Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be voting in favour of this motion. It does bode a lot of questions and brings up a lot of issues we have with medical travel. Obviously, there are a lot of financial pressures with medical travel. The budgets are growing on a steady basis and this would include some more pressure to that. One of the things I indicated on why I would support this is if it was done on a hardship basis. People would have to prove that there’s a need. There has to be a hardship. I wouldn’t want to see us doing this with every medical travel situation, but if families or people or...

Mr. Speaker, the Premier has indicated that they have a plan in place and they’ve indicated some of the expenditures that are tied to that plan.

Is it possible for the Premier to share that plan with the general public and the Members on this side, because we haven’t seen that plan yet.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement, decentralization has been a priority for this Assembly. My questions today will be for the Premier of the Northwest Territories.

Is the government expecting to announce any further government decentralization anytime soon?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the question is about that renovation and the $785,000. Would that not be better spent to be invested into a newer building, into a newer facility, along with some of the costs associated that we currently have in leasing? Is the department looking at that as an option as well?

The Minister indicated the refurbishing of the current medical clinic. I guess my concerns and questions are: Do we have an estimated cost of what that refurbishing is to an older building, and would those dollars be better spent adding to the new facility so that we have office space right in the location as opposed to renovating an old building?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you as well as most of the Members here know, there’s an exciting project going on in Hay River right now: the building of the new health centre there. This exciting new facility will be up and running next fall. They indicate they’re on budget and on schedule, and the community is abuzz with some of the activity of that construction. There are many people in the community and some specialized workers coming into town.

Obviously, some of these big projects cause other issues and bring concerns. Some of our local businesses would like more activity and more opportunity...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Obviously, the fall of 2015 is when the new facility is going to be established. I guess the question is: When will the general plan for this office space be released and the report completed so that we actually have a plan in place before the close of the fall of 2015?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated, the new health centre definitely has some issues and some questions. My questions today will be for the Minister of Public Works and Services.

The question is: What is the department doing to address the office space that is not currently planned for the new facility?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Besides chipseal, I think was your last comment. Minister Abernethy.