Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Ministers' statements 86-15(3), 88-15(3), 89-15(3), 90-15(3) and 91-15(3), as well as Tabled Document 108-15(3) and Bill 19, Appropriation Act, 2005-2006, and would like to report progress, and that Ministers' statements 86-15(3), 88-15(3), 89-15(3), 90-15(3) and 91-15(3), and Tabled Document 108-15(3) are concluded. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay, committee, I am going to call us back to order. The next item on our agenda is the discussion on the Northern Strategy. To start things off, I am going to ask the Premier if he will please provide some background and some opening remarks on the Northern Strategy. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Braden.

Is the committee agreed?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just one final question. For the benefit of those people who work in the facilities in my community, could the Minister please confirm for us that the remand unit, the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre and the Dena K'onia facilities were run efficiently, effectively and in fact came in with their operations under budget? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Then I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms, if he would please escort the witnesses to the table. We are on general comments.

Mr. Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses, for the record? Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, then I am led to believe -- and I hope the Minister can understand why I am a little sensitive about this subject of where we spend money, because of where we are needing to cut money, Mr. Speaker -- that the independent review on the North Slave Correctional Centre, that the Corrections Canada intervention at the North Slave Correctional Centre, the wrongful dismissal suits, the overtime, the paid leave, all these things were manageable within the existing budget of the North Slave Correctional Centre. That is amazing, considering that we have gutted...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in fact when the standing committee’s report on Social Programs is entered into the record when Justice comes up, I think it’s unfair for the Minister to say that this had not been brought up in the main estimates discussions, because that I don’t believe is correct. Mr. Speaker, I’m not asking the Minister to change the budget, I’m asking him to put actions related to the budget on hold in Hay River until such time as these numbers can be analyzed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just think it’s good to know that we operate within a government that tries to be as transparent as possible and while I understand the Premier not wanting to be prescriptive about what the Audit Bureau may do with this, I just want to make sure that the question is comprehensive enough that it actually does some good because this is going to require some work.

Might I also say, Mr. Speaker, that I’m very pleased that as of this morning I’d already received a call from the Audit Bureau asking for input. I was very impressed by that, especially given the fact that the...