Kieron Testart

Thank you. Do we have an idea of how many are dev corps, then, or owned by local bands or other Indigenous governments? Thank you.

Thank you. So the Minister can confirm, then, that agency nurses have been deployed to both -- sorry, to the TCSA and to NTHSSA? Thank you.

Thank you. It doesn't surprise me that there's a surplus from extended health benefits given that was the point of changing them. I'm just -- I think conceptionally it's disappointing to think you're taking money from one class of people and giving it -- to pay for the benefits of another class of people. I think, again, conceptionally that's not great. I still get plenty of complaints. I get a constituent who texts me monthly with his -- the increased costs to his medical needs because of income testing of extended health benefits, something I do not support. So I mean, like I said...

Thank you. I'd like to ask about the contract -- sorry, the $2.4 million and change to provide -- reflect the impact of costs associated with agency and contract staffing. Can the Minister explain what that is. Thank you.

Thank you. So this is -- and this surplus exists after the changes were made to income testing extended health benefits; is that correct?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the following questions with respect to health care management to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Please provide the following:

How many full-time physicians were hired by the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) last fiscal year;

How many full-time physicians left their employment with the NTHSSA last fiscal year;

A breakdown of the reasons for why full-time physicians left their employment with NTHSSA last fiscal year, including resignation, term expiration, retirement, termination, and any other relevant reason;

A...

Thank you. Well, that gives comfort around the borrowing limit. But, I mean, we blew through this supplementary appropriation to the tune of $188 million, so I think planning to stay with that $3.2 million wiggle room we have is probably not going to happen. I don't think there's -- the evidence will tell us that it's not, so. But anyway, I'm confident that things are going to go through. On a personal level, I'm not worried about this. I think it just adds extra steps and makes it harder to do our jobs here if we hit that wall; it doesn't make it impossible. So I do thank the Minister for...

Thank you. I have great confidence in President Bailey and our Cabinet to press this issue at the federal table.

Can the Minister explain what the cost overage on the program is; what's driving the costs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, March is not a date, so I'm wondering if the Minister can commit to a specific date when the House can expect a plan or at least -- or a deadline when a plan should be made available. I think this is important for us so we have a comfort that the process is moving along; there's a clear deadline. I don't -- earlier or later, that's fine, but we need something set so we know what the deliverable is, our constituents will know when the deliverable is, and we can hold the Minister accountable for this -- for the commitments towards the public administrator...

Thank you. I mean, I have issues with, like, the debt ceiling in the first place. I think it's a -- it makes sense -- if you're a territory it makes -- an autonomous governing territory, it makes a lot of sense if you're basically a province, which we are. So anyway, we have to do what we have to do.

Is this going to affect -- we currently have the -- the GNWT has a double A minus credit rating from Fitch and an AA2 from Moody's. Is this going to impact our credit rating at all? Thank you.