Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think most of the information or concerns that I have will come out in the details of each department, but I think my biggest concerns today that I’d like to express is the continuing increasing size of our budget. Our expenditures continue to get larger and larger, even though the Minister and the Cabinet keep indicating to us that we’re on fiscal restraint and we want to keep our expenditures down as much as possible, but we continue to grow the size of our budget every year. Phenomenal numbers for the population of 43,000 people.

I think one of the biggest concerns...

I respect the Minister’s answer and I understand the long-term beds solution throughout the North, but we are dealing with Hay River, one of the largest centres in the Northwest Territories. I am hoping the Minister’s statement doesn’t mean that he’s looking at putting Hay River residents elsewhere.

Is there a commitment from the department? I know the Minister of Health has indicated, in a public speech, that they are looking at solutions in Hay River for those 10 long-term beds.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement, we are having concerns in Hay River about the new health centre and what’s not going into it. I have questioned the Minister on this in the past, about the 10 long-term beds. Can I get an answer from the Minister of Health and Social Services on what he has done since the beginning, what he and the department have done for a solution for the 10 long-term beds in Hay River?

I guess it’s those decentralization positions that I have some concern about. Devolution is a discussion of, there’s also opportunity for that area as well. One of the biggest concerns that I have with that is the Minister has indicated that they’re committed to decentralization and getting those devolution positions eventually out to the regions, but I haven’t seen a lot of activity or a lot of planning discussion on them making sure that communities are prepared for it.

I know in Yellowknife they’re building a new office building here that there’s probably going to be some available space...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my statement, I am just a little bit bewildered that we’re making a 50-year plan without some of these answers already being made.

My question is to the Minister of Health. Has the existing hospital, the old hospital, been part of their assessment for keeping the long-term care beds in Hay River? Have they included that in their assessment?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This evening I have the opportunity of returning home again to take part in a great event. My colleague Mrs. Groenewegen and myself drop the puck for the Northern Hockey Challenge. The YK Flyers are going to play the Hay River Huskies tonight. I’d just like to talk about the Northern Hockey Challenge and the activities that are going on.

The Western Arctic and Nunavut are having two different competitions where the two will meet the winners of… The two divisions will play each other later.

Back in the early ‘90s, senior hockey was taken out of the Arctic Winter Games...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question on the Hay River dredging, I’m just wondering if the Minister has any dollars to commit to doing, other than letter writing. Any dollars for assessing the value and the cost of dredging the Hay River?

I’m just wondering, with the meetings with Minister Lebel, if there was discussion of other infrastructure such as the Mackenzie Highway and the potential of needing funds for that, and is the federal government interested in the responsibility for constructing roads on the Mackenzie Highway; specifically, the Sahtu area.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to also recognize Mr. Brad Mapes, a proponent for Aurora Pellets and our deputy mayor of Hay River and also a former basketball coach of mine. Also Lloyd Chicot, the chief for Kakisa. I’ve worked with Lloyd in his community before. Welcome.

The Minister must be reading my mind. My next question was about the port of Hay River and the dredging that the federal government is responsible for.

What is the next step in confirming some of this funding? We currently have no commitments from the federal government. What is the next step? Do we have another meeting planned with Minister Lebel to confirm some of these infrastructure dollars that we require?