David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken at length about the growing deficits of our health authorities and question the Minister about her lack of attention on addressing these issues that are just not going away.

On Monday, when I asked Minister Lee about the deficit at Stanton and the system-wide deficit, she answered that it was $10.1 million at Stanton and $16.8 million system-wide. These totals, Mr. Speaker, are only for the fiscal year 2011. What I was looking for was the Minister to state the accumulated totals for Stanton and system-wide. These numbers, Mr. Speaker, are much, much higher...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ve got a few comments I’d like to make on the report. First off I’d like to thank yourself, Mr. Abernethy, and Mr. Beaulieu and the rest of the Social Programs committee for embarking on this ambitious piece of work. It took you over a year and I know many mornings you’d be here and on weekends as well, and I know the committee put a lot of time and effort and understanding into the issues surrounding the review of the Child and Family Services Act. It’s because of that work and commitment that I think we have a report before us that is one that speaks to a variety...

Mr. Speaker, again, I do thank the Minister for that response. The one thing I didn’t hear in her response was whether or not the government’s going to ask itself and us the hard question, and that is whether or not we can afford to maintain having several authorities across the Northwest Territories delivering health and social services for our people and whether that current governance structure is sustainable going forward. That’s a hard question and I’d like to ask the Minister is that going to be part of the discussions with senior management and the government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to continue with some questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services related to the other questions that I had for her. The Minister spoke earlier of all the good things that under her watch the department has been doing. If the Minister has been addressing the root causes of these deficits over her three-year reign as Health Minister, like the underfunding, the unfunded positions, the growing costs for medical supplies and equipment, billing issues, unwieldy accounts receivables, and governance structure, then why do the deficits continue to spiral...

I’m having trouble understanding who the Minister signed the MOU with if these other provinces already have deals worked out with themselves. When is the Government of the Northwest Territories going to actively get involved and get in on a bulk purchasing plan with our neighbours to the south? Thank you.

I thank the Minister for that. Again, I think, given the fact that barren-ground caribou outfitting in the Northwest Territories is a multi-million dollar industry and provided a lot of spin-off business in our Territory -- hotels, taxis, restaurants, things like that -- I think the government… And I appreciate the efforts that the government has put into the Tourism Diversification Marketing Program that they’ve got but, Mr. Chairman, it falls short of what is really needed. I think what we need to do as a government is find a way to bridge that gap, whether it’s a year, two years, three...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Bill 9, An Act to Amend the Tourism Act, revokes Section 13 and 14 of the Tourism Act that established the Tourism Deposit Assurance Program effective November 15, 2010.

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure conducted a public hearing on Bill 9 on September 27, 2010, in Yellowknife. The committee heard concerns and opinions from many outfitters as well as from representatives from NWT Tourism. The committee took everything it heard, both written and in person submissions, under advisement in its consideration of this bill. The committee also...

I’d hope that happens sooner rather than later. This is year three of four for the current government and that’s something I think that we need to try to get concluded before the next government comes in.

The other thing, we’re spending close to $1 million on this upgrade and on the O and M costs we’re spending $125,000 a year. Maybe I missed the answer to Mr. Bromley’s question, but is that for a staff person to manage the new module?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to pick up where my colleague Mr. Bromley was asking questions on the contract management module. I would equate it to, you know, last year we bought a souped up Porsche, we got it home and we found out it’s got no air conditioning. That’s the kind of thing that really bothers me, when the government spends millions of dollars on new, state-of-the-art software system and SAM and it can’t manage contracts that the government has. It’s kind of ridiculous that a year later we want to spend another million dollars on that component, that piece of it.

I’m not...

Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister is missing my point. My point is that the Minister was nowhere to be found during this discussion on the closure of that airport. There was no public statement issued by this government whatsoever, and I think that was the wrong thing to do, Mr. Speaker. Like I said, our responsibilities are to the people of the Northwest Territories and we have to make sure that our interests are known, respected and accounted for at every table. I don’t think we should be going down there and telling them how they should develop their plans, but every interest of the people...