Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity on the Order Paper to make my reply to the opening address. I want to express some
of my observations on some of the important things that we are discussing in this House, Mr. Speaker.
I had a chance to look at the Premier's sessional statement dated October 12th. There are a few important things there, but I did not see what I wanted to talk about today, which has to do with government accountability. I guess the fact that the Minister and the Premier never really mentioned it in that statement, speaks to the lack of government accountability that, I feel, is happening in terms of how the Cabinet is addressing some of the issues that are being brought up in this House, Mr. Speaker.
The sessional statement speaks to the strategic goals of the government which were tabled on October 25th. I read, with interest, the phrase that we speak often about in this House. It says that this government's desire is to achieve the vision of self-reliant individuals and families, sharing the rewards and responsibilities of healthy communities and a prosperous and unified Northwest Territories. This government often speaks about the fact that we need to work with all of the non-profit groups, NGOs, volunteers. We go on and on about how we care about all these people out there who are working so hard to deliver programs to add to our communities. Mr. Speaker, if they are sitting out there and listening to what is going on in this House -- and I know they do because Members are getting lots of responses -- I am sure some of them are wondering, what do we really mean when we say we care about these NGOs and non-profit groups like day cares or even centres like TTC? The public is very puzzled about why Members bring issues forward that the Cabinet doesn't seem to be really listening to.
I am not interested in revisiting issues that have already been decided. I am prepared to accept that the transfer of TTC to Hay River is an issue that has been determined, and I am going to work with the Minister of Health and Social Services, and the TTC contractor, to make sure that the needs of children are addressed. However, that does not address the fact that there are people who went out to sign the petitions, and the 770 names and the workers who were being laid off who spent weekends in various places in Yellowknife, to tell the government that there are things that they have neglected to look at. They should be listening to those professionals who have given care to the children, who give care to the students, or the pediatricians, or any of the professional people who are giving advice to them. When they hear the answer in this House from the Premier that says everything we do in this House is political, so, therefore, anything political is correct, what are the people in Yellowknife and out there supposed to think?
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Premier has a very good reputation of listening to the Members and addressing the needs of Members. He's at his best when you go see him in private. You go see him in his office, and you bring an issue forward, and he will look after them, but something really funny happens when he walks into this Chamber. Once the government has announced...