Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee strongly recommends that the government take immediate action to identify additional funding for health promotion and education initiatives in areas such as healthy eating, active living and early childhood development.

Would the Minister be willing to provide that type of update and have it in a written form to me, and possibly other Members, as to the current status of this file? When was the last equalizing on the amount that we believe we were out?

I’m sure it was only a few years ago that it was tens of millions of dollars outstanding. I have to admit, I find it almost a bit of a shock to hear that the feds have either come forward and made up the difference, or maybe, rather, did we write down the difference on that particular amount and just walk away from it? It seemed to be a very bitter dispute...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue I’m raising here is not that I’m not in favour of the road. The fact is, is it seems like we’re in the dark. So I guess my next question is the issue of what threshold of work agreement, compliance or negotiation is needed in order to bring Members into the fold of the discussion. It seems as if there’s some type of discussion and work going on behind the scenes, but Members, in the context of transparency, are in a position where we don’t know anything, but yet industry is coming to tell us work is being done. Thank you.

Thank you. Is this considered consistent with other places who hire nurses under this Allied Health Program? I’m just trying to get a sense here. Thank you.

Thank you. So the Minister is saying that all our services that we pay under the NIHB program are completely paid up to date by the federal government and there has been no dispute on our funds and allocations of that? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as many of us know, this is approximately a 120-kilometre road which could run anywhere about a $2 million project. In speaking to some people who work for Fortune, they’ve coined it as a deal has been struck to work on a framework to do this road and that they’re planning for investment.

I’m trying to find out what has been struck in the form of a deal with Fortune Minerals in order to either build a road, lease back a road, or create a road. What is happening on this issue? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under grants and contributions there, we have professional development recruitment and retention in the range of $2.7 million. I’m just wondering what exactly that is and if we can get some breakdown to help me understand it or appreciate where the money is going. It just seems like a lot of money that we continually book off almost $3 million for professional development. Why is it covered under this area, why wouldn’t it be a human resource queue of some sort? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Inflation is at a three-year low. Why? Because of cheaper gas prices across Canada, everywhere but the Northwest Territories. The Canadian Consumer Price Index is saying that it is at its lowest since 2009 in January. Why? Because of gasoline prices, yet again everywhere but the NWT.

I visited the fuel pumps this week, like many Northerners, and we all continue to experience the high prices of gasoline here in the Northwest Territories. Since raising this issue almost four weeks ago, Northerners keep telling me that they feel like they’re at the mercy of the local market...

When does the Minister see a restructuring of this actually taking place to account for the oversubscribed physician funding column that can’t keep up to the pace of the demands?

That’s correct, Madam Chair. I believe that’s the only item, financial item that’s attributed, but that said, maybe the Minister can clarify if there’s more as well. Thank you.