Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am not sure that I have a projected deficit yet. I do not know that they have done their budget. I think they are waiting for us to finish our budget. The last figure I have for the deficit was $120,700,000. Thank you.

Thank you. Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand there are some plans to run a deficit-reduction plan. Are we expecting that this main estimates that we are looking it for 2021-2022 will actually add to the deficit, or are we now budgeting enough that the deficit will essentially stop? I am not expecting us to pay off the $120 million, but is it going to get bigger this fiscal, as well? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Yes. Thank you. Based on the budget for this fiscal year, which had a deficit budget, the NTHSSA had a deficit projected for this fiscal year, then I am going to say that we are going to continue to grow the deficit for the time being. What we are trying to do is to reduce the size of that deficit to zero through the health system sustainability plan, which we have spoken about here, so what we are trying to do is understand the drivers that are adding to the deficit and address those and reduce them, obviously, so we get to a point where we are not budgeting with deficits for the health authorities. Thank you.

Thank you. Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Admittedly, my understanding of why the health authority is able to run a deficit in the first place is not fully understood. Are there any plans to simply not allow them to run a deficit and then, if they needed to, come back through a supplementary appropriation process so that there is a little bit more ongoing tracking to this House? When they wrack up debt, it's not like it's a different debt; it's still the GNWT being held, and I think, at one point, we are probably going to have a conversation about whether that $120 million of debt is written off and brought into the GNWT. I do not really see the point in making them pay it off. I would like them to get to zero and adding to it. Is it possible, or is there a reason that health authorities have to be able to run deficits and we cannot simply let them rely on the supplementary appropriation process like every other department? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Yes. Thank you. I will start this, and then I will turn it over to Ms. Mathison. We have a very generous set of core services that are offered by our health authorities, and we need to ensure that we can continue those services now that we have them offered to our residents. We cannot say to people, "You could be out of work in March because we think that we will be out of money by then." The real question facing the health authorities is: what is the scope of our core services and what are the extras? Are we going to continue to fund all of the extras and continue adding to our deficit, or are we going to limit services? Are we going to ask people to pay for services? How are we going to manage the drivers on our health spending, which are substantial for us and all across Canada, which is why you hear news stories all the time about the Premier is negotiating with the federal government for an increased Canada Health Transfer. I, personally, am not a budget person. I do not see a way of reducing the deficit to zero and then working with supplementary appropriations when these are now all core services that we are funding. However, that is an amateur view, and Jeannie Mathison is a professional, so we should hear from her.

Ms. Mathison.

Thank you. Member.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Yes, thank you. The Office of the Public Guardian is actually in adult support services, and the staff there is the public guardian and an assistant. I don't think there is a budget increase, other than through the collective agreement, for this office in this fiscal year, but I will just turn to Ms. Mathison for additional information. Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Mathison.

Thank you. Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to see an increase for the Office the Public Guardian, but I guess I am even more concerned in looking at the business plan. We have asked them to do quite a bit of work, and they are already backlogged in getting people into guardianship. Is the department, somewhere else in this budget, providing policy support to that office so that they are not tasked with decreasing their wait list and completely reforming public guardianship? Are we providing policy support? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you. I think that they were doing intake through contract services. I don't know if that's still the case, because that detail isn't on this page, but let me ask Ms. Mathison if that is the case. The Deputy Minister... [Microphone turned off]

Thank you. Deputy Minister.