Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Extended health benefits have not changed, as far as what is provided. It is still consistent with what is provided through NIHB. This is demand-driven.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do need to wait for the report to come in. That will help us articulate where our pressures are and where we need to strengthen our investments. That would certainly include ensuring that we are spending our money the right way today, which might mean changes of positions, re: description of positions, and doing those types of things.

If it does require money, we have an obligation to build a business case, as every department does, that is evidence-based and makes sense. We are prepared to do that work, but we can't guarantee, obviously, that it would make it as far as...

That is the plan. I will note that that wasn't applied this way in this particular round. We are funding all. We are increasing funds to all the shelters using the $500,000 this time, but, going forward, that is the expectation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm pleased to present the 2019-2020 Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. The total proposed budget for the department is $495,934,000. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $34.4 million, or about 7 percent over the 2018-2019 Main Estimates.

Highlights of the proposed estimates include:

Forced growth of $3.98 million;

Funding for initiatives totalling $7.87 million; and

Sunsets and other adjustments of $16.5 million, which includes operationalization of the new Stanton Hospital.

These estimates continue to support the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to working with the Member as well.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The decrease in that area is as a result of some of the corrections that we were trying to do earlier in the life of this government. There was a suggestion, or rather a direction, to modify some of our co-payments and save some or collect some more revenues in this particular area. This decrease basically represents that change of $2.4 million.

I will note, however, Mr. Chair, that line doesn't show some of the money we're getting from the federal government, $5 million to support medical travel, as well.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In 2017-2018, we got a $2.5 million ongoing investment into homecare that we weren't anticipating when we did our initial work in preparation for that budget. We had to stand up a significant amount of services, the creation of 14 positions and other things, to make that a reality.

As the Member knows, and I think all of the Members know, we want to spend money for a maximum benefit. We want to make sure that the things that we are designing make sense and have ongoing and long-term benefits. I get that the number of seniors is increasing in this territory, but in order to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That work is ongoing. They are all embedded and sort of tied together and will be part of the formula, as well. Our expectation is to be completed before the end of this term. Hopefully, you know, summertime, late spring is kind of what we are hoping, but, recognizing that we do occasionally have human resource challenges, hopefully, it won't be delayed too far beyond then.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Caring for Our People, Cultural Safety Action Plan 2018-2020," "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 527-18(3), Aging in Place," and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 555-18(3), Yellowknife Adult Day Programming." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. They are.

Just in response to that last comment, I still take offence to the suggestion that we would hold back the draft action plan as some way to subvert the budget process. That is deeply insulting. We brought it forward to committee as soon as we had it done. It is a draft. There is still room to move on that, and frankly, I find that incredibly insulting.

Back to the original question, yes, Avens falls under this area.