Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t have that detail with me at this time. I can try to collect that information and provide it. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it would be very difficult for us to try and forecast if a company was struggling and surviving and continuing to make their payments or preparing to shut down and go into receivership. We are more in a reactionary mode when we become aware that a company has filed for protection or have left the North and are no longer doing business. In some cases, for example, in the fuel tax portion, we became aware of it when we did not receive the previous month’s remuneration or payment on the fuel taxes and started making some calls. A cheque was then issued for...

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Again the years that the accumulation started to occur was as far back as 1999. The main area again was around ambulance service provision. For example in 1999-2000 there was an accumulated deficit there of $510,000; in 2000-01, $239,000; 2001-02, $169,000; 2002-03, $152,000; and 2003-04 another $11,000, in direct regard to the services provided through ambulance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this result is coming to us because we have, in a number of past years, told departments that they needed to come back with actual costs versus that of doing some forecasting. Budgets are built on an actual price as we prepare the budgets. As an example, the letters go out to departments in June to start preparing their budgets. They would build their information on the available cost of the day and they would also come forward and ask for forced growth and that could include areas such as fuel and electrical costs. They would review those within FMB...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, when we put in an account into the doubtful accounts section, we do not stop from having that on the books and continuing to pursue payment. It is not a forgiveness. It is not a write-off. The debt stays there. We continue to go after it. It continues to accrue interest even. But we can’t account for it in the revenue side because, if a company has gone out of business, we know that it probably won’t get paid, or if they have gone into receivership or filed with the courts for protection, this is the same as with individuals when people are issued a...

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. A review has been done in the area of the Dogrib Health and Community Services Board, and one of the areas that was brought to our attention was that there is a chronic under funding of the board, specifically in the area of ambulance services. That was one of the main areas that this bill goes to address. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with this plan that’s been put in place we feel that is enough money to carry us through the duration of this first phase. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the transfer of the pay office from the Stanton Territorial Health Authority took place and moved into the Financial Management Board Secretariat. This is the money that goes along with that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, be read for the third time. Thank you.

Yes, please.