Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken at length about the growing deficits of our health authorities and question the Minister about her lack of attention on addressing these issues that are just not going away.
On Monday, when I asked Minister Lee about the deficit at Stanton and the system-wide deficit, she answered that it was $10.1 million at Stanton and $16.8 million system-wide. These totals, Mr. Speaker, are only for the fiscal year 2011. What I was looking for was the Minister to state the accumulated totals for Stanton and system-wide. These numbers, Mr. Speaker, are much, much higher.
Somewhere these deficits have got to have our Department of Finance and the Finance Minister hearing some very loud alarm bells.
Mr. Speaker, my belief is that the biggest factors are chronic underfunding and unfunded positions. Government has never managed these issues effectively. With the ever-growing cost to deliver services to our residents, the inaction of government is magnified and manifests itself in these large deficits.
I am not sure what world the Minister lives in, but where I come from, if you have a problem that you can clearly see, you take action to fix it. For seven years the government has done nothing but to simply bail out the department and authorities.
At times, in order to placate some Members, they might look like they are interested in doing something like hiring a new CEO or senior staff, developing deficit-fighting plans that are never acted on and saying they are greatly concerned when questioned.
Mr. Speaker, words alone are not going to fix the problems. Nickel and diming patients for television, parking and telephone is not going to fix the problems. It will take a concerted effort by the Minister and department to present proper budgets before this House, not something they know is inadequate.
Given the fact it will need to maximize how each and every dollar is spent, we will need to vigorously pursue purchasing partnerships with our neighbours in western jurisdictions across Western Canada. We will need to commit ourselves to reducing our costs and searching out more efficient ways to buy health care supplies, procure services and manage our health care system,
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
