Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess without having any kind of a time frame I need to ask a general question. If we are not currently capturing the costs of providing services, some services to Nunavut patients, communities, et cetera, what sort of liability does that put out there for us? How vulnerable are we to spending money that we’re not going to recoup? Is this going to create a situation where we are going to be basically in debt because we’re providing services for which we’re not being paid? I guess I would like to know how much. But if the Minister can’t tell me when we’re going to be...

Mr. Chairman, thank you to the deputy minister for that explanation. I guess I am glad to hear that this is an issue that is going to be looked at in further detail. To me it sounds as though this is a logical approach to look at the big picture, figure out what we should be doing and what we shouldn’t be doing and then go after the funding for those things that we are doing that aren’t now covered. Is it possible for the deputy minister or the Minister to give us some indication of timing on sort of when this work might be completed, when we might be amending the agreement to sort of be able...

Mr. Speaker, I guess I just have to say to the Minister that I have a really hard time with the argument that we need to wait for what the U.S. does or we need to align ourselves with the United States. I am sorry, but we are a Territory in and of our own right. We should be doing our own work and setting our own targets. The fact that it is only a small bit in the environment of the world has nothing to do with the fact that we should do it.

I would like to ask the Minister if he can identify, and this is again in terms of energy initiatives, what the GNWT is doing to educate our residents and...

I’m almost done. Mr. Speaker, we need that leader, that secretariat, so we have a common goal, so we can work cooperatively and in a coordinated manner to achieve that goal. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, after considering the budget address for awhile, I note that the 2010-11 budget does not include a coordinated NWT energy plan, and I’m disappointed in that. I may begin to sound like a broken record, and I apologize if I’m boring you, but I figure it bears repeating and I will keep harping away in the hope of a positive response eventually.

I can’t deny that this government has plans to pour, quite literally, millions of dollars into energy initiatives and projects. We heard the Finance Minister say last week that over four years we will spend $60 million...

Thanks to the Minister. You didn’t mention Aven Manor here in Yellowknife and it also is a long-term care facility, I presume. I’m somewhat concerned, I guess, that the territorial dementia facility is a very specialized facility. It is long-term care, yes, but it requires… Patients in there have very particular needs and they can’t be accommodated in just any long-term care facility. So I’m a little bit concerned that the dementia centre has been included in the definition of long-term care facilities.

My other question has to do with the success or failure; I presume its success to date. But...

Point taken. I understand totally. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a couple of questions here. The first one relates to, again, the Foundation for Change document proposal and the changes that are being worked through. About a year ago, we dealt with a very difficult issue of board reform. I am just wondering if the Minister has any idea at this point how the Foundation for Change planning will impact or will coordinate with any possible changes in terms of board reform. Thank you.

I have another question on this page relative to the other recoveries and the reciprocal billing for Nunavut, basically. In reviewing the Stanton Territorial Hospital annual report, I was struck that in some areas, many of the areas, up to 25 percent of their provision of services, the cost of the provision of those services is for Nunavut patients and for servicing Nunavut communities. It varies, depending upon the area, anywhere from 10 to 25 percent, from what I could figure out. It really struck me that we are probably being paid back for the actual physician costs and for the actual cost...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 4, 2010, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 4, 2010, it shall be adjourned until Monday, February 8, 2010; and further, that any time prior to February 8, 2010, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and the Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and...