Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it -- there is both, in terms of it being the cost of the contracts which would be the salary benefits to the nurses that are providing services, as well as some travel costs and accommodation costs if there's folks who are coming in from outside and require such additional costs. Thank you.

It would go to the treasury board, Mr. Chair, and it requires an Order in Council and it's that process that I gather we're now waiting for. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I'm not sure -- I'm not sure, Mr. Chair, and I don't want to presume.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, so seeking $586,000 for added expenses as a result of this outbreak. This was -- some might recall that the CPHO declared a TB outbreak in Yellowknife July 2nd of 2024, and that resulted in incremental costs. Some of the things that occurred, there was -- there were some 532 contact points relating to just a few cases, and as a result of which a fair bit of effort that was undertaken to identify those contacts, locate them, some additional supports from the public health nurses to do the contact tracing of all those individuals, then of course supported an additional...

$3.1 billion, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The projected shortfalls from this one, Mr. Chair -- sorry, we do have the base funding here built in. There is -- yes, I don't actually have great detail as to what has led to that, Mr. Chair. I'm not sure if the deputy minister can speak to it, but it may well be -- yes, sorry, I'll just pass it to the deputy minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, that is required to do -- to deal with the projected shortfall in contracted services in Beaufort Delta. So obviously NTHSSA is responsible for health and social services in the Beaufort Delta region, particularly with respect to the Inuvik Regional Hospital. The kinds of things that fall under contract services would include security, dietary provisions, catering, laundry, housekeeping, switchboard and reception services, and as well as some on-site -- any kind of on-site management support not health care related, that tends to be through service...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. $3.6 million.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I certainly have looked back at data and charts going all the way to 2005, and there's a few years which is right around the time when the mines were being built that things were relatively flat, but the increase over the 16th Assembly, the 17th Assembly, the 18th Assembly show a steady -- in fact, 16th has a particularly strong spike up, and then a sort of steady increase in debt levels through the 17th and 18th. 19th, again, sort of steady the first couple of years, spikes up a little over the wildfire year, not surprisingly, and now we are, as of this moment...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I cannot see into the crystal ball of the federal government. I would be fascinated to know why they are not taking this on similar to, by way of comparison, the non-insured health benefits which is a benefit that is provided to Indigenous persons, or at least First Nations persons, and this program administered by the GNWT is meant to extend a similar level of coverage. I do not know why the federal government doesn't seem to undertake this. Thank you.