Wendy Bisaro

I’m not quite sure where to start here. With the long-term care, in two months’ time, once you have done your work, you have looked at the work from Avens and you make sure they jive, so to speak. What is the intention? What is the department going to do with the numbers you get in two months’ time? Avens has put out that we need 600-some beds for long-term beds over the next I don’t remember how many years. When the department has numbers that say basically the same thing, what is the intention of the department with regard to long-term care facilities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee wishes to continue with Tabled Document 107-17(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2014-2015, with a continuation of the Department of Health and Social Services, then Justice; Industry, Tourism and Investment; Environment and Natural Resources; and Legislative Assembly. If we get through all those, then we will go through a few bills, perhaps.

Thanks to the Minister. I realize it’s a double-edged sword. I totally understand if we cut taxes, we’re also going to be cutting our own revenue. I thank the Minister for that response.

With regard to the red tape, it is something which CFIB is on about, not just in the North but I think right across the country, and I appreciate the Minister’s explanation of all the things we do provide. But I believe it was over a year ago that this government, I think, through the Premier, made a statement that we were going to do something about cutting red tape. I didn’t hear from the Minister that we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Finance, who is going to be up on his feet again. Strange how that works out some days; one Minister gets them all.

My statement talked about Small Business Week and I mentioned a number of recommendations from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business to the Government of the Northwest Territories to try and help small business get ahead and to try and lessen some of the imposition on their bottom line. The first one was that our small business tax rate is one of the highest in northern and western Canada and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to Mr. Moses.

The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted an active and thorough review of this bill. For the first time in the history of the Northwest Territories, the committee held hearings in schools to solicit the views of students. To facilitate discussion and openness, the format was much less formal than a typical public hearing on a bill.

These sessions took place at the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River, Ecole Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells, and the East Three Secondary School...

Mr. Chair, I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have one comment, and I just want to say that I’m very glad to see that we are moving forward, finally, on the facility replacement for the Territorial Female Corrections Centre in Fort Smith. It’s been something which is probably three years overdue, so I’m very glad to see that we are moving towards construction beginning in this next capital fiscal year. That’s it. Thanks.

I’m still a bit confused. I appreciate the Minister is talking about the Avens project, but I got the impression the planning study the department is doing is bigger than that. It’s looking at the whole territory. If the department is going to support the Avens project and not any other projects within other communities, that’s fine by me because I know how badly Avens needs to expand, not just for Yellowknife but for other communities as well.

I want to return to the Stanton issue and I thank the Minister for the information, but I know the plans for this project. My concern is the financing...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a comment and a couple of questions. It’s been said before by a number of Members, but I have to say it again, since we are now in the Health and Social Services department, and that is the lack of focus on the renewal project for the Stanton Hospital.

I know that there’s money in this budget, but it’s not going to lead to any significant construction in the near future. I want to reiterate again how important it is that this government find a way to finance this project and that we do it sooner rather than later.

I’m following with interest the back and forth...

Yes, Mr. Speaker. It’s too bad you can’t say that to the Ministers. My last question, Mr. Speaker, has to do with the comment, well, the statement by CFIB about the shortage of qualified labour. Their suggestion is for a training tax credit for small business, and I’d appreciate the Minister’s comment on the feasibility of that for our NWT small businesses.