Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the 13th Assembly since 1995, I came into office with a $150 million deficit with the government at the time. We had to make some tough decisions and had to make some tough choices in regard to how we were going to do to deal with the deficit situation we were in.
Back then the Government of the Northwest Territories provided staff housing to staff throughout the Northwest Territories, and the government of the day decided to sell off that staff housing to deal with the deficit situation we were in with regard to trying to recoup some $75 million to pay down the $150 million debt that we incurred.
We also had to make tough decisions in regard to programs and services, and also amalgamating departments by moving department personnel, eliminating the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, and also amalgamating departments into Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.
The loss of programs and services through the Northwest Territories, especially in small communities.... We have not been able to recuperate from that decision. Today we have some major problems simply in recruiting and retaining professionals in our communities. One of the main drivers of that is the lack of housing for staff.
Our communities are still recuperating from those decisions and yet have never been able to get back what they lost. The simple things we take for granted, such as programs and services like being able to see a doctor, dentist, the nursing professions in the communities, are being limited because of not being able to recruit and retain nurses and teachers in our communities. That decision is still affecting us today.
What do we do from here on in and going forward? We have to ensure our decisions, the impacts....
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.
Whatever decision we make going forward has to be one that’s seen over the long term — not just four years ahead, eight years ahead or, as in my case, 12 years ahead, but 20 years ahead, to ensure that whatever we do here…the implications and impacts will be minimized and the long-term effects resolved, so that we’re able to find ways of filling those gaps and don’t have to live with them long into the future.
With that, I will be asking questions to the Premier on this matter.
The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
