Joe Handley

Mr. Speaker, I don’t know. It is always of opinion on whether it is equal. I am sure some Ministers someday feel very overworked and others may feel that, well, we haven’t had a lot of issues in my department or whatever recently. Mr. Speaker, it is as equitable as I can make it right now, in my view. Mr. Speaker, if I take the Minister of ECE’s responsibilities, well, it is ECE, which is a big department and a very important department in our government, as is Health and Social Services, but he also holds the position of Government House Leader. He is also Minister for the Workers’...

Mr. Speaker, again, I will say there is no activity at all, no additional cost to the Bridge Corporation. The only additional cost that we have accruing now are bank interest and other fees. There is no more activity with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and there won’t be until we have the revenues to be able to proceed with this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I don’t have an exact number. We have done an analysis across our departments and it is well in excess of $1 million. Mr. Speaker, I might be able to, in a minute, give you a detailed breakdown by department. The biggest one, of course, is with literacy as the one that affects us most, and the Status of Women who would be the other group who would also face a fairly big…and volunteerism. Mr. Speaker, off the top of my head, I don’t have the exact amount. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the regional directors who are in the gallery today. Bob Sanderson from the South Slave region…

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Dan O’Neill, North Slave…

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Andy Short, Sahtu…

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Andrew Johnston from the Deh Cho…

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and Helen Sullivan, who is acting director and has done a great job over the last couple of years of piloting the return of the regional directors.

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Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence, I’d like to also recognize two Pages who are with the cadets who are from Weledeh: Kelsey Martin and Jeremy Frankie, and I believe their moms...

Mr. Speaker, all of the cost, the additional costs we have now for the time that this loan is extended to, are bank related. It’s interest, bank fees, bank charges. That’s all there is. There is nothing more going on. The loan is roughly $3.5 million. The work that has been done is not wasted. It doesn’t go in a wastebasket. It’s there and it’s work that’s been done and it’s ready to go. If we were to just fold up everything and say we don’t need to look at that project anymore, the heck with it, it would cost us roughly $3.5 million to pay off the loan and clean this up. Mr. Speaker, it’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think all of us on this side view Health and Social Services as a very important department. There is no question about that. We also consider environment to be very important. I tell you, in the case of the Minister, the Minister is there. I can vouch for him. He is there at 7:00 in the morning. He is there at night. I will talk with the Minister about whether he has had to miss meetings of Health and Social Services or Environment because he is just too busy with other tasks, but, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think I will have a perfect balance in terms of workload...

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. That question, again as the Member pointed out, should be redirected to the Minister of Finance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, let me say that we are not the only jurisdiction in which the Health Minister also has other portfolios. When I look at Prince Edward Island, it is Social Services and Seniors, but they are separate departments. I look at the Yukon; the Minister is also responsible for WCB. I don’t know all of the jurisdictions, but, Mr. Speaker, whenever I assign portfolios, then I have to look at the interests of the Ministers and also whether or not I feel that they can carry the workload. All of the Ministers in our government carry at least two portfolios...

Mr. Speaker, we still anticipate that we will be successful in getting additional money to make this bridge possible. If the bridge goes ahead, if we get the money and the bridge goes ahead, then that money that we have loaned or guaranteed to the Bridge Corporation is rolled into the cost of the bridge. So there is no cost to the government at all. If we were to assume that the bridge is not going to go ahead and pay the $3.5 million, then in that scenario it costs us, as public government, $3.5 million. It’s our view that we are better to wait and not fold up the Bridge Corporation now...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That information is still posted four times a year on the website. I don't think we distribute a paper document anymore, but it is on the website; it's done quarterly. Thank you.