Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to respond to some of the comments that I didn’t get a chance to talk to earlier and at the outset.

I want to state that I take offense to the Minister of Finance’s remarks that suggest that I am biased. I certainly am not. I am required to hold this government accountable and that’s what I’m doing. I don’t feel that I am opposing or supporting any particular project except that it is in the best interests of the people of the Northwest Territories and I would ask that the Minister reconsider his statement.

It is important that the government be opposed if, it’s my...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard an interesting exchange on the radio last week regarding the strengthening of Canada’s health system. The analyst in the interview compared health systems in other countries to that of Canada and suggested we have much to learn from those other countries. Compared to Australia and Germany, for instance, Canada spends more money per capita on health care and achieves less in the quality of health outcomes. Australia, for instance, spends 40 percent less on health care than we do in Canada. Yet, Australia is much like Canada with similarities to northern Canada, a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Probably all of the points that I’m about to mention have been expressed already, but I feel that I need to get on the record where I’m coming from with regard to this project. I expressed in my general comments that I have some concerns. I want to say at the outset I am supportive of this project. I think it is a project that is going to be, as has been mentioned, nation building, territory building, it is a good project. I have huge problems with the process and I have huge problems with the lack of concrete information that we have at our disposal in order to...

I guess I would like to know from the Minister, you know, I understand that this is something that we do. We keep the same amount of money for a number of years, but does the department do an analysis of trends from one year to the next or over the last two or three years and, therefore, look at increasing base funding based on trends? Thank you.

I have to ask the Premier to repeat his answer. I understood him to say, in the answer to my question, that information was given to Social Programs in December 2011, so I’m really confused now. Did we get information in 2010 in the previous Assembly or did we get information in December 2011 in this particular Assembly? I am still on Social Programs and I have no recollection of getting anything in December 2011 either.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. We did receive this document. I’m not sure, but I think Mr. Dolynny was asking if this perhaps could be made public, this information. Would you like to clarify, Mr. Dolynny?

Okay, we are agreed. Total department, not previously authorized, negative $257,000.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I am sure that there are employees who enjoy a paid week at Christmas. We all would, I am sure. I would like to ask my last question to the Minister. If there has not ever been an evaluation done, I would like to ask the Minister if he would commit to consider doing a review or an evaluation and look at the benefit or the lack of benefit of keeping offices open over Christmas, whether it be every second day or every day except for stat holidays, half staff, full staff. Would he look at that kind of an evaluation or review? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. Mr. Dolynny.