Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I understand that this allocation is to address the various deficits in the operating budgets of some of the health authorities. Several are in financial deficit; several are not. This is not a new happening. This is something that has been happening with health authorities for a number of years.

In the past there was some level of participation sought from health authorities when they were in deficits to work with the government in terms of a recovery plan. I can think of one time when the health authority was expected to work with the government to come up with 50 per...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask if the amount of the contribution to the territorial support program through a dividend from the NWT Power Corporation has been declining in recent years. At one time didn’t the NWT Power Corporation’s dividend completely finance the territorial support program?

Mr. Speaker, does the Premier consider it would be sensible to pro-rate the power subsidy based on the part of the territory you’re living in, in terms of your demand and your consumption of this utility?

I’d like to ask the Minister: is there any precedent for any units within any other health authorities that are dealing specifically with this challenge?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the need for a sexual health program in Hay River. I wanted to ask the Minister if she was aware of a proposal that was submitted back in December of 2007 from the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority in this regard — I know we’re in a budget restraint time — and if there are any federal, or any, monies she may be aware of that could initiate this. In Hay River, as with many communities in Canada, we have a relatively unstable complement of physicians, and we have a high turnover in that area with locums. Building...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

Motion carried.

I’m wondering what incentive managers of health authorities have to live within their means and stay on budget. This sends a pretty big message for a deficit of this magnitude to be addressed with a straight bailout, so to speak. What incentive is there, then, for the authorities who have stayed within their budget or very close to it? What incentive is there for them to do that going forward, knowing that we can vote a $17 million budget item to address a deficit?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to deal with the Legislative Assembly’s Main Estimates, Bills 9 and 11, and Committee Reports 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, please.

Mr. Speaker, to the issue of finding money to top up the program: right now, where do the funds come from for the territorial support program?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on the questions that have been asked in the House today by my colleagues with regard to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, but I want to direct my question to the Minister Responsible for the FMBS, because the FMBS oversees the Power Subsidy Program. People talk about levelized rates, and I know that the PUB has commented in the past on the issue of one-rate zone, or levelized rates, suggesting that it is completely within the proper mandate of this government to be the social engineers of power rates in the Northwest Territories. To that...