Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I raised the issue, as other Members have, of our concerns about the lack of support for the seniors who wish to go to the Canada 55 Games.
Mr. Speaker, if I had time today, of course, I’d question the Minister of...Sandy Lee as Minister responsible, and, of course, that’s @email. But my questions are to Minister Miltenberger directly, because he is truly in charge of the purse strings on this initiative and I think he could bring forward some type of supp process. So, Mr. Speaker, directly to Minister Miltenberger, the Minister of Finance, @email, would he be willing to find a way to find $50,000 to help support the seniors? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories provides tremendous support to seniors. We have some of the best seniors’ benefits in the country. The Minister of Health and Social Services has indicated a willingness to work with the NWT Seniors’ Society to look at a regional type of games that would maximize the ability of seniors in the communities to actually get out and take part in an event much more egalitarian, much more widespread. That’s the focus, and business plans will come forward reflecting that commitment. The Minister has already made that commitment in this House. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate our thespian Minister with his full-of-interest and wonderful-sounding answer. Of course, if I had time today I’d ask @email the question about how we can do this, but the reality is the fact that we have to get the money from the Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, they’re not asking for a lot of money and the government seems to keep turning around and saying it should be regional only. Mr. Speaker, what is holding this government back, from a finance point of view, of finding a way to find $50,000 in our $1.3 billion budget? Thank you.
The reality is that there are far more needs than there are resources. The reality is we make choices every day. The reality is that the focus of the government is on working with all the seniors in the Northwest Territories in all areas of their need, and when it comes to the recreation piece, the interest has been and the indication is that we do a lot of work at the regional level to maximize the involvement of seniors in the communities often who never get any other opportunity to take part in an event such as the regional games.
That’s the focus. I think it’s a very good idea, it maximizes input and that is what the Minister has committed to working with communities and the NWT seniors to try to make a reality. Thank you.
Well, if I may offer some reality, as well, because I would like to believe the Minister that this is the only reality, but I’m not sure I’m prepared to be deluded in that direction of lack a little faith on how good these things can be.
Mr. Speaker, the last Canada 55-plus Games brought about 100 participants and about 50 percent of those participants were from the communities. So this is a territorial initiative. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance, because he talks about finances and money not being available, how much money does this government make off interest base alone of our capital budget that isn’t spent? Wouldn’t there be enough money on interest alone to cover the costs for our Seniors Games? Thank you.
The issue is about choices and resources that we have and decisions to put the money to the best use for the maximum number of people. That is what we’re talking about, and we are. We are making a conscious effort in some areas to go into debt, there is no doubt about that, on the short-term basis to fund some of our capital to keep our priorities moving.
In this case, we’ve made a choice to look at putting the money to get max amount of involvement by seniors at the regional level and I think it’s a good focus and the more seniors we keep active, the better.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I really like the last comment from the Minister, which is the more seniors we can keep active, the better. Well, Mr. Speaker, there’s no proof that this isn’t just as good. So I’d like to ask the Minister, is it his individual policy position that this is not a go for seniors or is he going to work to see if he can find a way to turn this into a reality? Because it’s time we give our seniors a treat and stop tricking them. Thank you.
The reality remains, as we’ve said, the focus is going to be on regional type of games, working with the NWT Seniors’ Society and communities to get as many seniors as we can involved. The Member indicated there’s no indication that this isn’t any better, there is no indication that it is better. We know that we can get far more involvement by focusing on working with the communities and the Seniors’ Society. That’s where we’re trying to put the resources we do have available in this area. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
