Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the astute knowledge of the Finance Minister in reply, but the one question that was not answered is we know there’s another installment of this project in the next capital budget. We know we’re faced here with a discretionary amount due to a fluctuating dollar. We know that the original project was somewhere in that $30 million range. My question was, and still stands, what do we anticipate for next year’s appropriation and how does this affect the overall evaluation of the total project in terms of the cost? Thank you.

Thank you. Committee, we’ll defer page 37, capital estimates. I turn your attention to pages 38 and 39, capital estimates, administrative and support services, infrastructure investments, $44.134 million. Does committee agree? Mr. Bromley.

If Members remember, last year we were accelerating the program to take advantage of, I believe, the dollar, I think, if memory serves me right, and now we’re, this year, looking at a cost varied to the currency value.

I guess my question is: What did we learn from this project and what changes are going to be made to mitigate purchases of this magnitude, especially in US dollars in the future? Has the department managed to come up with a different set of policies or directives on how to deal with purchases in US dollars?

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you can please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Thank you. Minister Abernethy, for the record, if you could please introduce your guests.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Abernethy.

Order, committee. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. With that, we’ll continue on capital estimates as agreed upon earlier. With that, I’ll turn it over to the Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services to see if he has any witnesses that he’d like to bring into the House.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Committee, we’re on pages 38 and 39 of your capital estimates. Administrative and support services, infrastructure investments, $44.134 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Continuing on with questions, pages 38 and 39, administrative and support services for the Department of Health, I have Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The recent draft Protected Areas Strategy has been deemed by some as a clear indication of this government: we are closed for business. If indeed some truth, Mr. Speaker, what is the Premier prepared to do within our limited time in the 17th Assembly to correct this characterization of his government? Thank you.