Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I’d like to ask him some questions around a strategy which has been under development for quite some time. We all know that our health costs are very high. It’s the largest department that we have within this government. We also know that within that department that drug costs are probably the highest or it’s a very large percentage of that total budget. Both nationally and provincially people are looking to try and reduce those costs.

Members have been hearing since January of 2013 about the...

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that commitment and look forward to some more info.

Lastly, it’s my understanding from the conversations that Yellowknife MLAs have with City Council – we do that fairly regularly – the city has asked for a number of parcels in and around the city and that some of them, in negotiating with the GNWT, are going to be not turned over to fee simple but are going to be turned over as leases. I wonder if I can get some kind of an explanation. That makes me frown. As an ex city councillor I don’t understand why we would want to force the city to take over a piece...

To the Minister: I’m glad that that is the case, but I want to urge the department to look seriously at the issue of cost to municipalities for going outside of their municipal boundaries for highway ground ambulance and rescue. Certainly, there is going to become a time when if money is extremely tight and a municipality does not want to put an extra burden on their taxpayers and/or they don’t have the money in their budget, it’s entirely possible that their council may direct them not to go out to do a rescue because it’s costing them too much money and they can’t afford it. I urge the...

Thanks to the Minister. So, as I heard the Minister then, I have no home, I have two children and I need some place to stay and the Minister is telling me I have to go to an emergency shelter. So, I’d like to know – the YWCA is full, I’m not accepted at the Salvation Army because I have a family – what emergency shelter is there in the city of Yellowknife for me to go to? Thank you.

To the Minister: I have to say, on behalf of my local government, that’s a very far in the future date, in my estimation, when we’re going to get a land claim agreement with the local Aboriginal group. So, you know, for my community government it severely hampers what they can do in terms of acquisition of land in and around the city.

My second question has to do with the Yellowknife harbour, so to speak, and it’s no secret that the city is investigating the development of a harbour plan and they’re looking at trying to put some system in place to get some revenue from houseboats. Some of them...

Thanks to the Minister. I will wait anxiously to hear what’s coming in that briefing.

My other question here has to do with the ground ambulance and highway rescue situation. As I understand it, the Minister mentioned in his opening remarks the funding of $400,000 to enhance community capacity in this area. I would like to know…and I think on page 370 I believe it’s mentioned. Yes, it is. I hope, Mr. Chair, I can reference a number that’s on page 370 that also goes to page 369. The ground ambulance and highway rescue is set at $400,000. It’s been that, the same as last year. There was an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement and ask a bit about the policy or the rationale that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment income support division has with regard to transition housing.

My first question to the Minister is: Can he tell me what definition of transition housing is used by Education, Culture and Employment?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions here with regards to land in and around the city of Yellowknife. For quite some years now we’ve had an interim land withdrawal around the city. I think it started in 2006 or so. It’s been extended a number of times, and my understanding is it’s now set to expire November of 2015. So, is there an intention on the part of Lands to extend it again? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have questions about two things here. I did warn the Minister in my opening comments. I want to know where we’re at with the 911. Are we moving forward at all, or are we simply going sideways or backwards? Thank you.

To go back to the non-renewable resource revenues, the deputy minister mentioned quarries. Is that the only things that this revenue is coming from, because the text says minerals, oil and gas royalties. I’m not quite sure if it’s just quarries or if it’s minerals, oil and gas. If it’s all of those, it seems awfully low.