Wendy Bisaro

I thank the Minister. I am aware. I thank her for the short history lesson. My question was more to the amount of time that’s required for implementation. How much time is being allocated for consultation? How much time is needed for implementation? That was why I asked for the basis for September 1st.

To the Minister: once a decision is made on whatever these changes are going to be, how soon does she and the department expect the changes could be implemented?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I reiterate my need for two meetings; one to get the info and a second one for people to provide their input. To the working group and how they will be involved, I appreciate they will be involved. I would like to know from the Minister how they will be involved. Are there scheduled meetings with the department and/or the Minister with this working group or are they simply expected to provide their input as a member of the general public? Thank you.

I don’t believe I heard in there that the timeline is based on anything, so I’ll have to assume it’s based on nothing.

I have a question with regard to some of the things that are missing in the discussion paper that is out there on proposed supplementary health benefit changes. I specifically feel that Members and the general public need to know how much these proposed changes will cost and I have not seen that anywhere to date. I agree with the need to provide coverage for NWT residents that don’t have supplementary health benefit coverage, but I have to ask the Minister for an estimate of...

The Standing Committee on Social Programs recently received information on possible changes to the new Supplementary Health Benefits Program. Now that I’ve had a bit of time to consider the presentation from the Minister, I’ve got some concerns that I want to express, unlike our Olympic team.

Firstly, I appreciate the research done by the department and the data received by the committee, but even though it’s good data, it’s been selected and presented to steer people’s responses in a particular direction. The documents for review contain certain assumptions -- although the Minister calls them...

I’ll try to be a little more definite. If a decision were made tomorrow, how much time is required for the department to put in place implementation? There’s got to be changes, I would imagine, within the bureaucracy that are going to be required to put in place whatever changes are determined to get them into effect. How much time is required from when a decision is made to when things can be immediately implemented after that? How many months? How many days? How many years?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask a few more questions of the Minister of Health and Social Services relative to the supplementary health benefits proposed changes. I did ask about the timeline for consultation and implementation and mentioned the implantation date. I will try my question again and ask the Minister on what is the implementation date of September 1st based. Thank you.

To the Minister, I don’t disagree that the information that has been presented is good information. It is a clear explanation of the current program. But, you know, in order for people to make a decision or to make comment on the program and the suggestions that are out there, they need to know the cost of the program and we need to be able to consider what it’s going to cost us, what it’s going to save us. That information is not available. I am concerned about the timeline. I am concerned about the amount of consultation. Particularly I’d like to know from the Minister about the stakeholder...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Services. I would like to follow up on some of the concerns that I stated in my statement earlier. One of the real difficulties that I see with the proposed plan and the discussion paper that’s out there is the timeline for implementation of these proposed changes. I’d like to ask the Minister, the time that is out there is September 1, 2010, I’d like to know what that date is based on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to return to item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thanks to the Minister. I do appreciate the commitment. That is what I’m asking for, is some kind of an approximation of costs which GNWT has had to endure for this project over and above the actual costs of the construction and the management of the project. So I am looking forward to that information.

My next question has to do with chargeback and the Minister has mentioned that many costs are charged to the project. These GNWT staff costs I presume are not charged to the project and I’d like him to confirm. I understood that the $15 million we just approved is going to be paid back to GNWT...