Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is not a base adjustment to the contract per se. The contract, as the Minister pointed out, has been fairly consistent in its cost. What this is, is an adjustment to the program area in the budget of the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services where they had a certain amount of money for a contract that was inadequate to the tune of $547,000, roughly, and has helped contribute to the accumulated debt of the authority. I’ll ask Minister Beaulieu to speak to the… He already mentioned it, but I’ll ask if maybe he’ll go over the cost over the last number of years...

Yes, Madam Chair.

Yes, they absorb the costs that contributed to their deficit reaching the point where we need to recognize it and do this base adjustment. But it’s because they didn’t have the appropriate amount of funding in their budget to cover that cost.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 14, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2013-2014, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, the bill authorizes the Government of the Northwest Territories to make infrastructure expenditures for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What is before the House is really to cover a base adjustment to a contract cost that has been absorbed to this point by the Beaufort health and social services system that, as the Minister has pointed out, has helped contribute to their significant deficit, which is now in the neighbourhood of over $4 million.

The contract, as the Minister pointed out, was let. The contract prices have been fairly consistent. What has reached the breaking point, similar to the discussion we just had about the Stanton and the kitchen and laundry services there, costs have been absorbed...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, November 2, 2012, I will move that Bill 16, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2012-2013, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 14, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2013-2014, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chairman, when I get to that question, I will answer yes. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the anthrax outbreak this summer in the Mackenzie Bison Range was the largest we have experienced in Northern Canada.

At least one-third of the Mackenzie wood bison herd was lost and included bulls, cows and calves.

The outbreak was discovered during a routine surveillance flight on July 3rd when 128 carcasses were found at Mills Lake. The Anthrax Emergency Response Plan was activated as soon as these carcasses were found. An enhanced surveillance program was implemented and all carcasses were identified and treated by incineration and/or chemical disinfection in accordance with...

In my discussions with one of our very skilled veterinarians that we have in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources when I was on-site doing a tour, it was pointed out to me that on almost every site they were tracking the type of fuel mixtures that they used. They tried some with dry wood and green wood and no coal, some with coal, some with coal and green wood. They tried just tarping some to see how natural decomposition would work in the heat. They were going to go back in the fall and test all the burn sites with all these carefully identified and catalogued burn sites to...