Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On page 8-21 I just wanted to follow up with a couple of questions I noted under physicians inside the NWT and, as well, sort of cost to our health service centres. One of the particular issues I’ve noticed, and I’ve talked to the Minister and deputy minister, is the cost to health centres in how they distribute or reallocate funds; namely doctors’ cost and if we have a particular case where a health centre, or I should call it a health authority, where they are unable to find a doctor, they have excess funds sitting around, but they’re not allowed to hire NPs in the...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the orders of the day, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be directed to the Minister of ITI, the Honourable Bob McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, since the launch of the Made in the NWT Program, many northern manufacturers have told me they appreciated the leadership of the government in recognizing and supporting local goods being produced here in the North and they believe it’s been an incredible step forward in recognition of the work they do. Mr. Speaker, I truly believe that the Made in the NWT label gives Northerners a chance to buy local products that have been produced locally with a great sense of pride and value...

In the context of this is what we’ll be doing or is it in the context of a progress report working to the final fine-tuning position? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to do some follow-up as to a specific concern regarding supplementary health benefits. I understand some changes are being proposed or considered and juggled. I wonder where the public benefits are going to be brought into this from a communication point of view as to some of the changes and the adjustments. As I understand it, there are no big dramatic changes from the existing plan, but, of course, the public is still keenly aware of this particular issue. Does the Minister have any sort of update that she could provide the House? Thank you.

So there’s no policy in FMB stopping the authority from spending what would be directly physician money on an NP to make up sort of some of the shortfall when it comes to human resource ability.

Thank you. Speaking specifically to the authority problem or the redirection of the actual funds, at the time we had this discussion you made me aware that FMB is essentially the problem. We have FMB in the room in an informal process and what headway has been made with breaking down those barriers at FMB to allow the department, or I should say the authority, the flexibility of spending the money where it needs to be, which is in essence allowing people on the ground to do the work they need to do. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize a constituent of mine, David Yau, who is in the gallery here today. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I raised this issue with no intent of taking away from the hard work that has been produced, but any branding expert can tell you that when you expand and harmonize a branding product, you make sure that you overlap and in particular ways. That way your target audience, clients or potential buyers can all recognize the synergy is all enveloped in your messaging. For example, you can say experiencing the NWT without taking away the spectacular concept provided and promoted by NWT Tourism, or furthermore, as one more example, you can say only in the NWT and that would help, again...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to highlight the accomplishment of an excellent educator in our Yellowknife education system: Mr. Paul Bennett, principal of Ecole J.H. Sissons School.

Mr. Bennett is in Toronto at this very moment as one of 32 educators from across our country receiving the Outstanding Principal Award for Canada’s Learning Partnership for 2011. Canada’s Outstanding Principal Awards are presented to administrators who have made unique and crucial contributions to publicly funded schools and this year we are lucky to have one of our northern principals as a recipient.

Paul...