David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted a little bit more information on the Northern Women’s Health Program, $116,000. It looks like that is a PY. I am just wondering how that position would relate to the Aboriginal Wellness Program.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. We will do that after a short break. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, May 17, 2007, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the government not enter into a binding agreement committing it to the Deh Cho Bridge project until it has provided Regular Members with: an up-to-date analysis of the expected cost of living impacts of the bridge on Yellowknife, the Tlicho communities and the Akaitcho communities; the estimated social impacts and economic benefits for the community of Fort Providence; and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister could make me feel a little bit more comfortable today if he could tell me that the Department of Human Resources today is working on a comprehensive human resource strategy or plan long-term that is long overdue by this government. Are they working towards that, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Hackett report, it also says that the Government of the Northwest Territories is completely out of whack with an organization of comparable variety where you look at employees per transaction. In a normal government operation, you look at seven. We have 24 employees per transaction, Mr. Speaker. What exactly is an organizational design specialist? Is this just to organize the 170 employees at Human Resources, or is this position government-wide organizational design? Thank you.

One of the general themes stemming from the NWT Alcohol and Drug Program’s discussion paper from last fall was that there needs to be more attention paid to health promotion and prevention programs. Investments need to be made and programs aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing the onset of addictions. These would be required in order to effectively combat alcohol and drug issues. The more children in the NWT that we can get into sports and recreational type activities, the better the chance they will have to choose healthy living. We need to get more physical activity into our...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to wrap this up, again, I know we talked about this at length now, but, to me, if we don’t send the message out there that it is not okay to run up huge deficits and come back to the Legislative Assembly to have us rubberstamp basically saying it is okay. You can run up a $7 million deficit. It is okay. We are just going to rubberstamp it and approve it anyway. I don’t think that is the message that I want to get out there. I think these health operations in the regions have to be run effectively and they have to be managed effectively. They have to be funded...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have had this discussion with the Minister before in committee regarding the deficit situation at some of our health boards at Stanton and the Beaufort-Delta. Am I to understand too that there is some deficit accruing in the Sahtu as well? I would like the Minister to elaborate a little bit on what the plan is to better manage these facilities and these boards if they are allowed to run up what amounts in the last few years here over $10 million in deficit and then come back to supplementary appropriation to, in effect, wipe out their deficit. That is not a very...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. How is prenatal care coordinated in the NWT today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to support the motion that is before us for many of the reasons my colleagues have talked about. With all due respect, I think to my colleague from the Sahtu and others, I know these are regional positions, but I have been consistent with challenging the government on job position growth and I am believer, Mr. Chairman, that the government has a systemic inability to manage its human resources, always has had and continues to have. We really need to focus more on the future and come up with a comprehensive plan.

What I see happening, Mr. Chairman, is the...