Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second set of questions is also to the Minister of Health and Social Services, and I'd like to dig into some of the specific unfinished deliverables laid out in the public administrator work plan.
So my understanding was that one of the top, top priorities for the PA was to ensure the health authority stops deficit budgeting, essentially balances budget. And there was initial indication that we would see that in last year's mains and then further expectation it would be in these current mains. So for the Minister, what would lead us to believe we should expect a balanced budget by next year's mains? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public administrator has been working hard with the CEO and the NTHSSA executive to bring forward, over the last couple of years, a lot of the areas they were targeting in forced growth and enhancements that they previously have done. So if people don't -- like, most people don't understand that the authority was continuing to just put in areas where there was high pressure, high needs, and that's what was driving up the deficit; however, within this government we, you know, as Cabinet and as myself as Minister, once we got the public administrator in, that piece was directed on ensuring that any forced growth submissions and all those things were targeting areas that were drivers of the deficit. So this past year, the budget that was -- was less than the previous year, and so I think before the end of this government, this is where we are expecting -- and, you know, throughout the situation, we didn't want it to impact patients' care. And so by just cutting the budget was not effective. It was working within, finding from within, tightening up areas where, you know, spending might -- you know, where we could -- if it didn't impact patient care. And so those things have been completed over the years, and I am looking -- you know, I -- you know, within the next little while, we'll be getting the NTHSSA's budget for the 2026-2027 year, and I am pretty sure that, you know, and from the information that I've been getting on quarterly updates, that we will have a more -- closer to the budget yearend. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So one of the things that was supposed to help balance the budget was work to streamline and reduce duplication between the governance and administration of the HSS and the health authorities. So when will we see changes or at least recommendations to that effect? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my deputy minister and the public administrator are working on this, you know, and I believe that they will be coming forward to me with this information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So can the Minister explain the reason for the delay in the release of the people strategy, especially because it was touted to be absolutely key in health care workforce stabilization and it was initially supposed to be released last June. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the previous health recruitment strategy and the bridging strategy was all within the -- you know, what the NTHSSA could control. And so year after year, staff were frustrated and frustrated and frustrated because many of the issues that they were bringing forward were not in the recruitment strategy. So there are -- the things that we left -- there are still the things that are good that are going to remain in the strategy, but the scope of the people strategy expanded to an all-of-government initiative creating additional coordination. And so there is, like I mentioned, like, housing and different areas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
