David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I didn’t want to lose my opportunity to talk about the Department of Health and Social Services but, more importantly, the lack of programs and services we see in our small, isolated communities. We seem to be doing a lot to increase large programs and services with regards to the dementia centre, amalgamated clinics, large-scale hospitals, but we haven’t done much by ensuring or improving the quality of health care services in our small communities. I, for one, have been raising this issue prior to division, and if you look at statistics going back...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Minister’s Statement 47-16(4) be moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witnesses in.

Ms. Lee, for the record, would you introduce your witnesses.

At this time I would like to ask the Minister if she will be bringing in any witnesses. Ms. Lee.

General Comments. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you. Next on the list I have Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with regard to the overall budget, there’s a lot of good things in it, but I think we’re losing sight of the reason why governments exist and operate is to provide services to its residents. For myself, that’s one area that I feel that is lacking with regard to this budget. We’ve done a lot of focus around infrastructure, we’ve done a lot of focus around building capacity for governments, government departments, large-scale projects, whether it’s the Deh Cho Bridge or looking at the Taltson project.

Again, I think that fundamentals for government and government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Presently they’re spending about $180,000 in regard to the home boarders. I’m just wondering if that money could be given to the community so they can maybe hire a few extra teachers in those communities to assist these students to keep them in school and get them into the classroom and keep them there to try to salvage the year end. There is money still in the budget no longer being expended. It was for the purpose of home boarding. Can those dollars be reallocated to those communities and get those kids back into school?

Next on the list is Mr. Hawkins.

If the Minister would be seriously considering the cost right now that is being borne by the divisional board of education in Inuvik for home boarding or for a hostel, which is already part of their budget, take those dollars and give it to those communities so the community students don’t have to leave their home communities and put it into those communities so they can hire more teachers.