Michael Miltenberger

Last week, speaking as the Minister of Finance, I gave a fiscal update that indicated the financial fiscal constraints that we are under as a government and that our ability to deal with a lot of new program demands is very limited. This applies specifically as we look at the very great demand from the communities to look at service improvements. We will do what we can through the business planning process, through the forced growth that we do have available, but we are limited by our fiscal constraints that we are currently under. Through the business planning process coming up for 2012-2013...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d just like to offer up the specific commitment, proceeded by just a couple of points.

Court orders for restitution become statute barred in the Limitations of Action Act after 10 years, not six years, as with other debts. The courts will not impose additional conditions on the debtors, such as keeping the GNWT informed of their employment status, whereabouts or marital status. It is the responsibility of the party whom the judgment is in favour of to be diligent in their collection efforts, because the courts will not take further action.

Additional action can be...

This is a review of birthing services, midwifery services as it would pertain to a type of territorial system across the North. The RFP has yet to be concluded, as far as I’m aware, so there is no clear proponent that I can speak to or point to.

If I may use the specific example that the Member referenced, the midwifery review is going to look at potential birthing services in other communities across the North, keeping in mind that the Mackenzie Delta, Nahendeh, Tu Nedhe, Nunakput, Sahtu, Monfwi, and the Deh Cho have no birthing services of any kind. As we look towards what is the best service and how do we provide those services, that’s one of the key factors we have to keep in mind.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Warren St. Germaine, the comptroller general for the Department of Finance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We anticipate somewhere in the neighbourhood of $100,000 range.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue about confidentiality and the need to protect confidentiality when dealing with constituents and clients has been there. As we do business, it’s become more formal as the legislation across the land has been tested about breaches, about information getting out without people’s knowledge. It has become a greater issue and it’s a way to try to standardize the approach so it’s consistent across government. The consent form has been developed in an attempt to try to have that balance not to impede the work of MLAs so much as to make sure that people and...

Yellowknife has the best selection of services of any community in the Northwest Territories; things like the SideDoor. We have all the Health staff, Social Services staff that are here, the counselling agencies that are here, the health services at Stanton that are here. They have all the other network opportunities that are here. You have all the other access as well of some of the opportunities that I indicated earlier through other non-profit NGOs, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Firstly, I’d indicated that I believe that in almost every community, if not every community, there are places to turn. There are your parents. There are your relatives. If there are health officials, if there are social service people, if there are teachers, if there are other people that work in the community, there’s your clergy that may be available, that we have those resources. The issue that the Member asks about in terms of the example he raised, I don’t have the full details, but I would assume that there’s an age issue and that the individual, the youth is old...

Mr. Speaker, I’m not quite sure of the structure of this committee compared to, say, an interagency committee, if it, in fact, exists. My understanding of most interagency groups that I’ve been familiar with is that it ebbs and flows and gathers around projects or specific issues to try and resolve situations at a committee level. In this case, it’s an arrangement that we think is not harsh or overly dramatic. We think it’s a measured, careful, thoughtful response, and coming up with a solution very similar to the solution put forward by the Member for Great Slave as a way to keep everybody...