David Ramsay

Yes, that’s right. I remember Parliament does answer to the people of the Northwest Territories. This Minister and this Cabinet answer to us, we represent the people here in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I support moving forward with the AIP; I’ve said that unequivocally. I support that. What I don’t support is us seeking more ways to spend money. Mr. Speaker, I’ve gone on record as saying this before and I’ll say it again for the Minister: I’m not sure exactly what it costs to service a debt of around $500 million in a Territory of 42,000 people, but my estimate, Mr. Speaker, is...

I also want to recognize the hard work and dedication of the two employees who are being recognized today. Ms. Currimbhoy, we’ll miss your smiling face around the second floor of the building, that’s for sure. I wish her all the best in her retirement.

And to Gay Kennedy, I think the last two years have been a well-run ship with Ms. Kennedy at the helm of our research department, and I want to wish her every success and all the best, too, in her retirement.

As well, I want to recognize all the visitors in the gallery: Chief Raymond Tutcho from Deline, and also my friends, Danny Gaudet and Peter...

Again, I appreciate the Minister’s response, but the Minister has been very evasive when it comes to actually answering questions about this funding cut. She won’t tell us who ultimately made the decision to cut the $250,000 or where the $250,000 is going and what it’s going to be spent on. Mr. Speaker, again, it’s a fairly straightforward question. Who is responsible for cutting the $250,000 out of the budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Monday the Minister, in response to some questions that I had for her, was using the deficit as the reason why the respite care funding cut was made. Mr. Speaker, this is a very poor excuse, as I mentioned in my statement. Nothing’s been done to address the root cause of these growing deficits in the seven years that I’ve been here, and certainly in the past three years that the Minister has been at the helm. I know in response to questions my colleague Mr. Abernethy had, the Minister said that moving forward we’re going to work out some details on getting the $250...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to again speak today about respite care and the decision to cut the $250,000 required to fund the program.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, after making a statement on respite care funding reductions, I had the opportunity to again question the Minister on how this decision was made, why this decision was made, where the money was going and ultimately who made the call to cut the funding. Judging by the response I received to my questions, the Minister seemed to have absolutely no clue in how to answer those questions about the cuts to respite care funding, except to say...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The THSSI money that the Minister talks about, somebody somewhere made the decision to spend all that money on the Foundation for Change and, Mr. Speaker, I’ve spoken many times about the government’s inability to deal with the root causes that are plaguing the health care system in the Northwest Territories, the unfunded positions and the list goes on. I’d like to ask the Minister who made the decision to spend all the money on the Foundation for Change, because that discussion never took place with the Members of this House. That was a decision by somebody else, Mr...

Yes, the Minister says $250,000, there was two years of funding, but the reality is the respite care program for $250,000 is only being funded for one year. I’d like to ask the Minister how she found out about the proposal to cut the $250,000 out of that program. Mr. Speaker, she talks about communication and coming back to the Standing Committee on Social Programs. I found out about this cut at my constituency meeting from a constituent. How did the Minister find out about it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the same Minister that on Monday, in response to a question that I had, she said we are not able to expand any programs. The respite care program was a pilot project and was time limited.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to ask the Minister whether or not she herself knew that this was a proposed funding cut and when she found out about that cut. Thank you.

I certainly don’t need to be convinced of the value of respite care, whether it’s here in Yellowknife or any of our communities, and I think that’s a step in the right direction that the government is going towards.

Again, I’m having trouble understanding how it is the Minister could go through the business planning process and not advise the Standing Committee on Social Programs that this funding cut was coming. Again, where were the details then? She says she’s coming forward to the Standing Committee on Social Programs with details on this new program. Eighteen months ago when I spoke about...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome all of the guests that we have here in the gallery today. In particular, I have a number of constituents that are in the gallery today that I’d like to recognize: Ms. Pamela Weeks-Beaton, president of the Yellowknife Association for Community Living; Anghus Beaton, Bridie Kennedy, Connor Beaton, Conrad Wright, Delaney Beaton, Erin Sawatzky, Gugan Sidhu, Mimi Kennedy, Narine Margaryan. As well, I’ve got other constituents I see up there; Joy Watt and Kerry King, as well I’d like to recognize city counsellor Lydia Bardak that’s with us. Welcome to...