Statements in Debates
Merci, monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I don't think she actually answered my question about when we're actually going to see a plan. The Minister knows well my views on megaprojects that Cabinet keeps pushing. I have made no bones whatsoever about that, but if there is one project that I think we can all get behind, it's improving Internet connectivity in the NWT. All of us can get behind that. It is something I think that the federal government is ready to move on, ready to fund us, but we need the plan. Can the Minister commit to making improved Internet...
I want to thank the Minister for that. I agree with her assessment, but the problem was that this project was sold to the House, to the public, as a way to allow for individuals, households in the communities to get access to high speed Internet. It hasn't panned out. Given that the promise was to have services in the communities, what steps will the Minister take now to deliver on that promise and literally go the extra mile to ensure that the improvements of Internet service actually happen?
Merci, Monsieur le President. Later today, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance as to why the anticipated improvements to community Internet services along the fibre link have yet to happen and how we are going to improve Internet access and reliability in all NWT communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I have one quick question that I would like to ask the Minister about. What is happening with the regulations to prohibit the sale of vaping materials to youth? I am sure the COVID stuff has, maybe, put a delay in that, but it was a very, very important issue when the changes to smoking legislation was brought forward in the last Assembly. I think it's something that we have to deal with and we still need to deal with quickly. Can I get an update from the Minister? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thanks, Madam Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that. Can the Minister tell us when this plan is going to be ready and if it can be shared with MLAs even in a draft form? Thanks, Madam Chair.
So what is the plan to deal with this deficit? I don't blame anybody in this room for that. This is an issue of chronic under-funding of our healthcare system. Is there a plan to deal with this deficit over the long term? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I'd like to be the Member for Inuvik sometime in the future, maybe, but I think they have a couple of pretty good MLAs right now. I'm looking at the 2018-2019 annual report for NTHSSA. The accumulated deficit is $100 million. I'm just wondering if someone can tell me what the accumulated deficit is now for the authority. Thanks, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the Minister for that explanation. We have seen during the pandemic how the limitations and problems with Internet access in all NWT communities has hampered communications, especially for distance education and people trying to work from home. While the Mackenzie Valley fibre link may help some communities, clearly, it is not going to link all of our remote communities either. Can the Minister tell us if there is a plan to improve Internet connectivity in the NWT comparable to southern Canada and, if not, when will that plan be ready?
Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Finance responsible for the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic link. My statement earlier today recounted how the expense was justified to this House as a means of connecting our communities to faster and more reliable Internet services. All of the references portray the project as delivering high speed Internet services in the communities, not a mile away with $1 million hook-up cost. Can the Minister explain why the promised improvements to Internet services in the communities along the fibre link has not happened? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker...
Merci, Monsieur le President. This is a statement I made in the House in August 2019, and it rings even truer today as we have all seen the limitations and shortcomings with Internet connectivity during the pandemic. Today, a fibre optic line runs from Alberta to Inuvik. The project, completed in 2017, cost about $95 million and $3 million to operate each year. That fibre link was funded on the understanding that benefits would be shared down the Mackenzie Valley.
Let's go back to the record, Mr. Speaker. As early as 2011, the then Minister of Health was promoting "a very ambitious plan…that...