Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We believe this is good news for the Northwest Territories. Yes, there is the ability for corporations to write off capital investments within a specified period of time, but it also indicates that there’s going to be more diamond production, that there’s going to be, in all probability, possibly more staff hired. I don’t have a specific number at this early date what we anticipate the benefit will be to the bottom line, but this type of investment, this type of expansion will add, we think, somewhat to the mine life, but it will also increase and have a good impact on...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2011-2012. This document outlines an increase of $19.122 million for operation expenditures and an increase of $120.001 million for capital investment expenditures for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. The total supplementary request is $139.123 million.

Major items in this supplementary estimates include:

$138.1 million for the carry-over of funding for infrastructure projects. This funding was approved and lapsed in the 2010-11 fiscal period.

The carry-overs for capital investment expenditures...

Thank you. There was just a meeting earlier this week among the providers, ourselves, the Health department, as a government, about issues pertaining to medevacs. As the Minister I would want to have an opportunity to talk to the deputy and to our own officials about what transpired in that meeting so that we’re not inserting ourselves into a process that may be well underway in dealing with a lot of the questions the Member raised. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll ask Minister Michael McLeod to respond to that.

Thank you. We continue to be as proactive as we can be, recognizing decisions have been made. That report has just come out and there are 18 recommendations. Seven of them seem to be critical and to be acted on immediately. The remainder are seen to be that should be acted on prior to the final closure at the Edmonton International Airport. So we’ve had a long and storied history with what used to be the Capital Health Authority but now is Alberta Health Services. We have a good relationship with the services in Edmonton, but we have to recognize, as well, that there are changes. There are...

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When you look at the 18 recommendations, there are some very specific ones. Some of them will have technical impacts, logistical impacts. We are going to be looking at all of those. We are going to be doing the program as well as sitting down with the current provider for medevac services to look at any technical questions that may result. There are things that relate to the amount of gas, sites that are going to be used, the need for cross-training of crews. There’s a whole host of areas that have to be looked at carefully. So, yes, this report will necessitate a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t have a set date for the official opening, but when we do get one, I’d be happy to share that information with the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The involvement of the government and Health and Social Services was coordinated through the deputy minister’s office, who, as a former employee out of Alberta with extensive experience in the health system there, has sort of marshalled and coordinated all of our efforts. Thank you.

There’s a range of intervention that we have possible and I believe that is one of them. We try to work collaboratively and proactively with those that are involved, so we’ll follow that process. If it comes down to that type of final decision, I believe that, yes, we have the authority to do that.