David Krutko

Moving on to page 1-23, Activity Summary, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Operations Expenditure Summary: $374,000. Mr. Hawkins.

Does the committee agree that the Minister bring his witnesses?

Page 1-10, Revenue Summary, information item. Mr. Abernethy.

Moving on to page 1-29, Activity Summary, Statutory Officers, Grants and Contributions, Contributions: $420,000.

Legislative Assembly, Activity Summary, Statutory Officers, Grants and Contributions, Contributions: $420,000, approved.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance: is there going to be some sort of a caretaker in place to look at the Inuvik Health Board review similar to what happened here in Stanton, where you basically point at someone to do the review independent of the CEO or the board, so you can get to the bottom of exactly why it is that we are continuing to run these deficits year after year?

People are running in deficit situations. Like I say, for me, we raise issues in this House time and time again in regard to health care services positions that we assume should have been in a community’s mental health...

Mr. Lovely.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Sergeant-at-Arms, could you escort the witness out, please.

The next item we need to deal with is Bill 9, which is Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008. At this time I’d like to ask the Premier if he’d like to make some general comments to introduce the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome, witnesses. I’ll allow for general comments. General comments? Detail?

With that, we can move to page 17, Legislative Assembly, Department Summary: $15.364 million, which we will defer until the end of our discussions.

Moving on to 1-8, Legislative Assembly, information items, Active Positions — By Region.

Legislative Assembly, Department Summary, Active Positions — By Region, information item, approved.

The director of Corporate Services, Mr. Lovely.

One of the concerns I have — especially representing small communities — is that we seem to have seen a real decline in services in our communities in health and social services in regard to vacancies; lack of programs being delivered by mental health, alcohol and drug workers; doctor visits; dental care.

I’m wondering if one of the reasons we’re seeing fewer services is because of the deficit situation at the Inuvik health board, which is affecting the ability of the board to deliver the essential services to our communities. Where we’re seeing a decline in those services, I’m wondering if...