Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It was there but we weren’t in a position to make any decisions to move on it until we had advanced our discussions on the borrowing limit far enough where we were prepared to make a commitment. So that is how this whole process transpired, but the intent, if all went well to do the work, that information, as far as I’m aware… I’ll ask Mr. Aumond to clarify the detail. I’m of the understanding that it was there.

No, Madam Chair. I just appreciate the Member’s comments.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On a comparative basis if you look across the country, let’s pick one of my favourite provinces just given her size and the magnitude and complexity of the problems they’re dealing with, they’re spending over 45 cents on every dollar on health alone. In this jurisdiction we’re spending about 34 cents of every dollar on health and social services. If you tack on health or tack on all the other social programs, we are spending over 65 cents on every dollar. The growth in social programs is a concern because it limits our ability, but on a comparative basis I would say we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act, be read for the third time.

No, no comment there. Thank you.

Madam Chair, we will commit to take a look at making sure we are updated in terms of the work we have done and if there is some full-cost accounting factors that we haven’t quantified. But it comes down to, at this particular juncture, just significant ongoing cost to bring them into the system that is prohibiting us from moving forward because of our fiscal circumstance. Thank you.

Yes, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There is a very small number, as the Minister indicated, of patients making use of this service, and I’m not in a position to have any idea of the circumstance of the patients. Given the small number, we want to be very careful about any kind of discussion of that nature, but I will ask the Minister if he has any idea in terms of this blood service cost, whether we can project further down the road in the coming years so it’s not a supp but is built into the budget. It would tie into the condition of the patients, for the longevity of the patients and those types of...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I live and work for the day as Finance Minister where we’ll have a session in this House and Ms. Bisaro will say we’ve done a good job on budgeting and that we hit an acceptable range of budgets so that we’ll know that we’ve almost approached as close to perfection probably as we’ll ever get. But in the meantime, what we have here are legitimate requests. The Legislature of course can say no. That is our legal right, but we believe we’ve demonstrated very clearly the need.

I think all the Members that have been through the facilities, and we’ve all been through...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’ll ask Mr. Aumond to give you the specific date where the request was made for those plans.