Robert Hawkins

Would the Minister be willing to supply that information provided through that cost-benefit analysis that was committed back in 2006 to be done, that would establish a view of establishing a long-term, permanent campus here in Yellowknife that’s independent?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The need for an independent and permanent Yellowknife Campus for Aurora College has been an issue that’s long overdue in our city. It’s a demand and something that people want. I’d like to reference the Slave River Journal, our fine Premier just the other day, it says that a northern university is something that needs to be looked at. I can reference the Globe and Mail, our Excellency Michaelle Jean said forcefully that we need a northern university. Even going back to 2006, the Minister of ECE said he will do a cost-benefit analysis to constructing a new college campus...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk to Members about a relevant issue that happened two weeks ago in the New Brunswick Legislature. It all started when a retired school administrator, Frank Taylor, was forced to borrow $35,000 after he was diagnosed with cancer. The drug he needs is not covered by the provincial medical plan. Mr. Taylor collected almost 7,500 names on a petition, but when the Conservative health critic presented the petition to the Legislature, the acting Speaker was forced to reject it. The reason for the rejection was that more than 4,000 names were collected on...

Is the Minister willing to, if I was to refresh the Minister with that name here later today…refresh his memory, that is; I said refresh the Minister...

---Laughter

…I’ll leave that up to his own discretion. Mr. Speaker, if I remind the Minister later of this name, would he be willing to send someone down tomorrow morning to make sure that this business that I would describe as a mock northern business, to make sure that they, sort of, get the treatment that they deserve when we have true northern businesses wanting to make further investment but they don’t believe that there’s a true level...

Mr. Speaker, to avoid naming the specific company, the Minister knows the one I am referring to, because I actually brought it to his attention a couple of months ago. The fact is that the storefront exists but it was in the context of a manufacturing business that could be described as...Once the business was sold, the business moved all of its manufacturing to Edmonton to the company that does it. So they just filtered through the Yellowknife office. Mr. Speaker, by the definition of this Minister for ITI, in his view, would this still qualify as a northern business although it is sold to a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I certainly hear the willingness of the Minister who wants to take charge of this issue and certainly solve some of the technical problems, which are stabilized funding. When can this side of the House, be it Social Programs or all Regular Members, see some work done on this issue that I’ve described as stabilizing the funding, perhaps through the method of a base-plus funding formula that would ensure that if an occasional student misses once in a while, it doesn’t fully disrupt the funding of that agency and put them into a tailspin of havoc and unable to pay their...

Mr. Speaker, I’m very pleased with that answer from the Minister that they’re always looking for ways to improve their programming. I’m sure the Minister in some way will agree, in his own ministerial way, that is, that disruption in funding causes real problems. I’m sure in his own way, through Cabinet approval, he’d like to find new ways to ensure that financial disruption doesn’t become a reality. The fact is, it is the reality that if a couple kids start missing for one reason or another, if they’re out on the land with their parents or they’re sick at home here in Yellowknife, those types...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. Can I get some clarification from the Minister when the particular committee, which would be the Standing Committee on Social Programs, when does he expect to be able to reach out and create some type of discussion with that committee before going public with the public discussion paper on the issue of fair rent for working families?

I would like to ask the Minister of Justice if he would take on the initiative to consult with people in a public way on their feelings regarding rent control and the matter of providing reasonable protection for renters and, at the same time, provide reasonable protection for landlords who have to make sure they cover their costs and make a reasonable profit. Would the Minister take on that challenge and create some type of public discussions so that we can have some public awareness and some real, true public feedback on this issue?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to revisit an issue I have raised here in the Assembly a number of times as well as I wish to acknowledge my colleague from Frame Lake who has raised the same issue. The issue is about affordable rent and protection measures for our northern residents here. Mr. Speaker, it doesn’t go any further than this. It is the lack of protection and those measures to protect our citizens from unbearable rent increases that they cannot control.

Mr. Speaker, this is truly breaking the northern family and it is certainly getting worse. Mr. Speaker, I am getting e-mails that...