Sandy Lee

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a question on his opening statement, Madam Chair. Perhaps I should begin by commenting and congratulating the Minister for putting a very positive face on some parts of what was not the good-news budget he delivered yesterday. I do believe though it is a good budget in that the Minister has made his best efforts to grapple with our current financial situation.

There is no question that we have to work together to address some of these difficult issues, so that if some good news were to happen from the federal government or in any other areas, we will find...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister advise us as to what the increase was from the increase in taxes on alcohol? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to know more about what result came about the last time the GNWT took the federal government to court on this issue. The Minister mentioned that they did come to the table. Can the Minister advise as to exactly what they came to the table with? Was this government able to get any money out of that, any concessions on the rules, anything like that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question on the increase in the income under liquor sales. May I ask the Minister as to whether or not the increase projected for this year is a result of consumption or could it be because of an increase in taxes that we had introduced? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if I could just continue asking questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services on the same topic that the honourable Member for Hay River South has been pursuing. This is something that’s been curious to me, as well. I don’t know the long and whole background of this issue, but I do know that we have upwards of $30 million in disbursements or reimbursements from the federal government outstanding that has incurred as a result of this government providing services to aboriginal residents in our territory that they are entitled to. We’re...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to have the breakdown of other expenses of $147,000. If at all possible, I would like to have this read into the record, just to be clear. I am not looking for accounting for every dollar of what is planned under these other expenses areas. So I would like to know the general categories like the Minister mentioned earlier, such as travel, materials and supplies and computers. I am looking for approximate figures under whatever headings they are using. I could put every other department that is going to appear over the next 10 days that I will be asking...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present our first report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs. The report contains comments and observations and recommendations where appropriate on each of these departments, and will be addressed in Committee of the Whole when the detailed budget of each department is considered. That concludes my very short introductory portion of the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The insurance premiums in the amount of $2.030 million. Is that the same insurance premium that the Minister was mentioning in which we were going to see a reduction of $1.6 million? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I get the corresponding numbers to those four items that the deputy minister mentioned? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Taking advantage of the remaining seconds, could I ask the Minister for more information about the involvement of the government in terms of helping out the NGOs with their insurance coverage? The Minister made reference to shelters. More specifically, I'm wondering if this section of the government, the Finance department and the insurance management division, is engaged in analyzing the situation and looking at options for the government and the NGOs as to how to address the high insurance costs and how to mitigate that cost perhaps. Thank you.