Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In brief, I just want to say I’ll be supporting the bill. This represents protection for those who have community spirit. Again, this creates some type of generosity and certainly provides them the protection to do that. In that regard, I see it as a decent step forward for community minded individuals who want to help out in the ways they can.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister saying she will go back and review this file? What is the Minister saying? I just want to be clear on the record that I want to find out what the Minister is willing to do in regard to this family, which feels very strongly that this drug is useful and considered mainstream and normal in other places and shows promise. What is the Minister willing to commit to do on this potential project or on this file? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Some time ago a family received a letter. My request was to find out some details about medical coverage for a drug called Rituxan. This drug actually helps people with MS. It has been showing significant promise for people who have been suffering with this.

In the letter it basically says that you need to go through your physician to get approval for this. Well, this family went to go get this type of approval, and they’ve been refused approval for a drug that actually will help bring back...

What work has been done to examine the relationship of aboriginal governments and their regions so that when we take self-government models and overlap them with these regional boards’ jurisdictions…? What work is being done to examine that type of relationship and the problems that this will cause if we proceed with a regional based board model?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be to the Minister who’s responsible for the Strategic Initiative Committee on Refocusing Government, and that will be Minister Michael Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, referring back to my Member’s statement, of course, I’d like to know what this Minister has done to examine the costs of rolling up most of these boards into a regional services model. If he has an idea of what that costs, will he make it public?

The die has been cast, Mr. Speaker, and this government seems to have set in motion the decision to implement the regional services board model as a quintessential advantage of board reform. I agree there are too many boards out there, and we should examine their mandates and strive for efficiencies where we can find them, especially during times of fiscal crisis and restraint.

What’s odd about the situation is that it’s no different from the repeated request made by me and many other Members for program review before slicing and dicing. What is interesting here, as usual, is that any decision...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I did hear the Minister cite a camp cook program with the Mine Training Society, but that’s not the Red Seal program that I’ve talked about and that he knows I’m referring to.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to be clear on the record today. Is this department fully committed to getting a Red Seal trades program for cooking here in the North, and are they fully committed and behind this project to make sure it will happen?

I’m glad to hear that the Minister supports trades, and I’m glad to hear that the Minister supports the potential of this program. When do you think we can actually hear or see something coming to fruition on this project? It’s an opportunity before us, and I’d certainly like to see the Minister move on this sooner than later. Can I expect something sooner than later from this Minister?

Thank you Mr. Speaker. In May of this year I raised the issue of the lack of trades programs in the field of cooking here in the North. At the same time, I also talked about the opportunities and solutions we have right here. However, in typical fashion, it seems that maybe another good idea has been lost in the grumbling bowels of government. What continues to be obvious to me is that there still are many gaps that need to be filled in our trades programming for those who want to learn more.

That is why, more than ever, a Red Seal trades cooking program needs to be supported. There is a hunger...

WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly is committed to ensuring that the Budget Review Process is publicly accessible, transparent to all residents and efficient;

AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly has chosen to make revisions to the Estimates and Appropriation Bill Review Process;

NOW THEREFORE I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that the Rules of the Legislative Assembly be amended by rescinding Rule 76 and substituting the following:

ESTIMATES AND APPROPRIATION BILLS

76(1) The Assembly may not adopt or pass any vote, resolution, address or bill for the appropriation of...