Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, that is helpful to know. This is the predicted savings. I guess I am just trying to figure out next year, a year from now, business plans in the fall. I will ask then: how did the prediction work out? Is that something the department intends to sort of report on somehow in the business plan for next year, where we are at and how we are doing with the anticipated reduced use of locums? I am just wondering where that is going to be reported and tracked, or do I just have to ask at the next business plan? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like the Minister of Health and Social Services to give us the current state of affairs on development and implementation of midwifery services on a regional and territorial basis. Given that the latest on midwifery does not present a solid path or timeline towards a Northwest Territories midwifery program, what concrete steps are being taken by the Minister to implement midwifery across the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think I can teach the Minister a few things about growing carrots, if he is ever interested. Well, we have fruits, too. I have raspberries at the side of the house, but we can have a separate conversation about that. Okay. That all sounds all right. There is, I think, a 5 per cent reduction of locums used in the business plan here, and that is supposed to save $900,000. Can someone just explain to me what this is about and how we can anticipate that somehow these locums, their work is going to be reduced by 5 per cent? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have no further sections on this section. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I'm trying to determine where in the departmental budget the -- well the agricultural strategy implementation is in this section, at least $50,000 of it, from schedule 3 of the business plan, but I think the Minister talked about there being $498,000 for the agricultural strategy. So can he tell me what the $50,000 in this activity is for and where the rest of the money is found? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

This issue arose when we were looking at the Education, Culture and Employment main estimates, so I just want to encourage any Ministers: if there are changes to what we see in the printed document, they should advise us in advance. This is not a big deal, perhaps, for this page, but I want to try to avoid having this confusion on the floor where the Minister and his staff are looking at one document and we're looking at something different. So just a heads-up that, if there are changes to what they're looking at compared to what we have, we need to know. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So the page, maybe, that the Minister is looking at for 2018-2019 shows 83 in headquarters and 15 in the Beaufort Delta; is that correct? Thanks, Mr. Chair. For 2018-2019? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I'm looking at page 173, and it shows a two-person reduction from 2017-2018. It seems to be located in the Beaufort Delta. Can someone tell me what those two people do and why the reduction is being made? Thanks Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Again, I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm sure that he will think about or would probably be able to give that briefing to committee in public, as I know there are a lot of interested folks across the Northwest Territories that would be curious to hear him make that presentation.

The Minister has spoken in the past about how we do have a bit of a complicated health system here with the NWT Health and Social Services Agency. There's the Tlicho Community Services Agency, Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. How has the Minister starting to work...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I believe in transformation, as well, but I have a line item in a budget now that says you are going to reduce the expenditures by $900,000. If FNB doesn't come after you, I will ask the same question next year. Fair enough.

I want to move on to tobacco cessation. I know this is the general area to talk about it. One of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use is to increase the cost of the product. What kind of conversations has the Minister had with his colleague the Minister of Finance in terms of increasing tobacco cost, tobacco taxes to help reduce consumption and...