David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Premier and it’s with regard to the Deh Cho Bridge and the loan guarantee to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation. We just recently received a letter saying the loan guarantee was going to be again bumped up another $100,000. I distinctly remember saying the tap had been turned off on the Deh Cho Bridge project, so I was quite surprised to receive a letter like that. The project costs have gone from $50 million to $60 million to $140 million to $150 million. I am not sure why we continue to allow the tally to build up on this. I would like to ask the...

Yes, thank you. It’s under section 23(i). I believe the Minister was imputing false or hidden motives for my comments here in the House and I take great exception to that. My wife is a nurse at Stanton Territorial Hospital. I am very proud of the job she does there and, in fact, proud of the job that all the health care professionals that we have here in the Northwest Territories do. For the Minister to make comments like that, I take great exception to them. Mr. Speaker, this isn’t the last you will hear from me on that issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague, Ms. Lee, made a point that it's not just the front-line nursing staff here. We're talking about maintenance, we're talking about laundry, we're talking about cleanliness, the janitorial, we're talking about top to bottom. There's something wrong at Stanton Hospital. The Minister has been the Minister of Health of Social Services for five years. Some of these problems, to me, are very systemic. Why can't something be done with the morale at this hospital and this institution that provides such a valuable service to this community and this territory?...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to stand on a point of order. I think I clearly heard the Minister of Health and Social Services threaten my wife. She’s an employee at Stanton Territorial Hospital. She wasn’t one of the 17 health care professionals that showed up at my constituency meeting with these concerns nor was she one of the seven that showed up at my colleague Ms. Lee’s constituency meeting, Mr. Speaker. I take great exception to the Minister threatening me and I think I heard him say my brother, who used to work at North Slave Correctional Centre. Mr. Speaker, I will go back...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services:

From the operational review conducted in 2002, can the Minister provide the House with updates on what has been done to address all recommendations contained in the review?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it gets back to the status of Stanton Territorial Hospital and what is going on there. You know, these problems are not new. The Minister was the Minister back in 2002 when, in fact, he ordered a review, an operational review, a full operational review to be conducted in the fall of 2002. I mentioned in my Member's statement today that the scenario that played itself out in 2002 is very, very similar to the one that is here today, and the problems haven't gone away. The first question...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be back in the Legislative Assembly here with my colleagues as we continue to work on behalf of the residents of the Northwest Territories. I would like to begin with the issue of our economy. Mr. Speaker, our economy here in the Northwest Territories is growing. Since 1999, our economy has grown by 71 percent. Mr. Speaker, we have been dubbed by our Premier and other federal politicians as the future economic engine of this country. Interestingly enough, our economy last year grew only one percent. The questions that I have about this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the government currently working with industry to try to find some ways to keep people here? There has been many of us on this side of the House over the past three years who have suggested ways and means to try to attract people and retain people here in the Northwest Territories. For instance, a tax-free zone north of 60 has been suggested, tax deductions have been suggested, we talked about putting the revenue from resource royalties in trust. That hasn’t gone anywhere either. I would like to ask the Premier that question. Where is that at, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize chief of the Yellowknives Dene, Mr. Peter Liske and former chief, Mr. Richard Edjericon. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a question, a group of questions that is paramount to the government in its totality. That’s why I am asking the Premier those questions. I would expect that the Premier would be able to answer those questions that I am asking, Mr. Speaker. Again, my colleague, Ms. Lee, asked the Premier, produce some evidence that you have asked the federal government and the federal government has put us on the radar. Where is the proof? Where is the evidence? We have stood up here time and time again and asked the government to suggest things to the federal...