Wendy Bisaro

Thanks to the Minister. I do agree; there have definitely been some improvements in terms of the timing of when applications are received, and determined, and money gone out. It was pretty miserable there for a while but it’s been apparently really good in the last year or two. Again, this is just a comment, but I would exhort the department to try and find money to increase this fund. I think even to $500,000 would allow a number of the NGOs who don’t get money to maybe get some. For an NGO $50,000 is a lot of money. It’s peanuts to us but it’s a great deal of money to an NGO. So I would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the last few weeks, Members have spoken a lot and asked many questions about the GNWT Medical Travel Policy, and I have another unique and special situation that I want to comment on today.

Apparently not, according to the recent experience of a Yellowknife constituent in the elder category. Her health condition required a trip out for treatment. Funding to cover the cost of an escort to travel with her was denied by GNWT health. My question is, should it have been?

Through this experience I’ve learned a whole new term: policy by commitment. MLAs regularly hear...

I don’t understand the answer. Perhaps the Minister can explain.

That’s good to hear. The other question I have here has to do with the reporting of the public accounts, and I know that the department has been struggling somewhat to get public accounts out by the end or the date that is legislated and by the end of the calendar year. I gather, I think there have been a few changes to the reporting of the public accounts. Is it likely that the department’s going to be able to get the public accounts out a couple of months earlier than we have seen them for the last few years?

Justice, activity summary, corrections, operations expenditure summary, $38.169 million.

Just one last comment. I wasn’t asking for the work of the PRO to necessarily be public – as much as possible, yes – but I’m talking about the work plan, what this division is planning on doing and what things they’re going to be looking at. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to follow up a bit on sort of the same vein as some of the questions that Mr. Bromley was asking. I heard the Minister say that there will be consultation and public engagement. I’d like to just ask the Minister what the difference is between those two terms. Thank you.

Just one last question. The Minister just said that we still put money into NORCIX to the NWT Self-Insurance Program. I thought we had stopped doing that.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Abernethy.

Thanks for that info. I’m glad to see that we are not doing just year by year. I think a multi-year or three year or whatever it is work plan is a good thing.

My next question has to do with whether or not the work plan of the program review office is a public document. I think there would be a lot of people, both within government and without, I think, who would be interested in knowing what we are reviewing, what things are coming up. We may even get input which tells us that we’re moving in the wrong direction. So is this going to be a public document, the program review office’s work plan...