Okay, I’ll call committee to order. We are on section 8, Health and Social Services. Mr. Beaulieu, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

Is committee agreed?

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you would please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu, would you mind introducing your witnesses, please?

Thank you, Madam Chair. With me today to my right is Deputy Minister Debbie DeLancey, Health and Social Services, and to my left, Assistant Deputy Minister Derek Elkin, Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Committee, we are on page 8-17, activity summary, Health and Social Services, program delivery support, operations expenditures summary, $34.772. On my list from yesterday is Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My question is in regard to population health, the discrepancies between the amounts here in that line. In 2011-12 the main estimates were at $3.678 million. The revised estimates ended up being $6.391 million. I was wondering what the increase was, and then what was the justification behind making the ‘12-13 Main Estimates at $4.426 million. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That is the supplementary appropriation that comes to the Assembly from the department every year and would be the Canadian Blood Services and people that go for southern treatment. Adults and children that are in southern treatment are three of, I think, the largest costs from that supplementary appropriation.

Thank you. If that’s the case, from the main to the revised there was a difference of $2.713 million. Is that something that we’ll be looking at possibly revising for the main estimates for this fiscal year under population health? Thank you.

Thank you. We do come back for those costs with a supplementary appropriation every year, depending on the need.

No further question. I just needed some clarity and I thank the Minister and his staff for that clarity. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Page 17, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome back to the Minister and the Department of Health. I need some clarifications on some of the numbers on this page here under the word “other.” Can I get a better explanation what that encompasses? We see a substantial decrease from the revised estimates from 2011-2012.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Elkin.

Thank you. Yes, I have no problem clarifying. The 2011-2012 revised estimates of $11.874 million, main estimates proposed $9.295 million.

Thank you. I believe that this is involving a number of, or a few potential patients and if these patients continue to reside in the Northwest Territories and give indication that they’ll reside in the Northwest Territories, my question is why can’t the department continue with a main estimate calculation given the fact that the treatment is relatively the same year after year.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Last year a lot of this cost was driven by two babies that required blood services, expensive blood services. So it’s quite possible that this coming year that cost may not be there, but we don’t know that at this time.

Thank you. I guess it’s a simple ask to the department, I mean, if there’s an open dialogue with the parents of these patients, if they give indication that they’re going to reside or continue to reside in the Northwest Territories, wouldn’t it be prudent to save a lot of grief in creating a supplementary appropriation when we can actually put it in the main estimates at this juncture?

Thank you. I’ll have the assistant deputy minister respond to that detail item.