Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question will be directed to the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Honourable Mr. Ng. Mr. Speaker, as we all know health related matters are becoming an issue in the Northwest Territories today, especially in small communities like Clyde River, Broughton or Pangnirtung and a lot of other communities in the Baffin region. A lot of times the nurses are working almost 24 hours a day. The community of Clyde River had asked me if I could get one extra nursing position and also one extra interpreter position for Clyde River. I had written a letter to the Minister of Health and Social Services in this matter and the Minister has not replied or responded. Can the Minister tell me what is he going to do about it? Thank you.

The Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the deployment of health care professionals within communities is at the prerogative of the regional health and social services board in this case the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board, and I will convey to them the issue that the honourable Member has brought forward if we have not already responded in that fashion and have them take a

look at the resource needs of those communities, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as some Members have mentioned earlier today concerning health care issues, I guess it is the topic of conversation that has being going on for quite a while and in this House I have raised several questions on this matter before. A couple of months ago, there was a cursory review done by the Department of Health on the status of the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board and also on the Keewatin Regional Health and Social Services Board. Some things have changed in the last couple of weeks with the recent resignations and the resignations in the Baffin region. I am wondering now, what is the next step from the Department of Health and Social Services on these matters?

Thank you. The Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you know the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board has an interim chair there, Mr. Patterson, and an interim CEO, Mr. MacRury. They are evaluating some of the proposals that the past board and administration were contemplating changes in respect to some of the shift of their services from Montreal to Ottawa. The plan is to continue in following up with the review that was done in trying to analyze the merits of whether or not to proceed with some of those changes to their delivery of services, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for being very cooperative in a very difficult portfolio. Indeed, the appointment of the CEO and of the chair were done very expediently. Mr. Speaker, in my question I also asked about the Keewatin Health Board and the status now of the health care facilities in that region of the territories. So, I am wondering if the Minister could give us an update on what is happening right now in that area? There have been some concerns and the Minister did attend a meeting there last week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, specifically to that facility, the honourable Member raises questions on - as you know, the regional birthright development corporations are involved in some of the work in conjunction and partnership with the regional health and social services board and in conjunction with the GNWT to look at the possibilities of private/public partnerships in respect to a couple of those facilities and work continues to progress. The private/public partnerships were recently approved by Cabinet and we are proceeding to put together, through the Financial Management Board Secretariat, some criteria surrounding accessing funds to proceed with some projects under that initiative. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that a meeting was held this past weekend as Mr. Ng alluded to, concerning the P3, the public partnership. I am wondering if the Minister, at this time, could update the House in conjunction with the construction of the facilities in Iqaluit, in Inuvik with the federal contributions that have been identified if there has been notification from the department on where those federal funds are?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I cannot report any further progress in respect to that, except for the fact that negotiations between GNWT officials and Health and Welfare Canada officials continue in trying to reach a final figure in resolving the issue of federal contributions towards immediate 1988 health transfer agreements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the concern here, of course, would be that, indeed, the more contributions from the federal government and grants that we can get, then the less financing we will have to do and thus the exposure to longer term interest and loans to the taxpayer. So, I am wondering when the Minister will be able to inform this House of where the floor is on the federal contributions so that we would have a better understanding going into the negotiations with the private/public partnerships that will be facilitating the development of those health care facilities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would anticipate that within the next two or three months that there would be a resolution to the issue of the amount, and just as importantly, the flow of that amount over future years so that we could put some certainty to the exact issue the honourable Member raises about defraying some of the capital costs of certain facilities. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Ootes

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Yes. Mr. Speaker. I had invited the banks up here in an effort to, as I said earlier and perhaps in a more highly emotional charged tone, as part of my overall strategy of trying to reassure the investment community that this was a good place to do business. As part of the bankers' trips, who were here at my invitation, we were giving them in-depth technical briefings, today, all day, this morning. I asked them if they would be willing to attend the budget speech, which they did, and I wanted to get the initial reaction to the budget and, two, we had selected a cross section of business communities, people like Mr. Harper from Iqaluit, Mr. Walker from Yellowknife, Mr. Chang, et cetera, to have an exchange between the bankers and these kinds of people who invest in this company to see if the policies that we were proposing were the kind of policies that they would support. We were extremely fortunate that we were able to get the senior vice-presidents from all the major banks in Canada to be with us today, and they will be on their way to BHP tomorrow and then they will depart home. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.