Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have to again express my philosophical different path than the Minister on this. I understand that this special warrant was needed because at the beginning of the forest fire season we had quite a few fires and we overspent our budget almost right off the bat. Again, I have to wonder why we budget a base amount that is fully used just to mobilize our forces to fight one or two fires. It would seem to me that we’d be far better off to go to a bit more realistic estimate of the number, in my perspective. Again I have to ask if we’re budgeting on actuals, although I...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m trying to understand the philosophy and the rationale for the budgeting here. The Minister advised that they budget on actuals. I’m looking at figures provided to back up this request. I’m looking at an actual deficit in 2008-2009 of almost $2.8 million. Yet it would seem that in 2009-2010 we did not bump up our actual expenditures, because we’re still short by $3.6 million. So from $2.8 million to $3.6 million, that’s $800,000. That’s not bad, but I would like to know, I guess, from the Minister if he could tell me what we budgeted in 2009-2010 for medical travel...

The Minister and I have discussed the philosophy before and I have to disagree with him. I’m not so sure that funding to an unrealistic level is going to provide any more accountability than funding to a realistic level and then forcing our staff to keep to that expenditure limit.

I don’t see much accountability when before us sits a supplementary appropriation for $3.6 million for last year, $3.2 million anticipated for this year. I don’t really see how this is providing accountability in this particular aspect of our Supplementary Health Program expenditures.

I did want to ask another question...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am somewhat concerned by the numbers on this page. This indicates that in both last year, fiscal 2009-10, and anticipating the cost in fiscal year 2010-11, we are overspending our medical travel budget by about $3.2 and $3.6 million. So I have to anticipate that going forward it’s probably going to be about the same kind of an overage in future years. I’d like to know from the Finance Minister whether or not he can advise what sort of actions are being taken to try and minimize the cost of medical travel, or are we just simply going to come back year after year for a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, November 1, 2010, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that this Legislative Assembly requests the Governor-in-Council to dissolve the 16th Legislative Assembly on September 4, 2011, to permit a general election for the 17th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories to be held on October 3, 2011.

Thanks to the Minister for her comments. I appreciate, I think, Standing Committee on Social Programs will certainly take advantage of the Minister’s comment that we can go for public input. I imagine there will be certainly some of that.

The Minister mentioned the 2007 policy, which has now been rescinded. It kind of leads into my question. I guess two things: I don’t think we need a policy to extend coverage to people who are not covered, but in the absence of a Supplementary Health Benefits Policy -- which I presume we now have -- what will govern extended health benefits, Metis health...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I’d like to follow up on my statement and her statement as well.

I noted in the Minister’s statement that there were no words that I read or understood which referenced that coverage would be extended to those residents of the NWT who do not currently have either chronic conditions coverage or catastrophic drug coverage or supplementary health benefits coverage. So I’d like to ask the Minister, is it the intent of the Minister and the department to do that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we were fortunate to have rain every day. I have to just again express my disappointment, although I have to say that this is probably the one area of expense why I could understand why we would have a base amount and then would come back for an appropriation, because it is a very volatile activity and one can never tell from one year to the next how many fires we’re going to have. But I do think that our base amount is not enough. Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s pretty much a comment.

I would be interested in seeing those two numbers, because I really have a hard time believing that we need $3.6 million. We have a $3.6 million shortfall if we’re budgeting from actual, because in the previous year we had a deficit of almost $2.8 million. Just a comment.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That’s good.