Wendy Bisaro

To the Minister, I don’t disagree that the information that has been presented is good information. It is a clear explanation of the current program. But, you know, in order for people to make a decision or to make comment on the program and the suggestions that are out there, they need to know the cost of the program and we need to be able to consider what it’s going to cost us, what it’s going to save us. That information is not available. I am concerned about the timeline. I am concerned about the amount of consultation. Particularly I’d like to know from the Minister about the stakeholder...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Services. I would like to follow up on some of the concerns that I stated in my statement earlier. One of the real difficulties that I see with the proposed plan and the discussion paper that’s out there is the timeline for implementation of these proposed changes. I’d like to ask the Minister, the time that is out there is September 1, 2010, I’d like to know what that date is based on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, go Canada go!

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that specific information. She mentioned, when I asked earlier, that there’s no need at this point for cost information, but I’d like to ask the Minister this question -- and I exaggerate these dollars totally -- if it’s going to cost $100 million to cover the end of our working spectrum who are not currently covered, if it’s going to cost $100 million to do that, that’s going to have a huge impact on what I determine to do with the “high-end” earners or where I’m going to get the revenue from to offset that expense. I’d like to ask the...

I thank the Minister. I am aware. I thank her for the short history lesson. My question was more to the amount of time that’s required for implementation. How much time is being allocated for consultation? How much time is needed for implementation? That was why I asked for the basis for September 1st.

To the Minister: once a decision is made on whatever these changes are going to be, how soon does she and the department expect the changes could be implemented?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I reiterate my need for two meetings; one to get the info and a second one for people to provide their input. To the working group and how they will be involved, I appreciate they will be involved. I would like to know from the Minister how they will be involved. Are there scheduled meetings with the department and/or the Minister with this working group or are they simply expected to provide their input as a member of the general public? Thank you.

I don’t believe I heard in there that the timeline is based on anything, so I’ll have to assume it’s based on nothing.

I have a question with regard to some of the things that are missing in the discussion paper that is out there on proposed supplementary health benefit changes. I specifically feel that Members and the general public need to know how much these proposed changes will cost and I have not seen that anywhere to date. I agree with the need to provide coverage for NWT residents that don’t have supplementary health benefit coverage, but I have to ask the Minister for an estimate of...

The Standing Committee on Social Programs recently received information on possible changes to the new Supplementary Health Benefits Program. Now that I’ve had a bit of time to consider the presentation from the Minister, I’ve got some concerns that I want to express, unlike our Olympic team.

Firstly, I appreciate the research done by the department and the data received by the committee, but even though it’s good data, it’s been selected and presented to steer people’s responses in a particular direction. The documents for review contain certain assumptions -- although the Minister calls them...

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for that clarification. So I guess I have to then ask, this is a P3 project, you know, the cost for the project is now $181-some-million, but is it normal that in a P3 project that the public partner is going to encounter and endure and have to undertake extra costs over and above the actual cost of the project? Thank you.

Thank you. That goes to my point, when I call them “hidden costs” I was not impugning that anyone was hiding anything, but these are costs which are not all that easy to itemize. The two PYs, yes, they’re obvious, but then there are many other bits and pieces of costs in various departments and that’s what I’m talking about. I’d like to know if the Minister can tell me approximately what kinds of costs the GNWT is incurring for staff time that’s been spent on this project, and that would be from after October 2007 election until now. Thank you.