Jane Groenewegen

Thank you. I saw that 40 seconds are left on the clock, and I thought Mr. Miltenberger would run the clock out.

I was hoping that just being able to put something on the record about that today would bring some comfort to the people who work in the authority, who are, of course, always going to welcome the leadership that a CEO brings to an institution like that.

I was wondering if we could get an update from the Minister on how we’re doing on the development plan for the upgrading or replacement of the Hay River Hospital.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my Member’s statement today, I want to focus on the issue of health services and services that fall under the purview of the health authority in Hay River.

I want to talk about doctors’ contracts, what we’re going to do about the vacancy in our CEO position, how the budgeting for our renovation and replacement of our hospital is coming along and also what’s on the horizon for staffing and programming at the assisted living facility which is under construction. I’ve given the Minister a heads-up on all that.

As to the contract for doctors, how long has it been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So for somebody who wants to do business in the Northwest Territories, where’s the issuing office for a business licence to operate in the Northwest Territories if it’s not a community based operation?

Could the Finance Minister clarify: they file what with the Government of the Northwest Territories? Contractors who obtain contracts with the mining companies in the Northwest Territories provide those services. They send their employees here to the North to do the work. What is it exactly that they file with the Government of the Northwest Territories that would help us know what the earnings of those workers are?

Thank you. Then just the last item. The assisted living facility is looking very nice; it’s nearing completion. Now we’re interested in staffing and programming. Is the staffing for that new facility going to be with GNWT employees, and where are we with the programming of the officer in that new facility?

I understand that contract has been in place for some time now, and potentially, when the new contract is negotiated, some aspects of it will make it easier to recruit more physicians to the Northwest Territories.

As I said in my Member’s statement, our CEO has recently resigned. That always causes some instability. It creates an environment that’s not so good in a small health authority like Hay River’s. What is the plan for replacing the CEO in Hay River?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to use my Member’s statement just to talk a little bit about the issue of health services and activities falling under the purview of the health authority in Hay River, that wonderful community of Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, our clinic…. Let’s start there and in no particular order. The renovations for barrier free access have been underway over the summer and are almost completed; something we have wanted for a long time is now being completed. So for people who were unable to access our clinic because previously there were stairs to go up, now that is going to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the committee today would like to deal with Tabled Document 75–16(2), Supplementary Appropriation No. 2, 2008–2009. Time permitting, we would like to deal with the Premier’s sessional statement. But first we would like to do the supp. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have some questions about the Deh Cho Bridge. I’m not sure who’s handling that file now, whether it’s the Minister of Transportation or not. Having said that, there’s been quite a bit of progress made on the Deh Cho Bridge. I had occasion to drive to Yellowknife once this summer and saw the platform that was built out into the middle of the river from which the work is being conducted, and a significant amount of progress has taken place. However, it was communicated in a media article about a week ago that the bridge is about six weeks behind schedule and that this may have an...