Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, the fund, $60 million over four years, we mentioned some of the highlights. I’ve had discussions with the Member about the interest of Deline in terms of mini-hydro and the work that’s been done to look at the Bear and the list, as we move forward on mini-hydro over the coming months and years, we want to look at mini-hydro wherever there are possibilities. We also have some good indication, for example, from Good Hope and the Ramparts. That budget address was not exhaustive in its reflection of all the projects and areas where funding is going to be spent. There is going to be, I believe, plenty of opportunity in the coming weeks as we flesh out the detail and move forward, once the budget is approved, to capture more of the areas that need attention.
Mr. Speaker, the communities of Lutselk’e and Whati have also been in the same situation as Deline. Again, I ask the Minister this specific project that’s been on the books for a long, long time with this government in terms of continued support, why was it not mentioned in the budget as the two other projects that have been ongoing with this government in terms of the funding? That’s what upsets me and upsets the people in Deline in terms of this mini-project. Why was it not mentioned?
Mr. Speaker, the intent was to reference our commitment as a government as a Legislature to alternate energy in the mini-hydro and other alternate uses of energy. We’ve identified Whati and Lutselk’e as communities that there is work that is quite a ways along. We recognize that there are others on the list to come, including Deline and the arrangements that could be made. I talked to the Member about Tulita. So the first focus in the budget reference was some of the ones that were further along in terms of the planning. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister is correct that we had talked somewhat on some of the other initiatives that we could go ahead with in the Sahtu region. The Deline mini-hydro project concept; it was my understanding, Mr. Speaker, it has been on the books for 16 years. Again, in terms of the work that’s been done there and discussion that the Minister made reference to in terms of the Fort Good Hope ramparts or in the Tulita area, it just has been known for a year or two and the Deline mini-hydro project has been on the books for a long, long time. For them to see that they’re not getting anywhere and want again to see from this government is that there’s going to be some solid commitment that better be considered like they mentioned in the books -- Lutselk’e and Whati -- and that is not something that they could think about later. I’d like to see that from this government here.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member’s interest and concern. As I’ve indicated, this fund is a brand new fund. Should the budget pass, then we would be in the position to lay out the work plan. The hope is that it’s going to extend past four years. We want to get things on the ground that are far enough along in the planning as we move forward in consultation with communities and with committees and if you look at the next phase of the business planning process, there will be an opportunity to address this plan to reflect all the priorities of this Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to when this government, through the lead Ministers, can go into Deline, sit down with them, prove that this commitment is something that they’re committed to do by sitting down with them and making this project a go. There’s going to be lots of discussions there. I look forward to when can this government direct your staff to go into Deline and sit down and sign off on the progress to the Dene mini-hydro project. Right now, for them there’s nothing mentioned on this. Again, that’s one of my disappointments on hearing the budget yesterday. This mini-hydro project has not been mentioned and shame on the government for the oversight.
Mr. Speaker, once this budget is passed, we will be in a position to look at how we’re going to move forward. We’ve identified in the budget address some examples. It wasn’t a comprehensive detailing of every expenditure in the main estimates. We also recognize that what Deline is proposing is by many standards new technology that’s being developed and in some cases not necessarily proven out for the rigors of use in the North in the river of the size being proposed.
There is a clear interest on the part of the government to look at all the small communities. I said that in the budget address. There are alternatives to fossil fuels in every community. We have to start the process recognizing that we cannot do everything at once, recognizing that we have committed to getting to all the communities with the different types of alternative energy, starting first with the passing of this first-time-ever major commitment to alternative energy. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I have a family in the constituency of Yellowknife Centre and one of them had a stroke. When they got to the hospital they did not have the clot busting drug called TPA. It’s been a little more than a year later and they’re doing much better, but the fact is my research recently has shown that there is no clot busting drug for strokes called TPA being used at present at the Stanton Hospital.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, will she investigate this to see if this type of drug could be used and brought into the common day-to-day use for any type of stroke victim at Stanton Hospital? As well, look at a strategy of perhaps when she could do that and return that to me as soon as possible. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the question but my understanding, Mr. Speaker, is that this TPA treatment requires the electronic radiology system where the message and imaging has to be sent south for observation and evaluation before the medication could be given and that medication has to be given within three hours of stroke onset. Also, we have had a chronic shortage of radiologists and we only have visiting neurologists. That’s one of the reasons why Stanton cannot, at the moment, have that service available. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister’s answer but that still doesn’t mean we couldn’t have this drug sitting on the shelf so that when things do line up and we do have a visiting radiologist or we have all the staff and all the equipment working at that time, that this could not be the option that that family may be depending on. Would the Minister look at a strategy to make sure that that drug is available when we do have all our stars lined up in the context of staff there who can do the job and whatnot?. Mr. Speaker, it’s very important. Would she look at that? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I do agree with the Member that this is something that we should look to see whether we could have it available at Stanton. I could advise the Member, Mr. Speaker, that in the upcoming budget there are some investments on what’s called PACS, short for Picture Archiving and Communication System, and when they consent to investment in that, that allows transfer and exchange of picture images from different facilities. I think having that system in place will allow us to seriously look at having this type of treatment available. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, can I get some time frames on when we can get some of these dates on. I’ll tell you, the reason I keep pointing at the TPA as a solution is because it seems to be the proven solution that works well and although alternatives are being presented and that will be good news for folks, not than anyone plans a stroke, but certainly in the context of if one happens people know the tools are there. I just want to make sure that we have some sense that this stuff is available and when. Thank you.
