Wendy Bisaro

So I guess the next question I have is: What is the Premier’s, what is the government’s expected outcome from this public engagement and consultation that is going to happen over the next two months?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanted to ask a question about this special warrant. It would seem to me that we should have had a better understanding of the costs of our winter roads. We should have been able to gauge ahead of time that we were going to have this expense. Why did we need to do a special warrant for this particular work?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, my questions today are addressed to the Premier, and I want to follow up on my statement and try to give voice to some of the concerns that I’m hearing from my constituents and some of the concerns that I have myself. When we were deliberating the budget, and also this week, between last week and this week, I’m hearing conflicting statements and getting conflicting information about where we’re going in terms of post-devolution final agreement and this consultation. I’d like to ask the Premier if he could elaborate for me and my constituents just what...

Okay, so if we’re out money, is it money that is recoverable? If we are paying interest on it, who are we doing the favour to and can we get the money back from them? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a question here under the health services programs. The funding for projected increased costs for the provision of health care services to non-NWT residents, I just want to totally understand this. This is a lot of money; it’s $4.7 million. This cost is for the provision of health care services to people who don’t live in the NWT. I gather that it is recoverable from the jurisdiction where these people live. I’m struggling to understand how we could underestimate such a large number. Maybe I can get an explanation from the department. Thank you.

So just one last question. I know that my experience has been that we regularly encounter extra costs for people in care, particularly people in care down south but also physician services that we access from down south. The Minister mentioned changing the base budgets in a number of places. Is services for people in care and physician services and so on, hospitals out of the territory, are those the areas where we’re increasing base funding, or maybe can the Minister tell me what departments we are increasing base funding for?

If the Minister could advise how much over that we are. Thank you. What is the total right now of our reserve? We are minus how much? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 44-17(4), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2011-2012, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 44-17(4) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you.

---Carried

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask a question here. The description indicates that this is a department over-expenditure, but then it also says it doesn’t represent an additional outlay of cash. Could I just get a bit of an explanation as to why we have an over-expenditure that doesn’t actually affect our bottom line, from the sounds of things? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier. That’s a good expectation. I expect that we won’t have a groundswell of support against devolution. I think there is general acceptance and people are very happy about devolution. I guess if there’s no opportunity for people to suggest changes to the agreement and if the Premier is willing to put it to a vote for Members, can I ask the Premier why he was not willing to put it to a vote through a plebiscite to the general public?