Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I spoke in conference with Premier Okalik and Premier Fentie of the Yukon and we have sent a letter to the Prime Minister indicating our desire to bring resolution to the outstanding issue of funding with regard to health in the three northern territories and moving on to find some way to throw our support behind the accord if it can be brought to some satisfactory resolution. It has been almost a week now since we've indicated our dissatisfaction with the accord and particularly with the funds that were allocated to the territories. Since then, our three northern Members of Parliament and very senior political staff in the Prime Minister's office, including the Clerk of the Privy Council, Alex Himelfarb, have been assigned to try to find some possible remedy in the short term and long term. Minister Anne McLellan has indicated that she is prepared to come north to meet with our Ministers. We have indicated that we welcome her visit and that Ministers will be prepared to meet with her and that first we need to bring this matter between the Prime Minister and ourselves as three Premiers to some acceptable conclusion in the next week or so before such a meeting or visit should happen. We have sent a letter to the Prime Minister restating that we are anxious to resolve this issue; it has been a week. We'd like to have it resolved within a week, and Minister Anne McLellan's indication that she wants to visit and meet with our health Ministers is welcome, but it should happen after we have resolved this outstanding issue with the Prime Minister. Thank you.
Stephen Kakfwi on Question 4-14(6): Federal Health Care Funding For Northern Territories
In the Legislative Assembly on February 12th, 2003. See this statement in context.
Return To Question 4-14(6): Federal Health Care Funding For Northern Territories
Question 4-14(6): Federal Health Care Funding For Northern Territories
Item 6: Oral Questions
February 11th, 2003
Page 28
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