Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, October 25th, 2006, I will move that Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t think it’s accurate to say that as a government we’ve left the Sahtu out to dry. In fact, over the last few years this government has substantially invested in the Sahtu and its people. For example, with the health board, with the education board, human resources centre established there and hopefully, in fact, within a year a new office space to help that situation out. So we’ve invested in there and are doing the best we can with the available resources. Within FMBS itself, as I stated, we don’t have the available dollars to expand beyond the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not a trained doctor and I don't understand that profession well enough, and I'm sure the Member across will be in the same category. I'm willing to sit down, work with the Member on this and go and do some historical data, go through the process that we've used to date. At this point that's what I will commit to, is to sit down with the Member, review this file. But beyond that, again, we're relying on the professional expertise of the caretakers out there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout Canada, the issue of wait times has been important; in fact, to the level where it's being addressed nationally through the federal government and provinces and territories to deal with that issue of wait times within the field of health and social services. In this particular case, we have worked with other jurisdictions, other doctors, and many referrals to try and come up with a solution here. Unfortunately, we haven't been able and we're waiting for the next opportunity. Again, if the services are available within our jurisdiction, that's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the plans are almost completed as we go through this process, but, as I stated earlier, I need to meet with the departments and get some indication as to where they are with the work. At that point, we would be prepared to sit down with Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There's a number of factors that play a role here. Year by year it would fluctuate. With our stronger economy in the Northwest Territories, the job market being as robust as it is, more people employed and being able to meet their payment plans and so on has been good in that sense. So it would fluctuate from year to year. Yes, over the last number of years, the government has tightened up on its collection side to ensure that we clean up that section of area and government accounting. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Member's correct; at this stage it does hurt individuals for credit rating as we find ourselves at this stage, because it's already gone through the collections process and was not recovered. As I stated earlier, there are a number of factors that come in, but it is primarily done…The initial counselling or discussion of trying to set up prepayment plans is done within departments and boards and agencies. Because it's such a broad spectrum of groups that are involved, whether it's specifically with departments or agencies, there are a number of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me at the table is the secretary to the FMB, Mr. Mark Cleveland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to introduce Bill 10, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2006-2007. This bill requests authority for the forgiveness of certain debts listed in the schedule of the act.

Pursuant to section 25(1) of the Financial Administration Act, the forgiveness of a debt or obligation to the government exceeding $1,000 must receive Legislative Assembly approval.

When a debt is forgiven, no further collection action shall be pursued.

The forgiveness of certain debts being proposed in this act will not require a new appropriation. Allowances for doubtful accounts were charged to an...

Yes, that’s correct. The WCB is fully involved in their own process. It comes to our table again just because of the Financial Administration Act and we put it through this final stage. Thank you.