Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Premier about the healthcare system sustainability unit. The unit is diligently working away at inventorying medical costs to the healthcare system. We're now hearing a lot of the decisions that we're asking about on the floor as it relates to the healthcare system are dependent on data or reports that are going to be produced by this unit. So is the unit on track to meet its reporting timelines of a preliminary sustainability report by mid-year this fiscal? Thank you. Or, sorry, calender year. Thank you.
Thank you, Range Lake. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the healthcare system sustainability unit is looking at different areas in the healthcare system and doing an analysis. It's going to provide that analysis to Cabinet to help us make determinations about future budgeting and future structure of the healthcare system.
The work is ongoing. It is a little behind schedule, but we're going to have hopefully all of the information we need and if not, we'll have the vast majority of the information we need prior to the upcoming budget cycle, so that for next year's main estimates we'll be able to factor in that analysis. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, that's disappointing but -- because it is important work. But my concern about it is if it's just for Cabinet and we don't get to see it or the public gets to see it, we're letting the unit decide what is core. Right? They're defining non-core or discretionary medical services. We're letting this unit decide what Northerners need and what Northerners don't, and that could have big impacts because the most expensive services are definitely in small communities. So will the Minister commit to transparency around this process so we can make sure we all have an understanding of what core services are and what non-core services are? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And so just to correct the record, I know that we don't do a lot of correcting of misinformation in this House, but the unit is not going to make a determination about what core services are. So the way that government works is that public servants will provide advice to decision-makers, the Ministers, and then those Ministers will make decisions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, of course Ministers are the final word. That's how governments work. I think everyone understands that. Mr. Speaker, the unit has spent two years inventorying problems that frontline staff have been complaining about for a decade. So why are we spending $2 million a year of federal money on an administrative process to build more plans, to build more studies, when we could be putting it into frontline services like an MRI machine or even security in the waiting room, in the emergency room, Mr. Speaker? That's what's important to Northerners, and until we actually see what this plan is it's all talk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I was in Cabinet four years prior to becoming Premier, and during that time I had a lot of questions about the expenditures in the healthcare system, and despite repeated requests for information I had trouble receiving it. And, Mr. Speaker, you were there. You probably shared some of those same frustrations. And so when we started this government, I said we need to get a handle on where our money is going, what we're spending it on and put some structure around that. Because for many years, the health authority had a deficit budget, they were allowed to spend money, create programs, hire people without oversight of Cabinet. And despite all the calls we get for, you know, a new arms-length body here or there, it's clear that people want the elected officials to maintain some control and responsibility for these systems. And so this unit was put together so we could get an understanding of what's going on in the healthcare system and where the money is going. The people in the system are busy doing other things. They're busy keeping that system running. And so we needed a way to get that information, and so that's why this unit was created. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oral questions. Member from the Yellowknife Centre.
