Sandy Lee

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wasn’t going to comment more, but this issue that Mr. Braden has been discussing has prompted me to say something here so that it’s on record. I was going to wait until the Minister’s work is done in April or May when this initial report on this review comes hopefully to AOC to discuss it, but this is such a huge issue. I know Mr. Braden is very passionate about this issue. I’m not sure if what Mr. Braden is calling for, which I think is necessary, should be placed and that debate should take place by way of this review. I think the way we manage or not manage well...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask some more questions to Mr. Dent about the national childcare debate that’s going on and the meetings that he attended over the weekend. Mr. Speaker, lest there be any opinion out there that we have this huge functioning child day care program in the NWT given the Minister’s answers earlier, I think it should be a very clear understanding that we don’t have that. What we have is a very basic minimum, income tested day care subsidy. I don’t know if anybody has noticed the careful skating around that the Minister did in answering my question...

Thank you, but the questions that have been brought to me have to do with businesses that have been in existence for quite a few years, and that had been submitting taxes and payroll taxes. Now, two or three years later -- in one case, it is still a very rapidly growing business -- they might have been employing 10 people three years ago and are now employing 300 people. They are advertising; they have a strong presence in the city as well as in the surrounding communities. They have been called twice within a span of two months asking if they were going to be remitting taxes. They said, of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I would like to know if the Minister was to get the money that he’s looking for or somewhere near to that, what is the plan of this government in terms of putting in its own money? Is there any plan for the government to put in its own money? I’ll leave it at that for this question. Thank you.

Thank you. That gives us a $1.5 million savings. Will the Minister consider using that money to build an indoor gym in Nahanni Butte?

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask questions in furtherance today on day care programs, Mr. Speaker, and my questions go to Minister Dent. Mr. Speaker, we’re all aware of the weekend meetings that were held with his provincial counterparts and other territorial Ministers responsible for day care, including the federal Minister Dryden. Could the Minister update us as to what transpired at that meeting and what seem to be the points of agreement that they still have to reach? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chairman, thank you. I thank the Minister for that answer. Staying on the same topic of insurance, but not exactly the same as I have been asking about. The committee's report on the insurance speaks about the fact that the government has changed its deductible amount to $10 million to decrease the premium cost, but at the same time accepting more risks. For the record, could I ask the Minister whether the government has undertaken an analysis of the cost and benefit picture, of changing this risk versus cost and what their findings are so far? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak in favour of the National Childcare Program. Mr. Speaker, I am very excited about the debate going on across the country that has put this issue on top of the national agenda. This is long overdue, and I strongly urge the federal government and all provincial and territorial governments, including this government, to apply all of their energy and commitment necessary to make this happen once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, a recent survey has shown that, in Canada, more than 50 percent of children are taken care of by a person or...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On the Minister’s opening statement, I have another question on the topic of insurance. The Minister’s statement speaks of increased funding of $530,000 for increased insurance cost. My question is not specific to that issue, but insurance in general. The AOC committee report spoke about the collaborative effort going on between the AOC members and the Minister to try to look at the rising cost of insurance and the whole general topic that I think we will be discussing more. My question to the Minister is whether or not there are any programs in the government...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to just say a few things about the budgeting process in general. It’s not specifically to the Department of Finance, but it is relevant in that it is the department that puts the estimates together. First of all, I want to thank the Minister for breaking down the budget books into different categories under other expenses. I appreciate that the department and the Minister took the advice of the Members. I guess the government didn’t want to be asked on each item all over again like the way we did last time. Nevertheless, I do really appreciate the changes...