Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, February 26, 2010, I will move that Bill 12, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 4, 2009-2010, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 65 years is more than any age of any of us sitting in this august Assembly. It’s decades longer than any warranty we’ll ever get. It’s the age of retirement, something to look forward to. In some parts of the world it’s the age of life expectancy, but today 65 years is a milestone that I’d like us to honour and recognize. We have with us in the gallery Mr. Al and Febula Bohnet, and today they’re celebrating a lifetime together of commitment, love and sharing going back 65 years today.

---Applause

This is an enormous accomplishment in this day and age. They’re...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Once again, I appreciate the Member’s comments. Her observations, I think, are accurate, as well, in terms of the ongoing health care costs, and the issue of sustainability is a huge challenge for every jurisdiction. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. These particular circumstances with children in southern placements and adults are constantly being assessed. There is a changing variety of presenting problems, multiple needs, many in high need categories, and the challenge is that you may only have one or two clients that have very specific high needs that can only be met in a specialized facility. If you have a number of those clients across a number of very expensive facilities, it limits our ability to meet all those different needs under one program area.

We did take a look at this, as the Member pointed out...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the advice from the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Given the knowledge of the figures, the last serious effort to this was back in 2003-2004. Back then, the costs even then were considered excessive, given the money that was available, and have only increased since then. So we haven’t pursued this as an active initiative as of late. Thank you.

I’d like to point out that we’ve had six meetings with the Tlicho Government and Tlicho people. We’ve had three very successful community hunts outside the band area, working with the Tlicho communities, and got caribou into the communities to be dispersed and distributed. We’re looking to have the same kind of arrangement with the Yellowknives. We have an offer on the table in terms of a small controlled hunting zone working with our own biologists and elders based on traditional knowledge as well as the science. We’re waiting for specific feedback to that issue. As well, we have on another...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know it is the fond hope from all of us that we don’t have to go this process again. We are going to make every conceivable effort to make sure we hit the targets, but we are not in the position to offer an ultimate guarantee. But we will be briefing Members on an ongoing basis here going forward as we work our way forward through these current challenges until we get this project stabilized and then going forward to conclusion. Thank you.

The one that I can tell the Member about with some certainty based on questions in the House is the Stark Lake site. The ones within the community, once again, I would have to commit to the Member to sit down with him, share the list and get an update for the Member from the department about the status of all the sites. Thank you.