Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 24, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2011-2012, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an important planning document. It comes out in five-year increments. It’s one of the core pieces of information that we use as a department and Legislature to look at where do we focus our attention, what’s working, what’s not working, what are some of the alarming trends, as the Member pointed out. We get back to the inevitable return to the issue of prevention and the abuse of alcohol, smoking, improper diet, lack of exercise; fundamental things that we have not yet instilled into the people of the Northwest Territories; personal choice issues that have not...

That is a question best put to the Premier. I would indicate to the Member that, of course, the opportunity will be taken full advantage of and that the Premier will be speaking on issues of great significant importance to the people of the Northwest Territories.

If there are any questions about that particular issue, I would suggest that the Premier would be best suited to respond.

Yes. As the cuts proceed, as the federal government continues with its deficit reduction plans, we’ll be monitoring, as we are right now, the impact of what we know, what we’ve heard, what the actual final configuration looks like and who’s left after the cuts are concluded.

As we negotiate devolution, we started devolution negotiations at a certain point in time with certain resources available. Clearly, there’s been a change or will have been a change. We’re going to have to adapt as we go on down that road as well. At the same time we are going to see what we can do and how do we adjust so...

I was the Minister of the day when the midwifery legislation was brought forward and passed. I come from a community where it’s been a huge issue for decades and I am very familiar with the value of midwifery. We knew very clearly when we came forward with the bill and made it an insured service that it was the type of service we would like to provide. We made the steps to do that.

The issue now comes back to have there been any demographic changes and is it affordable. If we do have resources, where are the best places to put those resources to work when it comes to midwifery services? Thank...

Let me first point out, of all the communities in the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife is the best served when it comes to birthing services with Stanton and all the specialists and obstetricians and doctors that are here available to provide those services. Granted, they don’t have the choice of midwifery services in many communities. There is no choice of any kind other than you have to come to Yellowknife and wait to have your baby. So the value is there. I think we’ve got some of the best legislation in the country. We’ve got a program in Fort Smith that demonstrates that it works. Now...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2011-2012, be read for the third time.

I mean, this is an issue for every Member. It’s been on the table for the 16 years that I’ve been here. It is a challenge. It will continue to be on the table of the legislators of the 17th Assembly, and whoever’s standing in this position a number of weeks hence will be having to discuss and indicate to the people how we intend to move forward on this. It will be based on the direction, of course, of the Legislature and the priorities set and the business planning process that’s going to follow. It’s an issue that’s on the list and it will have to be dealt with. We know there are things that...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 10, Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act, be read for the third time.

I think there’s a general recognition that this area has been somewhat untended. The Minister responsible for homelessness doesn’t have the actual budget. There’s a need to work closely with other departments and there’s a need to look at that type of ongoing coordination. At this late juncture with one more sitting day left in the life of this Assembly, I would suggest it will be one of the challenges for the 17th Assembly and the incoming MLAs to decide on this issue, among many others.