I will undertake to get back to the Member as to what time frame we will be looking at and what resources and commitments we would need to set up that system at Stanton, as well as the time frame for the rolling out of the PACS system.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement and ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs about the plan to assist communities in acquiring highway rescue vehicles. What state is that and how much work has been done to date?
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a report done a few years ago that recommended that this be looked into. It’s something that the departments of MACA and Health and Social Services have identified as a priority. Money is available in the budget that we will be hopefully debating on the floor of this House to enhance some of the programming to the communities.
Has there been support from some of the committees that the government has established to look at this issue and to carry forward? Like I said in my Member’s statement, Fort Simpson has many highways and it is a regional centre. I certainly support getting them a highway rescue vehicle.
There is support of communities out there and their support from all levels involved. It’s just a matter of identifying. Also there’s the communities themselves who have their capital money flowed from MACA that they could use for mobile equipment. Also there’s some federal funding that can be accessed. MACA is committed to going into the communities and helping them work out a plan to see what pots of funding they can access.
Just at what point will the department be initiating contact and speaking with the Village of Fort Simpson in terms of coming up with a plan and a strategy to address this lack of equipment?
The department will probably be in contact with the village very soon. It is a priority and I’m sure with the Member raising the issue that we need to expedite this. But I have informed the Member that through correspondence MACA will be in contact with the community to get this moving forward.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As well, it looks like there’s got to be some federal involvement here. At what point would we be involved in the federal department to assist or what program would that be then?
The involvement of the federal government would be on the funding that they have available for this particular highway. It’s called the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program and that is the program that they will be able to access some funding under. When MACA meets with the community they will be able to relay that information on to them and make them aware of all the potential pots of money that they can access.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
I have a couple of questions for the Minister of Finance. As part of the budget yesterday...I’ll back up. Some months ago this Assembly passed a motion from Regular Members which stated that a milk subsidy should be incorporated into the activities of this government. It’s well known that milk is an extremely healthful food and an excellent part of a preventative diet for children in particular.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance, since there was no mention of the milk subsidy in the budget address yesterday, whether or not a milk subsidy for children from zero to age 12, for instance, will be included in the activities in our 2009-2010 finances.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The motion that was passed by the Assembly was looked at. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment along with the FMB reviewed the numbers and looked at that and looked at what options were available throughout our existing structure that we have in place, for example, our Income Support Program, and that was the avenue that was chosen to do any work that would cover off the basics for those who need most. As well, we tried to focus on other initiatives to bring the cost of living down in our smaller communities.
I appreciate the answer. It doesn’t really go to the point of the motion passed by the Members on this side of the House. I believe that the government is trying to reduce the cost of living, but I think that one of the ways that it’s going to be done is to try to provide commercial power subsidy and that is intended to reduce the cost of living for goods and services. I guess I would need to ask the Minister or the Premier when we can expect to see this kind of reduction in the cost of living in concrete actual programs, when it’s going to be on the ground and in effect such that it’s going to affect the cost of living for food for residents in our communities.
I wouldn’t want to put words in the Finance Minister’s mouth on this matter, but my understanding as we work through this, as the Member has stated, that a commercial subsidy is being reviewed. They are prepared to go to committee on what structure they’ll put in place to see how that would be passed on to try to ensure it would be passed on to the people who live in our communities through that structure. I don’t have a timeline. I will have the Minister of Finance prepare a response for the Member.
That’s, unfortunately, the answer that I was expecting. Our communities need assistance now. We need a program that can be put in place sooner rather than later. I feel that yes, I’m appreciative we’re going to be consulted on this particular program of a power subsidy, if that’s what it is, but that’s going to take months. Literally months. Probably a year at least before it’s in place. A milk subsidy is a targeted program and it is one that I think can actually be put in place within a matter of a short few months and probably could be in place for the first of April at the beginning of this next fiscal year. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not this government puts a priority on assisting our residents in their communities and, if so, why this milk subsidy was not considered as a project that could be put in place in a very short period of time.
There is ongoing work around our subsidy programs that deals with families in need across the Territories. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment has an ongoing review of their program and the cost of living in our communities and look at making adjustments throughout the year. As for the commercial subsidy issue of when that timing will come forward, as I stated, I’ll have the Minister of FMBS and Finance come up with a response and provide that to committee. There is ongoing work on our subsidy programs that we have in place that helps offset the cost of living today in communities.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I need to ask the Minister what this government is going to have in place as of April 1st, 2009, that is going to be of benefit to the people in our communities to reduce their food costs.
The first fundamental program we have in place for families in need would be through our Income Security Program. That food basket is looked at and reviewed by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment throughout the year. I don’t have the timing of exactly when that next review and adjustments will happen, but that budget is adjusted, they do review on the cost of living of our communities and adjust on that basis.
For the commercial subsidy piece and how that goes out, as I’ve committed, the Minister of Finance and FMBS will respond to the Member on that issue.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Northwest Territories Foundation Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2008.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
I’d like to table page 12 of February 6, 2009, Yellowknifer specifically highlighting a quote from Premier Floyd Roland saying, “Premier Floyd Roland said the motion is a personal attack. Their shadow Cabinet must now be thinking they are ready to take over real roles.”
