Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I think I heard the Minister say yes, but I’ll let him re-clarify. Mr. Speaker, specifically to schools, health clinics, and seniors’ facilities, has the department ever done a historical cost overrun overview by doing a 360 degree design evaluation to ensure that bad designs are re-evaluated and that they haven’t turned into maintenance nightmares? Further, are we building our buildings for the 1,500-year life expectancy, or are we just designing them to be maintained for the rest of their life? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about how and why sustainable and standard design for public infrastructure could help everyone by delivering better products at lower costs. Mr. Speaker, whether it’s the designers, the engineers, the community, even government officials and MLAs, I mean, everyone wants the design to the maximum dollars put into the budget and they seem to always want more. One more thing, Mr. Speaker, always wants overtake needs. Has the Minister of Public Works and Services ever considered adopting a template format for construction of public...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I’d like to talk about sustainable standard design for government building infrastructure. Instead of spending money on original designs for every single public building each time we build a new facility, what if we came up with a sustainable standard design? I’m talking about a modular public facility with room for expansion to grow with the population as needed. After a concept has been developed the money saved in design, fees could be put back into more infrastructure for all our communities. By standardizing or even streamlining our designs and the building...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, will be supporting this motion. It was quite some time ago I talked to Mr. Yakeleya about this issue about trying to find new ways to help communities. I talked to Norman about saying, well, what if we bumped up the subsidy rate to $800, would that help? We had a bit of a discussion on that and there was some free-flowing talk about does that work, will that suit their needs. You know, we’re not 100 percent sure, but there are many ways out there to help folks. That’s kind of why I support this motion, is because it looks at different dynamics...

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Public Works and Services monitor the percentage difference between contract bids and contract payments and, if so, what is an acceptable percentage if things are over? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister’s position on the fact that they are not allowed to breach human rights. So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to get a commitment from the Minister today because we own the buildings and we can set policy, territorial-broad policy, not just one housing authority, all housing authorities. I would like him to agree today that he will go in and investigate this problem and make sure that we do not have to march down to the Human Rights Commission office downtown to make sure this lady gets into this unit, because she absolutely deserves...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I have letters that have been sent in from doctors, clinical therapists, even the former president of the Housing Corporation and directors of the Housing Corporation that have all said in a timely way they will make sure she gets a unit. By the way, Ms. Tees was one of the genesis clients to go out there to find out what they need for a disabled building to suit disabled people’s needs. So, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of the Housing Corp go back and have this policy reviewed in a fair way, because it’s my opinion that it’s a human rights breach? Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an honour today to recognize Ms. Carmen Tees. She is a constituent of mine. She suffers from MS. She is here today because of this important issue that I have been raising in my Member’s statement. She will further hear my questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have a few brief comments. I would like to say I am impressed and quite pleased with the Greenhouse Gas Strategy that is coming forward. I am very pleased to see some of the initiatives that I was asking for last year finally coming to life: hybrid vehicle credits, wood pellets and wood stoves. Those are very important things. I think we still have a long ways to go in this particular area. I think we still tend to focus in on the individual rather than the bigger problems, which are industry and the transportation sector. But I think we are certainly...

Mr. Speaker, if I can refer without reading them, I have two NWT Housing Corp letters, one from the president and one from the director of policy and programs, instructing the Yellowknife Housing Authority to accommodate this constituent as soon as any facility becomes available that is absolutely suitable. Mr. Speaker, we have an eight-plex next door right out her front window, Mr. Speaker, or side window, sorry. The fact is it’s there and now they have obstructed her entering this building because she has a cat. Are they afraid of a little cat, for goodness sakes, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker...