Wendy Bisaro

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?

So just to follow up, this is not activity. I gather this is, I think this is in the Sahtu area or from Wrigley and up, but I gather that this is not an activity or the activity in that area could not be foreseen when we were doing the budget. Is that correct?

I want to thank the Premier for that very thorough response. I would hope that might maybe be posted somewhere so that people will be able to go and read it, if they haven’t heard it here.

The Premier has been very clear. Several times he has said it’s a done deal. I think that’s where I am finding it a bit conflicting. If it is a done deal, why are we bothering to go out and consult?

I’d like to know from the Minister, then, just for clarification, for those people who are not represented by an Aboriginal government, there’s public engagement. If I have a conflicting opinion, if I wish to see...

That’s good. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What a historic day yesterday. Devolution has arrived after a long and a hard-fought battle. That we’ve reached this point is wonderful. I am in full support of devolution and very happy. It’s not something I thought I would see during my tenure here at the Legislative Assembly. I offer congratulations to the Premier, the Aboriginal governments and all the hardworking GNWT negotiations staff, past and present, who brought us to this point.

Today I’d like to follow up on an exchange that I had last week during budget deliberations with the Premier, and recent comments by...