Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah. No, thanks, Madam Chair. The reports to FMB, and, you know, probably end up being on a confidential briefing to Regular MLAs are okay. But I guess I'm trying to find a way for the good work that these folks are doing to be explained publicly. Is that something that the department will look at? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't think the department has contemplated that. I haven't ever heard a request for that before now. People do realize that the system is running a deficit, but I don't think they relate that to the services that are delivered. And so it seems to be not as interesting to the public as it is to us sitting in the House.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay. Well, look, I don't want to prolong this. Thanks, Madam Chair. I think there's actually a good number of people in the public that want to know how we can find efficiencies and ways of improving our expenditures and tracking and so on of health care costs. So I'll just leave that with the Minister and the department. I think they need to find a way to explain some of the good work that they are doing. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Health and Social Services, administrative and support services. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to come back to the deficit that was mentioned by my colleagues earlier. Going forward, though, this next fiscal year we're going to be -- you said the 189. But overall, I just want to know, like how do we -- what are your management plans to deal with this deficit, I guess, going forward? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, what we've been -- what we did was create the health system sustainability office and the plan that goes with it, and their task is to find ways in which we can contain or reduce costs for the services that we provide to the population. And that has produced some initial results. We are not looking at how we can pay this deficit back. That is not part of this budget, and it's hard to imagine when it will be. What we're trying to do is to ensure that the deficit slows in its growth so that the overall deficit doesn't get any worse. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Maybe if -- I just had another question. Can the Minister explain to me about the -- on page 190, in terms of chargebacks. Can you just maybe just touch a little bit on that and so I understand it. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you. The chargebacks on that page relate to the money that we pay to the TSC for the support they give us for our various electronic and health information systems.

Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you, Minister, for your answer. I'm just thinking about the deficit again, but I'm just thinking the budget overall is -- you know, we got a pretty big budget here of $610 million plus. I'm just thinking about the three P initiatives in terms of commitments. Going forward, I know that we're building that new hospital and then the renovation of the old hospital, etcetera. I just want to know, I guess overall, is that going to -- the binding of this budget the government's -- those projects long term, what are the -- I don't know if you could speak to it or not but I just want to know what the long-term payback is on that -- on those three projects. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, those are capital projects which are in the capital budget that this year will be presented at the end of August. And so this budget doesn't contain capital projects. It contains the operations and maintenance of both the old hospital and the new hospital. So those capital costs are not in here.

Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you, Minister. My next question will be is that in regards to contract services for $844,000, can you maybe just elaborate a little bit on that, on the breakdown of that because I don't see it in here. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to have the director of finance answer that question, please.

Thank you. Go ahead, Ms. Johnson.

The $844,000 is primarily with a few contractors under our administration -- or information services, mail chargebacks, Xerox under finance, and some administrative contracts such as French language services, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Alberta // Renal. Thank you.