Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Minister of Finance tabled the Capital Estimates for the 2009–2010 fiscal year. I read through the document last night, and I’m looking forward to discussing and debating the document later this afternoon. However, during our review of the tabled document I came across something that I found disturbing; specifically, the disappearance of the Stanton Master Development Plan.
In the 2008–2009 Main Estimates the Stanton Master Development Plan was identified as the $17.5 million project commencing during the 2009–10 fiscal year with an initial investment of $500,000 in that fiscal year. In today’s Capital Estimates for 2009–10 there is zero reference to the Stanton Master Development Plan.
The main reason I’m disturbed by the exclusion of this is that during the May–June session there were significant amounts of dialogue between the Minister of Health and Social Services and Members on this side of the House concerning the Stanton Master Development Plan. At that time the Minister committed to following through on the development and finalization of the Stanton Master Development Plan and made it one of the priorities of the newly appointed public administrator for Stanton. The master development plan has been in the works for a very long time, and this Minister put a lot of weight on its importance.
With no plan what is the Minister planning now? Without a master development plan how does the Minister intend to address the ongoing physical challenges of that authority? Where will the solutions come from? Who will be making the decisions, decisions based on what research? During the last session the Regular Members made it very clear that we will have great difficulty in recommending future approvals of capital projects for Stanton in the absence of a master development plan, a plan that was promised.
It’s been less than four months since we last talked about this master development plan at Stanton in this House. Four months ago it was an important part of the solution for Stanton. Today it doesn’t exist at all. I find that incredibly interesting and incredibly frustrating.
Later this afternoon I will be asking the Minister of Health and Social Services some questions on this deleted master development plan and the future of the Stanton Territorial Health Authority.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
