Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, to my right is the secretary to the FMB, Mr. Mark Cleveland; and to my left is Louise Lavoie, assistant comptroller general.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and I must say the Member has been consistent during our time here in the 15th Legislative Assembly on raising issues from our Stanton Territorial Health Authority and the hospital, where other nurses around the territory have to rely on the normal process through their union processes that we negotiate. The question is a good one because it gives me an opportunity to highlight where in fact we have made significant moves and improved significantly the use of and how we’ve worked with nurses in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the 2006-2007 year was...

Mr. Chairman, I am here to introduce Bill 10, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2007-2008. This bill requests authority for the forgiveness of certain debts listed in the schedule of the act.

Pursuant to section 25 of the Financial Administration Act, the forgiveness of a debt or obligation to the government exceeding $1,000 must receive Legislative Assembly approval.

When a debt is forgiven, no further collection action shall be pursued.

The forgiveness of certain debts being proposed in this act will not require a new appropriation. Allowances for doubtful accounts were charged to an appropriation at...

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2007-2008, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2007-2008, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, over the years, the estimating has become more accurate and the numbers have reduced, but it's very difficult to try to narrow it right down because if we have a large or a bad season of illnesses and diseases that we end up sending residents out to southern facilities, that can have a significant impact. If we are short on locums or different doctors that take care of our residents here in the Northwest Territories and we end up sending our residents south again to receive that type of service, that also has an impact on us. So it is difficult. We've...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in reviewing this file and the bill, the department feels the department can deal with an additional workload with the support staff that’s in place. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, as we go through a transition plan and implementation in putting this act into force, we will, as the office has already shown a number of files they have dedicated to different individuals in that office and will be working with them as we go through implementation in having this act come into force. Thank you.