Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a second interim report from the Special Committee on Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, I can indicate to you that this particular report has been translated into Inuktitut.
This report summarizes our committee's activities during the 12 weeks since our first report was tabled. It also represents our plans for the period between now, and the start of the next session of the Assembly in November.
The primary focus of our work since June, has been to orient ourselves to the priorities we identified in our last report. As a start, we have taken steps to learn from those who have already examined these issues. We have reviewed and summarized the reports of the previous special committees, and other relevant bodies. In addition, we have spoken with some of those who have been involved in these inquiries, to get their ideas about what may help ensure the effectiveness of our consultation process. Our work plans reflect their advice.
During the first week of September, we met with senior representatives of the Departments of Health and Social Services. They reviewed with us the major issues and priorities within their respective mandates, and how they see those issues best being addressed.
We also began to examine the important issue of the community transfer, by listening to people involved with their community control programs. Most of the health and social issues we face in the Northwest Territories are complex and interrelated with broader economic and political trends. To ensure that we have the comprehensive background information that we need to make effective recommendations, we will be carrying out a number of research projects.
One will be a survey of frontline workers to hear their concerns and ideas on how better to assist those in need. Others will focus on the lengths between housing and health, encouraging family and community healing, and the development of social health indicators.
We will also be examining aspects of the legislative framework in health and social services.
Mr. Speaker, our first regional consultation will take place the week of November 9 to 13 in Rankin Inlet, so as to hear the ideas of many people of the Keewatin who will be doing a number of different things. We will give workshops and public meetings, as well as make trips to various programs and services. Together with the local M.L.A.s, we will also visit one community in each constituency. We want to ensure that everyone young and old, male and female, who wishes to share his or her ideas about improving things in health and social services can do so.
As Members of this House, we are too well aware that there are many important issues that fall within the area of health and social services. The committee would like to bring the following concerns to the attention to the Members of the Assembly.
Care givers conference. Many northerners suffer physical and psychological pain. The causes are numerous and the effects are far reaching. People in pain are not well equipped to function effectively in their various roles, whether they are parents or employees. Ignoring their distress, then, carries a high price. Seeking to help them is also costly and very challenging for those helping. All too often, such care givers are overwhelmed by the number, and extent, of demands placed upon them, and they end up burning out, or are unable to continue. When this happens, the clients lose out. In fact, we all lose and we all pay the cost of both continued disfunction, and the costs of recruiting, training, and orientating a replacement care giver. These caring people who work directly with those in pain, play a pivotal role in our efforts to help them. They, in turn, need substantial personal and professional support. Too often the support is not forthcoming.
Recognizing this, a coalition of over 12 organizations concerned about the needs of victims of crime, has formed to start to do something about it. For the past two years they have been planning a gathering of care givers from across the Northwest Territories.
Seeking to plan the conference agenda, they carried out a survey of frontline care givers. They wanted to ensure that the program offered would truly meet the workers needs. Those who responded to the survey, told them exactly what they wanted. They also overwhelmingly confirmed their urgent need for the support and training such a conference could give them.
Our committee strongly supports this conference, as well as depend on having effective care givers. Unfortunately it has been delayed more than once due to shortage of funds. Thus far, only the federal government has shown considerable financial support having committed the bulk of the conference funds. Still more money is needed before all expenses can be covered. We, therefore, urge this government to clearly shows its support to our front line workers by making the necessary funds available, so that this important gathering can proceed February, without fail.
Mr. Speaker, the committee on a matter of a recommendation, the committee recommends that the Executive Council consider showing its support to the workshop and conference for care givers by providing adequate funding to permit the conference to proceed.
On the matter of the community transfer this government is in the midst of a major thrust to move decision making, and program delivery, closer to the people served. While we agree in principle with this initiative, we see problems with its implementation. There is concern that there has been a lack of meaningful consultation at the community level. This must not be a talked down process, if it is to have any chance of success. Everything must be subject to negotiation. We must not just present communities with a "menu" from which to choose. The transfer must be an open process, driven by the needs, capabilities and interests, of the community or region. We see that input from all those affected, should be encouraged, facilitated, and not restricted. The constructive and informed comments from everyone involved are necessary as the basis for good decisions.
Our discussions with people who have been involved in the successful transfer of services to communities suggests that the transfer process is crucial to the success of the resulting programs. They pointed to the need for strong broadly based grass roots support for such moves. This means listening carefully to the concerns and ideas of the community members who will receive the services under consideration, and those who deliver them as well as those of local elected officials. To ensure informed debate and discussion, we see it as being crucial to share the experiences of people in places where such a transfer has occurred, with those in communities considering such a move.
With regard to the A.I.D.S. issue, recent incidents in the Inuvik region have reminded us of a crucial issue of the spread, and reporting, of H.I.V. infection and A.I.D.S. We urge the government to continue to work with local health boards and communities to develop appropriate steps that communities can take to prevent the further spread of this deadly disease.
On the matter of the social assistance allowance, or social assistance allowance increase, we note that the recent 1992-93 budget address includes an increase of five percent for food allowances for recipients of social assistance. On the surface this appears to be a positive step, however, closer examination shows that it at best is a symbolic gesture. First, the allowance still is not enough, as a chart and table on appendix one show, clients across the Northwest Territories will now receive an allowance that averages 60 percent of what the 1991 food price survey found was the cost of purchasing a nutritious family food supply.
We wonder where social assistance clients are to get the funds to make up for the average 40 percent shortfall between what the food allowance covers and the cost of a basic diet for their families.
Second, disparities continue, across all communities. The shortfall incline food purchasing power ranges, from a low of 28 percent to a high of 51 percent. People in those communities with more developed transportation links are better off than those in more isolated ones. In a time of restraint, and at a cost of $1 million, was this "across the board" modest increase, the best option to have pursued. Our findings suggest otherwise, this increase only marginally improves the financial situation of any one family and does not address the inequities that currently exist between communities.
A more effective strategy may have been to reposition communities on the scales, based on the data from the 1991 food price survey, where a similar expenditure, substantial progress could have then been made towards reducing, if not eliminating the disparity in food allowances. Even a move such as this, however, amounts to mere tinkering with a program modeled and imported from the south that has not been very effective there, and has not been very effective here.
Our committee believes that the goal of social assistance should be to help people attain or regain their economic self-sufficiency. To be effective in that regard requires more than tinkering with the current program. A major overhaul is needed. We note that our neighbours in the Yukon have recently started a systemic review of their social assistance system. We will be consulting with them as they proceed. We also note with interest, this governments work in this area, and look forward to briefings on their progress.
As one aspect of a more integrated program, for example, we are interested in the contribution that encourages increased harvesting of country foods which could improve nutritional, and financial health of people receiving social assistance. Providing such help may prove to be more cost effective in ensuring people have nutritious food. This support could take the form of funds for the purchase supplies and equipment for hunting, or money for purchase of country foods from local H.T.A.s.
Similarly consumer education could be facilitated by encouraging the sharing among community members of expertise in the utilizations, preparation, and storage, of country foods harvested. The committee will be examining this area over the next few months to be able to make recommendations on actions the government could take in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion as we proceed through our regional consultations and other activities in the coming months we will report on our progress and recommend actions to the Assembly on the compelling issues that we have investigated.
Motion That Committee Report 20-12(2) Be Moved Into Committee Of The Whole
Mr. Speaker, that concludes the second interim report of the Special Committee on Health and Social Services. Therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, that the second interim report of the Special Committee on Health and Social Services be received by the Assembly and moved into committee of the whole for consideration.