Michael Miltenberger

The Member and I share something of a common history in this process. I was involved as well in the development of the legislation and the bringing forward of the resources and the plan to try to roll this out. The key is going to be to see, given all the demographics, birthrates, and all the other technical things you have to look at in terms of services and where they should be located, and are they justifiable in terms of economics and the service levels, to see how we do that. Contingent upon, as I pointed out last week, the fiscal constraints that we are working under as a government.

The...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What we’ve observed, of course, is every community’s worst nightmare, where there is a confluence of time and events, and circumstances and conditions of weather and dryness that resulted in significant wind that resulted in a catastrophic event.

For ourselves in the Northwest Territories we have our fire crews in place. While we recognize that it is much drier than normal, we have our contracts with bombers and the rotary wing craft. We have been working long and hard in the communities to do FireSmart programs. We have changed our command and control structures when it...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 12, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 6, 2010-2011, be read for the third time. Thank you.

I don’t think that would be an appropriate use of the skill set of the Program Review Office. This RFP is going to be asking for folks with a background that can also not only look at what’s there but look across the North and be able to offer up some knowledgeable skill-based and experience-based suggestions and options of an expansion of services across the Northwest Territories. That is definitely not the role of the Program Review Office.

As a government we have committed many millions of dollars coming up with our own program for nursing in the North to train Northerners up to the degree level. We have expanded into the nurse practitioner range. We are trying to work with nurse graduates to give them enough additional training so that they can actually go out into the communities where they may be by themselves or where they may in fact be playing a lead role like community health nurses or nurses in charge. While we still have some ways to go, we have minimized our reliance on local nurses and casual nurses and remain...

Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011.

Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011, authorizes the forgiveness of certain debts listed in the schedule of the act.

Pursuant to Section 25 of the Financial Administration Act, the forgiveness of a debt or obligation to the government exceeding $1,000 must receive Legislative Assembly approval.

When a debt is forgiven, no further collection action shall be pursued.

The forgiveness of certain debts being proposed in this act will not require a new appropriation. Allowances for doubtful accounts were charged to an...

What is being aimed for is this will be ready for the incoming 17th Assembly to consider, along with all the other work that will be laid out in the transition plan as they look at setting their priorities and doing their own business plans.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government we are doing a number of things collectively. Health looks at all the health services with the nursing stations and with the medical side, the social services side, the child welfare piece. We have significant education presence in communities. We have Municipal and Community Affairs that is there with communities as they work on the services that lead to a better quality of life as well as on the recreation side. We have ITI there supporting business, local business and small business, to do work at the community level to help with the economy. We have...

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

The concerns of small communities are legitimate ones. Yellowknife has the good fortune as the capital and the largest community to have by far the best services in just about every area. So we cannot diminish those concerns of the small communities when they are often struggling for basic services. The plan and timeline for this particular review, it will be there for the 17th Assembly to consider as they move into their business planning process. Thank you.