Mr. Chair, can Mr. Aumond give us the breakdown in regard to what the capital costs are going to be over the next four years?

Interjection.

We’ll go back to Mr. Krutko. He had some additional comments.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Clarification in regard to what is now the schedule of capital expenditures for this project going forward.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.

Mr. Chairman, the cash flows are as in the information the Member has before him.

Mr. Chairman, just restating that. Basically, $1.3 million has been expended for 2008–2009, which is this fiscal year. Next fiscal year, 2009–2010, we’re expending $6 million. Then future years, 2010–2011, will come in at $5.7 million. Is that the schedule we’re now on?

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, just for the public record and the Minister’s, I support this project, so don’t think I’m trying to delay it in any way. I know there’s a substantial need for this facility. Again, I’m just trying to ensure that when we make this capital investment, we have a fair process that’s transparent and fair to other projects that are out there and just as substantial in regard to this capital investment we’re looking at for the data centre. I think it’s important we look at that.

But, again, we have to find fairness by way of our infrastructure, from schools to water treatment plants to these types of facilities. I’d just like to again thank the Minister for that.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I didn’t hear any question. Any other comments? We’re on page 4-7, Public Works and Services, Activity Summary, Technology Service Centre, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $7.075 million.

Department of Public Works and Services,

Activity Summary, Technology Service Centre, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $7.075 million, approved.

We’ll move along to page 4-10, Public Works and Services, Activity Summary, Petroleum Products Division, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $5.230 million.

Department of Public Works and Services,

Activity Summary, Petroleum Products Division, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $5.230 million, approved.

Thank you, committee. We’re back on page 4-2. Seeing as we have deferred pages 4-4 and 4-5, we’ll have to defer page 4-2 until we get that information we’re looking for. Is the committee agreed?

Okay. We’ll move on to the next department, which is the Department of Health and Social Services. We’ll defer page 5-2 until Activity Summary, so let’s turn to page 5-4. Health and Social Services, Activity Summary, Health Services Programs, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $16.003 million. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t know why the H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital is on our schedule, because nothing shows up until a very, very small amount in 2011–2012. But for the record, could the Minister tell me again how the Fort Smith Health Centre got so far ahead of Hay River? At some point they were on par at the same time in the capital budget.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was an agreement relatively early on in Fort Smith with regard to the master development plan

—

community service, bed

issues, the scope laid out within the master development plan. In Hay River there were questions about the catchment area, the population, bed numbers, questions over the master development plan. As well, there was a request that consideration then be given to, rather than a renovation, a new facility, which was also being considered.

Mr. Chairman, I could spend some time and camp on that subject, but I won’t. The consolidated primary care clinic for Yellowknife, the work to commence in ’09–10…. Actually, I think there is already some prior spending on that, but the completion of it in ’09–10. Could the Minister please describe for me the intent? Just give a description of this project.

The intent of this project is to consolidate the clinics in the downtown area into one facility. It will have better services, more treatment rooms, the ability to do basic testing that is right now done at.… People have to go to Stanton in terms of basic blood tests and basic diagnostic efforts.

It will allow for a better coordination of use. Right now the patient cancellation rate is very high. There’s a lack of coordination among the existing three clinics. Consolidation is intended to remedy

that, to bring some efficiencies to bear. As well, hopefully with the changed hours and such, it will take some pressure off the emergency room in Stanton.

It doesn’t seem like that long ago, Mr. Chairman, that we just bought the clinics in the downtown area. I think we also spent quite a bit of money renovating them once we did buy them and took them in. So now they’re going to be rolled up and become part of this new consolidated primary care clinic?

The three clinics in question, some of them are relatively old. They have some significant shortcomings in terms of examination rooms and such. Quite possibly, if the Minister of Health is in a position to provide more detail, I could ask if she’d be prepared to do that.

The Minister of Health, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the Member might have said that we own some of the clinics downtown. We do not own any of them. The Gibson Clinic, Great Slave clinic and Family clinic, I think — the one next to the Explorer Hotel — are the three that are going to be combined to move into the consolidated clinic. Those are all leases. We have leases with the landlords. Some of the renovations that were done were with respect to Great Slave Medical clinic, and that was done mostly with federal funding.

This consolidated clinic would allow us to have lab work and X-rays and diagnostic imaging and that sort of thing. That could be done in a location like this kind of clinic, and that would lessen the traffic of people who are going to the hospital right now for lab tests and X-rays and such. I think that’s the question the Member might have had.

The dollar value that’s being proposed in the capital budget for this consolidated primary care clinic, is that just for leasehold improvements to another leased space?