I think while we are discussing this it’s really important to put it on record that we have a very good relationship with Nunavut. The Stanton Territorial Health Authority or any other authority, especially Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority who provide services to Nunavut, are very important to us in terms of our past history and relationship, as well as our physicians, GPs and specialists who like providing services to residents of Nunavut. We have a long history and close relationships. Our work is necessary and our complement of staff and services at Stanton are necessary by having the larger population that we serve in Nunavut.

I want to assure the Member that when doctors do go or specialists provide services to the Kitikmeot region especially, they have a contract with them. There are some specialists who work on separate contracts on their own or contracts with Stanton. Some of the outstanding amounts that we are talking about have been billed for many, many years. After division things just carried on, when you have two very close bodies that work together, thinking that they didn’t think that those written contracts with i’s dotted and t’s crossed were necessary.

I can only speak for what has taken place since I’ve taken over, and it was brought to my attention that we need to have this finalized and confirmed. I understand the contract negotiations went on between 2003 to, say, 2007; it’s just that those agreements were not finalized, signed and sealed. We have concluded that process last winter.