Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier and I’d like to follow up on my statement about the Anti-Poverty Strategy. I want to follow up on the report which went to the government last December from the workshop that was held in October.

I know that there is a GNWT working group that has been established and I also know that it does not include any representatives from outside of government, that there are no representatives from the Anti-Poverty Alliance. I know there is an advisory body but that body is not involved as part of the working group.

So I’d like to ask...

I didn’t want to go anywhere near income testing. That wasn’t the question I asked. I simply asked why we couldn’t start to consider coverage for that group of people who currently have no supplementary health benefit coverage. I didn’t really hear an answer. I heard the Minister say that it’s a big policy decision and there has to be some consultation on it. Absolutely. But why can’t we start?

Mr. Speaker, the consultation was done last fall by a group of 81 diverse representatives, 12 percent or so of whom were GNWT staff. Why are we consulting again and why the very short time frame? It seems as though, once again, the government is not listening to its citizens, that it is forging ahead without consideration for the input of our non-government partners. I will have questions for the Premier at a later time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Then what are the numbers on page 8-22 for? The $79.041 million and the $37.928 million? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d forgotten what I wanted to ask but I did remember. I just wanted clarification on Mr. Bromley’s question to the cost of physician services. The Minister mentioned that on page 8-21 it was physicians inside and outside the NWT, which is, give or take, $47 million, but on page 8-22 there are hospital services for $79 million and physician services to residents for almost $38 million. Both reference physicians, one in hospitals and one not. Is it $47 million for physicians or is it more like the $117 million that’s on page 8-22? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I did wonder on this page under details of other expenses, the purchased services has increased considerably from ‘10-11 revised estimates for ‘11-12. I just wondered if I could get an explanation as to why, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The professional development recruitment and retention increased significantly from main estimates to revised estimates in this current budget year and then we have estimated the same amount in 2011-2012 as the revised estimates from this current budget year. What was the reason for the huge increase from $1.6 million to $2.9 million in this current year? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for her response. I would like to suggest that all that information in her response should be part of the Foundation for Change. That is the kind of detail that committee is looking for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A further question. The health services administration, is that not covered under the health and social services authorities agency administration, the $14 million at the bottom of the page?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to return and ask some questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services in follow-up to my previous questions.

The Minister defines the Foundation for Change as an action plan. I have to say that for me, an action implies that one would actually do something and it has some definition to it. The Minister sort of implied that she doesn’t know what it is that I’m asking for. Well, we can be in harmony, we can have the same philosophy, but what action is it that the department is actually putting in place? What definite action can the Minister tell me that...