Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too, like my colleague, have had a chance to consider the budget address from the Minister of Finance, and I also would like to comment on the government’s plans for our next budget.
I have always agreed with the fiscal strategy we adopted at the beginning of the 17th Assembly. We have been prudent and, as the Minister said last week, we need to live within the means that we have. A stay-the-course budget it is and I am okay with that, but I am not totally satisfied with the proposed use of the dollars that we have.
On a happy note, I am pleased that the budget indicates the Midwifery Program will be stabilized and expanded, but no new midwife practice will get up and running in 2013-14. The money will go to planning at headquarters, and that’s not what we need.
Secondly, the budget includes $9.4 million to continue to subsidize electricity rates for residents, yet I have heard no indication from the government of any concrete plan to get us out of the subsidy business. How long will we continue to pour millions into the subsidy pot?
On another note, the Minister’s address talked a lot about economic development. I agree; we need economic development to grow our territory, but where in the budget address was the corresponding acknowledgement of environmental and social impacts? We cannot focus on economic development without also focusing on land use planning, socio-economic impacts and environmental concerns. I didn’t hear much about those from Minister Miltenberger and that’s a concern.
Fourth, I again appreciate the continued focus on early childhood development in the budget. It was a good move in 2012-13, to place $1 million into early childhood development programs. I have to say again, though, that it should not have come from the inclusive schooling funds. That part of the education budget will remain underfunded because of that transfer.
Fifth, I am again pleased to hear the Finance Minister commit to funding the implementation of our Anti-Poverty Strategy through an upcoming supplementary appropriation. I look forward to the action plan once it’s developed. This will be money very well spent, and spent properly, will bring efficiencies to government operations.
Lastly, I am concerned about the seeming lack of focus and lack of money for mental health programs and services. Lots of mentions and talk about addictions, but we will have no success in treating residents’ addictions if we don’t also treat and consider mental health at the same time. These two issues cannot be separated.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The Minister’s address mentioned slow revenue growth several times, but my thoughts on that will be left for another time.
I look forward to discussing the budget in detail in the coming weeks. There will be lots of questions from this side of the House. I eagerly anticipate the answers from the other side. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
