David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, my colleague Mr. Yakeleya raised the issue of confidential medical records from Norman Wells inadvertently ending up at the CBC here in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, that was a very serious issue and the Minister, in response to questions from Mr. Yakeleya, stated that it was an accident and sometimes accidents happen.

Mr. Speaker, just yesterday a Yellowknife woman had come forward saying she’s received a dozen faxes containing confidential medical information. Mr. Speaker, I believe the Minister of Health and Social Services has some explaining to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to speak about the direction the Minister of Health and Cabinet has taken on the supplementary health benefits.

I’d like to begin by saying that the hypocrisy in this building sometimes is really something to behold. On Tuesday, May 10th, I stated the Health Minister was being arrogant and ignorant in her handling of the supplementary health issue.

Hansard is a very valuable tool, Mr. Speaker. Back on October 21st, 2005, Ms. Lee herself can be quoted as saying, “I urge this government to start acting like a responsive and responsible government, not an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do look forward to a resolution of this at some point in time, but it wasn’t my intent to hurl insults or be abusive or insulting to my colleague, Ms. Lee. Mr. Speaker, I take my position here as a Member of the Legislative Assembly very seriously. When I use

words in this House, those are words that I get in conversations with residents, constituents, people who bring issues to me, and if I do believe that a certain Minister is acting in an arrogant fashion, an ignorant fashion, it is my duty and my obligation as a Member of this House to come here and tell them that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, May 14, 2010, I’ll move that Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Finance Minister for that. Being that the Government of the Northwest Territories has recently gotten this $75 million reprieve, an extension on our debt limit to $75 million, and we’re getting precariously close to that limit in the future, Mr. Speaker, I’m wondering what extraordinary measures the government may be looking to employ to make sure that we aren’t setting ourselves up for failure should a catastrophe happen. Like I mentioned in my Member’s statement, a really bad forest fire season or, you know, hopefully not a great deal of further expense on a project like the Deh...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today get back to my Member’s statement and that is the financial well-being of our Territory going forward. Mr. Speaker, the numbers are out there. They don’t lie and all you have to do is look around. You know, investment in our Territory was down 24 percent last year and a net job loss of 900 jobs last year. At one point in time we actually lost 7 percent of all jobs in the Territory during 2009, a net loss of 500 people from the Territory, and a decline in our gross domestic product, which would lead me to believe that, Mr. Speaker, our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to respond to yesterday’s fiscal and economic update which was provided to this House by the honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger. I listened very intently to the Minister’s statement, both for what he was saying and what he wasn’t saying.

It is my belief that our financial well-being is in grave danger. The Finance Minister does state that the economy shrank last year, as evidenced by a declining gross domestic product. What he fails to say is investment in our Territory was down 24 percent last year. We lost a net of 900 jobs and close to 500...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I’ll keep this brief. I’m just wondering if, you know, given the projections that the Department of Finance comes up with, given the fact that we are so close to the debt wall, we’re in a precarious position. I’m just wondering, would it be wise or prudent to send the projections the Department of Finance has to a third party or let somebody else have a look at these projections to make sure that we are, in fact, on a solid track with our financial situation going forward? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I agree wholeheartedly with the Minister. I think one of the best things this government has done is the capital planning process, revamping that, getting money out the door in an effort to stimulate the economy when it needed it the most. I think that’s a good thing during an economic downturn, to be doing that type of thing.

What I’m getting at, and I think the Finance Minister knows what I’m getting at, is if the numbers aren’t there, how are we going to plan future budgets on declining numbers in people that are living here for the grant to Canada, CIT, PIT and the payroll tax...

Like the last government did, we can’t leave a mess for the next government to clean up. My recommendation to government is we should not start any new initiatives. Finish what we started. We should look at reigning in expenditure growth. Instead of 3 percent, how about zero percent? We should get moving on the work conducted by the Program Review Office. Shelve the divisive changes to supplementary health. People will leave and we can’t afford to lose any more residents. Continue with vigour our marketing and promotion campaign to attract new residents to our Territory, and we need to get...