There have been numerous discussion and consideration taking into account a number of factors when deciding when and where the reduction will happen, including where the positions were initially established, with the funding and the current client caseload again. So, yes, to answer the Member’s question, these have all been taken into consideration when we were deciding.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister direct his staff to re-establish a full-time position of the client services officer in Fort Resolution and find work in the department that’s appropriate for full-time position status?

I appreciate that the Member is persistent. At the same time, we have to look at the caseload. If there is an increase in the caseload for a client services officer to perform extra duty on income security, this is an area we can definitely look at. We will seriously monitor the caseloads in the region.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The program that we deliver through Aurora College, the funding that’s required is $2.7 million from ECE to Aurora College for a bachelor of nursing, special work in nursing, health access programs. As well, Aurora College receives additional money from the Department of Health and Social Services in the amount of $511,000 to cover the masses of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner and Introduction to Advanced Practice programs. This is funding that’s been required for these programs.

Again I would ask the Minister: what is the status of these dollars? What is the current plan for the immediate and long-term future of these programs?

Part of our plan of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, working closely with Health and Social Services and also the college, is to continue delivering this program. If there are any changes in the program delivery or if there is an issue with the funding, then we definitely need to sit down and discuss our objectives and options and we’ll definitely let the Members know if there are any changes.

I haven’t heard the Minister talk about federal funding, although I have a communication from him indicating that will end and contribute to the end of the Nurse Practitioner Program, again conflicting with what I’m hearing today from the Minister just a day or two later. I’m looking for clarification. What is at least the status of the federal funding? Are we going to have that renewed, I’m going to ask the Minister on top of that.

The federal funding, I don’t have that information specifically. I just highlighted our department and Health and Social Services’ contribution to Aurora College. I will gather that information on federal funding, if it does exist, to the Members.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for the comments from the Minister on that. I’ll look forward to the details that he can provide.

I’d like to ask one last question. As far as the Minister knows, does the following commitment from Health and Social Services still stand? How does this reflect on the longevity of the program as planned? The GNWT is committed to increasing the number of NPs in the NWT. The Health and Social Services planning document also says, “Through Foundation for Change, we will focus on delivering the right services using the most appropriate service provider.” All too often we use high-cost service providers such as physicians to deliver primary care that would be more appropriately delivered by community health nurses or nurse practitioners. Obviously this speaks to the...

Do you have a question, Mr. Bromley?

I’m wondering if that commitment is still there and does the department still recognize that need.

Our GNWT and ECE are supportive of having more NPs in the Northwest Territories. We will continue to have this discussion with Health and Social Services on what kind of options are there. If there’s a budget issue or financial issue or program delivery is an issue, a number of students are in the program so those are discussions that we need to have. We have had contacts within the last couple of weeks, so we’ll continue to do that. With progress, we’ll let the Members know.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got some questions today for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I just wanted to get a better understanding of how it’s possible that the Government of the Northwest Territories sold 36,000 acres of land to the Norman Wells Land Corporation without Regular Members of the House being informed in any way, shape, or fashion. That’s the first question I’ve got for the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Commissioner’s land just outside the boundary of Norman Wells was... The Norman Wells Land Corporation had come forward with a proposal to purchase the land from the

Commissioner and we entered into talks with them and an agreement was put in place.

I’d like to ask the Minister: is there not a policy or protocol that would have the Minister, the department and/or Cabinet inform Regular Members of such a land acquisition or deal like the one in Norman Wells?

The land in question, all the proper process was followed in disposing of the land. We normally would communicate to the local MLA that the land is being in question, but all the proper processes, as far as the Norman Wells Land Corporation and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, was followed to a T.

Given the fact that it was a sizable tract of land, 36,000 acres, I’m just wondering whether or not the Minister and Cabinet would have an obligation to advise Regular Members of this transaction, especially considering we have constituents that would ask (a) if we know about the deal, and (b) what the selling price was. That piqued my interest, in that what exactly the government is getting in return for the 36,000 acres of land outside of Norman Wells.