Robert Hawkins

On this section, I think that will be perfectly fine. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as many of us know, this is approximately a 120-kilometre road which could run anywhere about a $2 million project. In speaking to some people who work for Fortune, they’ve coined it as a deal has been struck to work on a framework to do this road and that they’re planning for investment.

I’m trying to find out what has been struck in the form of a deal with Fortune Minerals in order to either build a road, lease back a road, or create a road. What is happening on this issue? Thank you.

Thank you. Would this be similar for doctors that have to do yearly testing or upgrading or skill development per se? I know some dentists, I think every year, have to do some type of week or a day or two and there are other industries within health that require, obviously, a day or two seminar or whatnot to keep their credentials up to speed. Is this somewhat similar and do we pay for those as well? Thank you.

Only a few short years ago, there were several million dollars outstanding in disputes and discrepancies between what the GNWT picked up the tab for under services we thought, or believed very strongly, were NIHB funds and, that said, were outstanding fees with the federal government. When was the last balloon payment they made to catch up to that disputed amount? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Inflation is at a three-year low. Why? Because of cheaper gas prices across Canada, everywhere but the Northwest Territories. The Canadian Consumer Price Index is saying that it is at its lowest since 2009 in January. Why? Because of gasoline prices, yet again everywhere but the NWT.

I visited the fuel pumps this week, like many Northerners, and we all continue to experience the high prices of gasoline here in the Northwest Territories. Since raising this issue almost four weeks ago, Northerners keep telling me that they feel like they’re at the mercy of the local market...

Thank you. Just for clarity’s sake, is that $1 million package that goes to allied health considered a normal part of the negotiation in their contract that they’re upgrading or, probably, yearly requirements of taking training? Is that normal to be negotiated in their contract?

Thank you, Madam Chair. On this particular section I’m just wondering, quite often the territorial government has been well known for providing more services than it covers and there’s always been a dispute between the feds about what billable services can be reimbursed. This is the right section, I assume, for that detail. and if it is, just in case, then how far is the gap or what are we in delay of payments, because it’s always been quite a known subject that we’ve been behind on NIHB return payments owed by the feds. So let’s start with that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on a point of order. I’ve waited until today to raise the point of order because I wanted to review the previous day’s Hansard. During an exchange with the Premier regarding the courthouse, I made note that on Friday, February 22, 2013, on page 26 of the Hansard, Premier McLeod makes the following statement: “We did, as the government put it, have that project, called the NWT Law Courts Project, and we put $40 million in the capital budget in 2005-2006. Committee took it out of the budget.” There lays the point of order issue.

So I draw all Members’ attention to...

Okay. That’s the type of detail that was very helpful. Thank you very much.

I was able to hear all of that this time around. Thank you very much for repeating it. I apologize for that.

As far as the specialist money, that doctors money tends to be oversubscribed and underfunded, as the deputy minister knows, as well as the Minister, obviously. Does the Minister see that maybe there’s a possibility of paying actuals until we get a new program in place? That’s always treated as a deficit. Sorry. That is one of the causes for Stanton, in particular, to be recognized as always carrying a deficit. That too, as I’ve heard, sounds like a good plan to solve some of the medical...