Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Properly assessing young people with -- or diagnosing, I'll say it that way, my apologies, properly assessing the diagnosis of autism is a very specialized field, and families have told me they struggle to get a diagnosis and then therefore they do not get the supports and treatments, which early intervention would make the world of difference. Does the Minister know what the average wait time is for diagnosis of autism using a specialist? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whatever the last two speakers said, I say the opposite. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to recognize the tone the Premier brought to that. I think it was certainly appropriate. I'm not trying to do jabby or clever questions. This is very important, and it's a very important subject for our -- Mr. Speaker, I just want to make absolutely clear. 32 jobs in a region matter to a Yellowknife MLA because it affects us all in one way or another. That said, Mr. Speaker, the letter, including the phone calls I received, talked about finding a solution or a course of path for these jobs and this potential facility. Again, written from the direction and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to say supporting youth with autism in the Northwest Territories is critical. We need to look at it through a multifaceted approach by addressing their needs, whether it's regional or in large centre, Mr. Speaker, like Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, imagine if you're in a small community and you have children or a child or there's other types of people with learning disabilities in your community, where do they go? Well, they come to Yellowknife often because the services and supports aren't there. Mr. Speaker, but what I also find here in Yellowknife is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to put on the record that the meeting -- in the letter, it says the Premier was very cordial, it was a cordial meeting, again so I just want to emphasize his tone is appropriate in my opinion for this important discussion. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice has had years to study this particular problem. I'm assuming they didn't make this decision overnight, and I'm certainly recognizing that.

Mr. Speaker, the Thebacha Leadership Council feels they've been given days or weeks to come up with a solution to counter or provide other options without resources. Is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are going to be about exploring the options of what can be done. And the reason I put that in context, first, Mr. Speaker, because I don't want it to be thought it perceived in any other way. So that said, Mr. Speaker, I'm in possession of a letter from the Thebacha Leadership Council addressed to the Premier and/or Minister of Justice, and the question really comes down to is their concerns about their due diligence on the transition from an operational jail that has no inmates to the 32 jobs that may be forcing -- being forced through in the...

Mr. Speaker, I think people would have a difficult time understanding why this is okay in the context of privacy and security during COVID when we couldn't bridge to non-COVID times. So, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister endeavour to see if we could change that -- whatever the obstructing policy is, and I'd like to hear what it is, why it was okay during COVID but not okay today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. People are still calling the phone numbers provided and reaching grave disappointment. They're also even going down to the medical centre to book appointments, but they're told well, call -- call back.

So, Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister, really, is focusing around accessibility to doctors. What is stopping the department from creating an online doctor booking appointment platform that all Northerners can access in a timely way? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would appreciate any committee update you can provide on that. And I can appreciate that these are just plans, not initiated yet but probably sort of bigger picture scoping of the issue at this particular time, and that's fine. Is there any way they could provide a monthly cost as to what the current day shelter costs the government in its current form, in its current location, where the old visitors centre is.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In economics, there's a phrase called Jevons paradox which occurs when technology progresses in a manner to increase efficiency but the resources actually inversely further demanded because we've lowered the cost. So in order, Mr. Speaker, historically governments have been trying to find ways to be more efficient, but in turn, people -- efficiency gains enthusiasm which increases consumption. This is called the rebound effect of Jevons paradox.

So a good example is when you make fuel efficiency vehicles, Mr. Speaker, people tend to drive more and hence consume more...