Floyd Roland

Yes, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 8, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 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. Mr. Speaker, there are dedicated staff within HR. As well, we do have some staff within the department and I will get that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have stepped up in that area of recruitment and are going to universities and colleges that have the nursing programs beyond our own program in trying to encourage nurses to come north. Put out packages and extend the fact that we have this new program of community health nurse side and nurse practitioner side as well, and we’re starting to do that work and looking at expanding it to bring more nurses to the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our normal procedures are we have contact with the fuel tax collectors around tax season or regularly as we get input. We have some good tax collectors. The status of our fuel tax collectors is good. We also have areas where we are challenged in and doing further investigation. We normally would contact them initially with written correspondence around any potential changes and inform them through that avenue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to provide an update on the fiscal position of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Since the Legislative Assembly approved the 2007-08 Main Estimates for the GNWT in March of this year, there have been significant changes to the government’s financial picture. The changes are positive and with prudent decision-making will help to establish a solid foundation on which this Legislature can plan future activities.

As Members are aware, appropriate and predictable territorial formula financing, or TFF, arrangements and an increased GNWT borrowing limit...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this goes on from quite a long process; it just didn’t come up overnight. We have worked with our tax collectors, those that have that status, in collecting the taxes. We don’t charge home heating oil any fuel tax. The problem is, as those that purchase the bulk supply, they buy under the home heating oil banner and, for the Northwest Territories, there is no limit to that. What happens as a result of this is the federal excise tax can kick in, because what we are saying in the Northwest Territories now is that everyone purchasing fuel would purchase...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the work that we are doing within Finance around fuel tax collectors -- and there are about 30 of them in the Northwest Territories -- comes out of a result of a number of things that have occurred. One, in the tax administration of how we deal with home heating oil versus diesel, or motive diesel as we call it. In the Northwest Territories, there is no distinction between that. When a supplier purchases from a bulk supplier, there is no difference when it comes in the Northwest Territories. In fact, they can purchase home heating oil and motive diesel...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in some cases, yes, there are a couple of additional steps that are required because of the federal excise tax piece of it, but a number of the companies that have tax collector status on fuel sales have already done quite a thorough job. As they supply us information, it is very clear as to what happened.

Mr. Speaker, just to highlight some of the concerns, when we have problems with the administration or the processes of change an application to rebate taxes to entities that have used fuel for purposes of having a lesser tax rate than the one that is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of wait times is not, as I stated, an issue that is concluded. It is an area where we are challenged. We are going to continue to be challenged, especially when you look at the partners that we have in the Northwest Territories, in delivering health care. Yes, I will work and provide information. I will gladly sit down with the Social Programs committee or all Members of this Assembly to show how we work through this and how we have come up to highlight where we think we need to focus on this time and, in fact, some of the areas we are...