If we go back to 1967 when the planes first came north with the Commissioner, this town, this city – it was a town then I think with barely 4,000 people – most communities had the most rudimentary of services. Minimal roads, minimal services from health, education, social services, economic development; they were almost non-existent. We have invested over the years in trying to build up the North. We made a decision as a territory that we were going to support the kind of community structure that we do have that recognizes the value of communities in place where they are as they have been for hundreds and, in many cases, thousands of years and over the years we’ve negotiated with the government. The federal government, as well, sees enormous value in having a territory that is full and functioning and vibrant, because it’s part of their strategic planning, it’s part of their sovereignty.

We have negotiated with the federal government over the years our agreements that have allowed us to slowly improve the level of services in the communities. We employ thousands of people. We do services now that were not even thought of even in 2000. We’ve added doctors, nurses, rehab people, teachers. We’ve improved infrastructure.

We’ve poured billions into infrastructure. We’ve been investing in the North and we’ve been investing in Northerners, which is a darn good way to spend money. I think that’s why our budget is where it is today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad the Minister took me all the way back to before I was born in 1967. I appreciate that, but as I indicated in my Member’s statement, the population of the Northwest Territories has only increased 7.5 percent since 2000, but our budget has doubled. Can he indicate to me why those costs are so great when we’ve only increased by 7.5 percent?

Clearly, over the time from 2000 to the present, there have been significant cost increases. The price of oil, for example, is now, as of this morning, slightly over $100 a barrel. We’ve made huge investments in the communities in terms of infrastructure, housing, roads, schools, sewer, water, you name it. We’ve invested in our territorial highways. We’ve negotiated collective agreements with the staff. Our staff have increased, as the Member himself noted in his statement, over 26 percent, and we are still running behind the curve. We have hospitals to build. For example, we have almost a $100 million hospital to be built in Hay River that’s on the capital plan that will be part of that investment in the North. Those are the types of investments that have driven our budget, and the quality of life in the North has gone up, as well, over those years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The communities of Aklavik and Fort McPherson have been struggling for the last two years with providing housing for their teachers. My questions are for the Minister of Education. Are there plans to increase the amount of funding of $25,000 available to the communities to provide staff housing for teachers? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular program is under review within the NWT Housing Corporation and that information will be shared with the Members once it’s available. But it is under the Housing Corporation, the $25,000 earmarked for those particular programs. Mahsi.

My next question is: Will the Department of Education be willing to sign a long-term lease with the communities to provide staff housing for teachers?

I like those direct questions. I’ll try to give him a direct answer. The direct answer is that we’ve gotten out of long-term lease agreements on the housing for staff. Now we’re talking about the Shelter Policy that’s before us. It’s under review and there will be discussion that will take place with respect to housing for staff, housing for community members, and there will be more discussion with the standing committee. Mahsi.

The 17th Assembly has prioritized

education. I just wanted to note that. Is the Minister willing to work with the communities and myself to resolve the issue of housing for teachers? Thank you.

I would say yes. We need to work with all communities to deal with the housing for staff, especially the teachers. That’s under my portfolio. Education is one of the goals and objectives of this Assembly, and I’ll definitely work closely with the NWT Housing Corporation to identify the needs of the communities when it comes to housing for staff. Mahsi.

Thank you to the Minister for that. I look forward to that response. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The hospital operating rooms for elective hip surgery or joint surgeries are now running at full capacity. That was effective August 13, 2011. Thank you.

Does that include the joint replacement surgeries as well? Because it’s been a long time since August. We’ve been about six months. That means we should be getting some of our people in the Northwest Territories through

those surgery rooms and getting those replacements, especially the hip replacement surgeries. Thank you.

I actually don’t know if that includes hip surgery. What I do know is that the operating room seems to have resolved all of the sterilization issues and continues to work on the sterilization issues. As I indicated, the hospital is old and they are doing their best to maintain the pH levels at the operating table. But specific to actual hip replacement surgeries, I am not 100 percent sure on that, but I can get back to the Member on that. Thank you.

I appreciate the answer that the Minister has given me. I’d just like to ask when can I receive that information, at a prompt time, as I do have a lot of constituents who are still waiting on that hip replacement surgery. Thank you.

I can provide that information to the Member later on today or tomorrow. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. That concludes our time for oral questions. Mr. Dolynny.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 7, oral questions.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Dolynny.