Statements in Debates
Thank you for that. I never would have guessed that, so I appreciate that information. Would we know what proportion of that $152.568 million is travel? I see it’s on the next page. I withdraw any further questions. Thank you.
Just to remind the Minister, he didn’t say good idea, he said great idea. I just want to keep things going there.
As we know, a brand new GNWT office building is going up right here in Yellowknife. One of the things taken into account in the design of the building is, or should be, the design of viewing spaces. This is established practice in Europe, integrating culture into public life. The new office building presents an ideal opportunity to develop and implement the policy while ensuring a start on rolling this practice out across our facilities.
Will the Minister commit to pursue and...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s just a sort of semantics here, but I’m wondering where the travel budget is for authorities. I think each division here has travel. Does it include travel by authorities or is it essentially in the $34.992 million? It’s just not broken out here. Is that correct? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Huge benefits accrue from investing in our artists and their industry. The 2011-12 economic review shows the arts and crafts industry produced about $7 million. Three thousand NWT residents participated in producing some form of art or craft for sale, although most earned less than $1,000 a year on their sales.
Spending in the cultural sector multiplies enormously. For every million dollars of output, the arts sector generates 13 jobs, compared to only one job by the diamond mining industry. We have a good start, and since 2007 we have increased annual arts funding from...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just the last item on the page. I see we’re down about half a million bucks for health promotion and prevention activities by the authorities. I guess I’m wondering why the drop there from $715,000 to $221,000 there in this fiscal year. How’d we do with the $715,000 in terms of promotion and prevention activities in ‘12-13 and why the cut there by 70 percent? Thank you.
I guess I’m disappointed that we’re not identifying new dollars for this year, but I appreciate the Minister’s answer there. I will just mention that the Healthy Families program is what I consider promotion and prevention. It’s the number one program in the promotion and prevention. I know we’re going to be speaking to that throughout the department here, but I want to raise that flag.
I guess my last question. Do we have regional programs? I know in Yellowknife we have a number of homes for people who require supportive living. It’s almost independent supported living, but often in groups. I...
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I just want to start by saying I support my colleagues on this demand for midwifery service now in Hay River. I recognize that we could do public consultation on this, but I don’t see any conflict with getting something going now. I am surprised by the Minister’s question about why are we pushing this. I wish he’d had time to go out and speak to the young ladies, young families, moms and dads and kids that were walking outside the building here a couple days ago. The demand is there. People want it and they want it now.
We have had programs. We’ve cut back on our...
I think this is a big topic, but there’s obviously a very rich area for ongoing work here and I think I’m going to leave it at that rather than drill down into this, and I’m sure we’ll be visiting in committee about this further. I will leave it at that. That’s all I have on this page.
What I’m hearing is the review was completed, as stated on page 14, and in actual fact what is coming due in August this year is the clinical services plan, which takes off from the results of the review and addresses it, and that would be brought before committee. Am I correct there?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Certainly, and I think the Minister would agree with this, this means we are shouldering more and more of the costs because of this differential in real inflation rate versus what we are compensated for by the Government of Canada. I guess, at some point, I would be interested maybe in seeing the Minister provide a briefing on this and what the costs are. Just so I’m not so awkward next time, is there a name for this program and could it be shared? Thank you.