Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues across the Northwest Territories, I have significant concerns about health care and the operation of our various health boards. In the last week, I met twice with the health board in Fort Smith and they, like all other health boards, are facing financial problems. They are attempting to deal with a $400,000 deficit, which they are going to do because that is part of the deal. To keep the surplus, you have to eat your deficit.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, they are engaged in the transfer of the personal care facility from the town of Fort Smith to the health board. They are looking at the additional cost of $150,000 to $200,000, which they were told they have to absorb. You are looking at about $180,000 worth of extra costs for physicians. They have a 150-person waiting list to see the eye team, which comes in two days of the month.
Mr. Speaker, we have it on very good information that many of the smaller communities are telling the people coming from other communities to school in Fort Smith to hold off on their concerns with health issues until they get to Fort Smith because Fort Smith has better services than in those communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister is not new to these issues. She hears them everywhere she goes. With a lot of the specifics of the concerns from Fort Smith, I would like to make it very clear that there was a commitment by this Legislature and the government to protect programs and service levels in the communities. I would ask the Minister to look at these particular issues. We will accept the $400,000 but the other costs, if they have to be absorbed by the health board, are going to result in significant program reductions in our community, which I do not think are acceptable to any people in my constituency or myself, as they would not be for any other MLA or their constituents.
This is a difficult situation. The pressures are there from all sides, but we have to honour the commitment we made as a Legislature at the start of the 14th Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause