Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to follow up on questions asked by my earlier colleague from Yellowknife North which is to the Minister of health.
So if we're not cutting frontline workers which, of course, I'm not in favour of cutting frontline workers, how do we get more with less? In other words, where are the cuts going to come from? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as this budget is going to be before the House, there is an allocation that goes directly to NTHSSA. It's NTHSSA has to come up with their budget what's in the -- for what's in here and to build their budget within the allocated amount. So what right now we are looking at is that the direction has been given to -- and it is every year to the governing council is to come up with their budget and present their budget. What I can say is when I do receive that budget for the 2025-2026, I will have that conversation with Cabinet, and then I will -- I've also committed to having that conversation to Regular Members as to see how we're going to move forward within this next year with their budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, you can't take away and still have more. You can't take away and still have the same. So, Mr. Speaker, I'm trying to understand from the Minister is what's the focus. And that isn't just in the budget. We have two health czars working on this particular problem. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell this House what is being considered as reductions within this master plan of reorging health? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I have not seen NTHSSA's budget. I have not seen -- they have not presented it yet. It usually comes within -- in this month. I will be having a conversation next week with them. What I can say is that this is what goes on every year, within our -- and so once I do have it -- like, I can't say whether there's going to be cuts. The PA started in December. You know, we went into mandatory leave. We're here sitting, it's the 7th of February, so they're working on, you know, how -- like, the contract for the PA is over the next two years, so trying to look at what programs that we're working with health sustainability unit to look at the -- we're going to be looking at the programs and services that we provide, what's funded, how it's funded, what level of service are we providing. Those are all the things that we're going to be taking in account. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister from Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To be clear, not to get ahead of the budget discussion of health, so I'm not going to be specific because that's a debatable item soon, but the contribution is defined already. So I'm worried that direction has been given or direction hasn't been given, and even worse, Mr. Speaker, the health budget, including the territorial budget, will have been approved and cuts come later when the Assembly dims the lights. So, Mr. Speaker, what direction or what is being protected to ensure we're not getting cuts that aren't fully communicated to Members and the public so we can talk about them in advance of them being done? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This kind of conversation on the floor of the House about cuts when we don't even know what the budget being presented is, so this is where I'm at is I'll update the Members once I have a conversation with the NTHSSA. I have yet to receive budgets from the health authorities. And so after I have those conversations, I'll have conversations with my Cabinet colleagues, and I will have conversations with the Members on the other side of the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
