Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Madam Chair. It’s pleasing to see that we’re moving our promotion and prevention budget from the 1.4 percent to its target, I guess, in the life of this Assembly to that magic 3 percent. I guess it’s baby steps in nature. I think the Social Programs committee is very appreciative of that.

Healthy Families, it looks like there’s going to be a breakdown of about $250,000 or a quarter million dollars. Can I get some more explanation? Is this proposed budget going to be mostly going into small communities more so in the Sahtu? Is this where only this money is going to be beneficial, is...

Again, page 7, committee. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013, department, subject, Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, activity, not previously authorized, education and culture, $782,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $782,000. Does committee agree?

Madam Chair, I have one final question. Does the department have any plans of action should interest rates rise exponentially which we don’t hope? But if they do, does the department have the flexibility within the profile of investing to take advantage of interest rate fluctuations should interest rates rise appropriate during the course of any given year for investing?

Page 7, Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013. Mr. Bromley.

As mentioned by Mr. Kalgutkar, there are various investment monies or investment opportunities that this money will be put in under, as they said, a guidance or profile. Can the department indicate who advises this investment? Will Regular Members have the opportunity to be part of the investment strategy and help coordinate a stronger thinking tank, so to speak, with this money in the future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Page 5, Health and Social Services, operations expenditures, community health programs, not previously authorized, $1.267 million. Total department, $1.267 million.

Madam Chair, again, we do appreciate the Department of Finance recognizing the need to commence the starting point for this fund. Given the fact that we have very low interest rates and the return on investments in the investing world is somewhat questionable, can the Minister indicate as to what vehicle and what type of vehicles will this money be invested to accrue the highest possible return for the people in the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Miltenberger, I’ll decline that. As I said earlier, we were talking hypothetical from the Member. You’ve already made that commitment, so we will not do that. Mr. Lafferty has already answered that question in a previous response. I’ll get you to introduce your witnesses to the Chamber, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, very encouraging news. I think people listening out there feel that their needs are being met. Until such time as we have policies in place, we have budgets in place, there are communities out there that are in dire need. They need medical transport vehicles to avoid patients being transported in the back of quads, in the back of pickup trucks. Is there any appetite for this department or the government to look at the needs of individual communities, assess them, and do more good now than waiting for some projected budget in the future? Can we assist these...

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Before I allow this to proceed, your question is not involved with the supp page that we’re on right now. I would ask that if you reframe your question in accordance with page 5 on the expenditures in question. I’ll turn it back to you, Mr. Bromley.