Frieda Martselos

Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance. My first question is: since the Stanton P3 and the legacy, 100-bed, long-term unit for Yellowknife have crippled our government for moving forward, could the Minister tell me who makes up the Boreal Health partnerships?

Madam Speaker, accountability and transparency are extremely important when dealing with public money. The money that is being used belongs to the people of the NWT. Most of the P3s are contracted with southern companies and the money flows south with little benefit to people of the NWT. P3s can be a positive way of doing business if we're dealing with northern companies or Indigenous groups and the detailed agreements are firm, signed off properly, and all the monies stay in the North. I will be asking questions to the Minister of Finance on this issue. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to just make a comment first before I ask the question, and that is that I'm very proud to say that most of the people at the two facilities in Fort Smith are extremely qualified and do an excellent job. I've been to both facilities at various times with clients, especially when I was with my other leadership role in Salt River. I support both facilities and the staff. There are some gaps in the system, and a lot of the people in there are long-term residents, members of Salt River, members of the Metis community that are staffing these units. They run a really...

I just want to remind the Minister that there are a lot of qualified people in other communities, also, besides Yellowknife, and just doing something a little bit differently to ensure that we get the same service as the people of Yellowknife is essential. I think we are not asking for very much. It's a right. We live in the same area. We have this mandate, and I honestly feel that I want you to know that you agree with me, that there are qualified people all over the territories, not only Fort Smith, Inuvik, Yellowknife. The smaller communities have qualified people. Correct?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll remember that. I'm just wondering, you say that 55 percent of the clients are from Yellowknife or northern. How many people are 55 percent?

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Finance stated that the P3 for Stanton project came in on budget. Do you as Finance Minister truly believe this is a correct statement?

One hundred and forty million dollars for the City of Yellowknife for the 35-year period for grants in lieu/taxes, is this not an extra expense?

Madam Speaker, finally, I would like to address the mayor of Yellowknife's media statement of February 19, 2020. The new Stanton hospital tax bill for the amount of $4.5 million is the highest taxed building in the NWT. The mayor of Yellowknife made a statement that she did not have to raise taxes because of a new assessed property value of the new Stanton hospital. My question is: as all monies out of public funds belong to the people of the NWT, are you comfortable as the Minister of Finance with this statement?

Can the Minister tell us who owns the majority of shares of Dexterra, as well as where is the company based out of, and what the emergency number that is used by Stanton hospital staff after 5:00 p.m.?

Madam Speaker, I would like to do a short presentation on the budget address that was tabled by the honourable Caroline Wawzonek, the Minister of Finance, on February 25, 2020. First of all, this budget is status quo, with the vast majority of funds going to Yellowknife. I want to remind all Members, including Cabinet, of our 22 priorities, which included regional centres and smaller communities.

Madam Speaker, this budget focuses on all of the capital city of Yellowknife's needs and less on the regional centres and communities. The 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest...