David Krutko

Does the committee agree that the consideration of the Department of Health and Social Services is concluded?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It’s with regard to my Member’s statement. The question is: why is there such a disparity with regard to programs and services in the larger centres and the smaller communities?

Thanks for your patience, Mrs. Groenewegen. On the sixth line under “striking out ‘89,752,000’ and substituting ‘88,649,000,’” we thought we heard you say $86 million. So just for verification, could you repeat that section?

Does the committee agree that consideration of the Department of Justice estimates is concluded?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Health care in small communities is somewhere between none and non-existent. Basically, in most cases you don’t have elder care; you don’t have home care; you don’t have mental health workers or alcohol/drug workers. You’re lucky to see a doctor once a month or to visit a family physician — a doctor or a nurse — or in most cases, to have a family dentist.

Mr. Speaker, it comes down to a question of the disparity between the larger centres in regard to care facilities and walk-in clinics; being able to have dental care in clinics; but more importantly, having elder care...

Move to tab 8 in regard to the Corporation Act, 2007–2008, Bill 8. We’ll defer the Preamble and go to the Schedule, which is on page 3. Schedule 1, Part 1, Vote 1, Operations Expenditures, Total Appropriation for Operations Expenditures: $1,215,869,000.

Okay. Let’s do this again. Total Appropriation, Operations Expenditures, $1,216,972,000.

Bill 8, Appropriation Act, 2008–2009, Schedule, Part 1, Vote 1, Operations Expenditures, Total Appropriation for Operations Expenditures: $1,215,869,000, approved.

So we can move to page 6-11, Volume 2 of the Main Estimates, Infrastructure, Investment Expenditure. This is the Department Summary, Department of Justice, page 6-11, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Services to the Public, Total Department: $1.307 million.

Department of Justice, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Services to the Public, Total Department: $1.307 million, approved.

Does the committee agree that we’ve concluded the department estimates of Volume 1 and Volume 2? Does the committee agree that we have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 37-16(2)?

The first department that we’ll list is the Department of Justice, on page 7-7, Volume 1 of the Main Estimates: Operations Expenditure Summary, Department Summary, Amended Table: $90.873 million.

Department of Justice, Department Summary, Operations Expenditure Summary, Amended Table: $90.873 million, approved.

Mr. Speaker, the committee has been considering Tabled Document 37-16(2), Main Estimates 2008–2009, Volume 1 and Volume 2; and Bill 8, Appropriation Act, 2008–2009.

I would like to report progress, with two motions being adopted — Tabled Document 37-16(2) is concluded and Bill 8, as amended, is ready for third reading.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.