectfully disagree. What is exactly the ruling on getting enhanced 911 services that cause or force the mobility companies to put cell phone services in our communities? Thank you.

May I thank the Minister for moving right into my next question ever so perfectly. He talks about priority. Mr. Speaker, the priority is that when this initiative first was born, MACA was one of the leaders in this initiative. When he talks about some people backed away, Mr. Speaker, that’s because people are tired of waiting for the initiative to come together. It’s really only focussed on the fact that it’s a funding issue with a couple of these communities that have backed away and that is 27 out of 33 communities that support this. Speaking of numbers, seven of the 33 communities represent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. For example, just four weeks ago, two men from Calgary were arrested within a short period of time of showing up here in Yellowknife on charges of trafficking crack cocaine. In the end, this continues to be a great reminder that we have the best people working hard to keep these activities off our streets.

In closing, I am profoundly grateful that we have these men and women who want to do this tough job of law enforcement and the work they do is a job very well done. I am sure Members will agree with me that these people deserve our respect and...