Thank you, Madam Chair. Throughout the document, we talked about areas of increase in the budget related to the collective agreement that was negotiated for the term of the last agreement, and there is a percentage or some factor of that increase associated with budgeted overtime, as well. Overtime is hard to forecast, so sometimes, we don't necessarily have a budget that matches our needs in overtime. Yes, there is an increase throughout the document reflective of overtime increases. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to know if the department can tell me, in the 2018-2019, just so I can get a picture of what extra costs in overtime the NTHSSA had to come back for, to this government, well, not this government, but the previous government, to ask for, just related to overtime in the NTHSS? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have that level of detail with me right now, but that is something we can look into. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister, for that commitment to come back with the information. Further questions, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes?
This is something that I have asked previously, so I guess I'll just move on to the next. Within this budget, knowing just kind of what I was talking about today in my Member's statement and with the nursing shortage, can the Minister tell me: do you know how much we spent in the past year alone on job shares and flying people in and out, and the travel costs for health positions? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We don't have the details of the NTSSA's budget, but I may look to Ms. Mathison, if she has that level of detail. I don't know. We may have to, Madam Chair, get back to the Member in terms of some detail. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Director of finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I do recall us pulling together this information when it was asked. I just don't have a copy of it here with me, but we do have that information available.
Thank you, Director of finance. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, your time is expired. Do you need to be put back on the list? Any further questions? Member for Inuvik -- Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I'd like to be the Member for Inuvik sometime in the future, maybe, but I think they have a couple of pretty good MLAs right now. I'm looking at the 2018-2019 annual report for NTHSSA. The accumulated deficit is $100 million. I'm just wondering if someone can tell me what the accumulated deficit is now for the authority. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There was a number that was shopped around previous in March when I met with AOC, and I want to make sure that the number is accurate. I'm going to ask Ms. Mathison or Mr. Cooper to come up with the most up-to-date deficit rather than me telling you what I told you in March. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The accumulated deficit at this point is projected to be $119 million.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Presumably, then, that's to March 31, 2020? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Everyone is nodding.
So what is the plan to deal with this deficit? I don't blame anybody in this room for that. This is an issue of chronic under-funding of our healthcare system. Is there a plan to deal with this deficit over the long term? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That is the intent. We are going back to the health authorities to ask them to come back with a debt recovery plan, and we are hoping that some of the reviews that we're doing and some of the things that we're doing right now can help reduce some of the deficit. That is the plan with all the different health authorities, is to go back and come back to our department with a debt recovery plan. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair, and thanks to the Minister. I guess I'll be kind of clear here. I don't want the deficit done on the backs of our citizens. I don't want to see people lined up in the hallways waiting for healthcare and so on. The idea of health system transformation is that we could find some efficiencies. I'm all for efficiencies, but I just don't know how the health authority can make up this kind of deficit over a short period of time. We need more money spent on healthcare. We all know that, and I don't know whether there are opportunities to get money from the federal government or wherever. Can the Minister just talk a little bit more about where the expectation is that these funds are going to be found? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We are hoping that our plan will identify areas where we are under-funding and areas that we can improve. The plan is not to not provide adequate services. That is never going to be our intent. You look at the COVID virus right now, and some of the ways that our department is increasing efficiencies. We're doing healthcare through virtual care. We're doing it through telehealth. There are areas for improvement where we can reduce some of the budget. This is something that our department will look at as a result of COVID-19 and how we have cost-saved. Right now, we are going to the federal government on everything; whatever is related to COVID in our department, we are getting federal funding for. I'm not saying our budget is going to decrease next year, but it's just ways where we're trying to find efficiencies. This is just one of many ways that we can look at. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that. Can the Minister tell us when this plan is going to be ready and if it can be shared with MLAs even in a draft form? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry, can I ask what he wants shared?
The Member asked if you could speak to the timing of the plan being completed and whether it would be shared with Regular MLAs.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to look to Deputy Minister Cooper as I don't have the exact dates other than we want the authorities to come back with us. Maybe he can speak to a specific timeline so that we can come back to AOC. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Our plan is to have a first deficit recovery plan in tandem with the authority by fall 2020. We had originally hoped that this would be done, we'd have some options in place for the end of March. Of course, things changed radically in the last little while. We needed to be realistic, given the intense focus at the NTHSSA on COVID. We need to have a plan that cannot have the focus on a potential wave two diluted. We are hoping that fall 2020 will be realistic for us, and it will absolutely follow normal protocols for engagement.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I appreciate the words of the Deputy Minister and the Minister. I often don't say "thank you," so thank you for your hard work.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Are there any other questions on this page, funding allocated to health and social services authorities? Member for Thebacha.
I just want to ask a couple of questions on page 185. The $295 million, I would like the allocations in detail. You don't have to give it to me today, but I would like to do that. There are a couple of things that I am concerned about with some of the answers from the Minister, and that is going back to the communities and regional health authorities to try and cut budgets. I do not agree with that, especially in the situation that we are in. We should be adding. There are a lot of things that have been taken away from regional healthcare facilities that are not okay. Once I get all these figures together that I have been promised yesterday and today, I will be using my time during the Members' statements to make my case very clear. On the positive side, because I did say some positive things today, we are very lucky to be living in the Northwest Territories. Not only at the local healthcare system and the Stanton one, and also with my recent illness with Cross Cancer, the care that I got, you can only get in Canada. It was incredible, and the people on the front-line are there to make sure that we are served properly. It's easy to sit here, and it's hard to criticize. Sometimes, we have to give those bouquets to the people who really count. The care that we get is exceptional. I want to thank all those who worked the front lines because they are special people. With that, thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister, where can the Member find the detail of the MTHSSA budget?
Thank you, Madam Chair. We will request the authorities to provide us detailed budgets, and then we will share that with the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Further questions on this area? Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a question on page 185 with respect to Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. We see an increase of $1.542 million. Can you give me an explanation on that? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking at my paper, and it says that it is from other revenues. I am just going to get clarification from Ms. Mathison. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Director of finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The bulk of that is for the increase in the collective agreement that was newly negotiated. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
No further questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Are there any further questions? I see the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes would like to have a second round. Let's give it to her because it's Friday.
