Mr. Whitford.
Debates of Feb. 28th, 1992
Topics
Supplementary To Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 188
The Speaker
Further Return To Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 188
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that BRC does represent a number of communities in many areas...
Further Return To Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 188
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
How many?
Further Return To Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 188
Further Return To Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Question O194-12(2): Support Of Territorial Board Of Management For Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 188
The Speaker
Oral questions. Mr. Pudlat.
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South
(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Social Services regarding the drug and alcohol workers in the North. Were there a lot of people who caused your department to disintegrate because there was a lot of alcohol abuse? Did this become a problem, and is that the reason you came up with this clause that disintegrated the Department of Social Services mandate for the social workers in your department? That is my question for the Minister of Social Services.
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Minister of Social Services, Mr. Whitford.
Return To Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The board of management, who advises the Minister, has monitored very closely the success and delivery of the alcohol and drug treatment program. There were very glaring discrepancies, I guess, in the amount of money that was being spent in some areas, and the occupancy and usage of centres; somewhere down as far as 45 to 50 per cent of use. Through some method of ascertaining, it was determined that people, in order to really go and seek help, had to have confidence in the people who were delivering the program. This was what the decision was based on: by the obvious non-participation by the workers in some cases.
Return To Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Pudlat.
Supplementary To Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South
(Translation) Mr. Speaker, I raised that question because I wanted to know if there were a lot of employees who were abusing alcohol. I am not just telling people to abstain from drinking, but there has to be a way, especially in the North, to develop these programs. I am sure a lot of people are going along with this, but if this were to become law, I am concerned that you may lose a lot of very good employees if they were caught drinking, even though they may be good at their job. Do you not think you will be losing a lot of employees because of this policy? This kind of thing can be good both ways, but you have to consider this in different ways. We, as MLAs, have to consider this policy by looking at it in many different ways. My supplementary question is whether or not you are concerned about losing a lot of good employees because of this clause. Thank you.
Supplementary To Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford.
Further Return To Question O195-12(2): Concern About Resignation Of Employees As A Result Of Sobriety Clause
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I do not believe we will lose one good employee. I am very confident that an overwhelming majority of alcohol and drug workers are in support of these initiatives. They support them wholeheartedly. There are some, however, that may have agreed to this reluctantly, but they realize that the personal sacrifice they have made is for the better. They have gone on to continue their good work and will participate in this initiative while they are employed there. Unfortunately, there are others who are going to hold out and will probably be in violation of this initiative, but I am not overly concerned, because I believe that anyone who does this will do it deliberately in order to possibly draw a legal challenge to this. Mr. Speaker, I have not yet received one resignation from any alcohol and drug worker as a direct result of this clause; not one.
---Applause
Further Return To Question O195-12(2): Concern About Resignation Of Employees As A Result Of Sobriety Clause
Question O195-12(2): Concern Over Resignation Of Employees As Result Of Sobriety Clause
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Oral questions. Ms. Mike.
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
February 27th, 1992
Page 189
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
My question is for the Minister of Social Services. From what I understand, there is a group forming in Iqaluit to become an agency for Social Services. However, in my community of Pangnirtung, an alcohol and drug committee was formed during the hamlet election. How are you going to get another group going in Pangnirtung when this committee has been elected by the community?
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford.
Return To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to hear that a group has come together in the community of Iqaluit to fill the void that may exist if Tuvvik decides not to participate in this program any further.
Mr. Speaker, the former Minister and I have always said that -- and this government has supported this -- the people that are most concerned and want to see success in the alcohol and drug treatment program will rally to fill a void. I have every confidence that there will be no community in this territory that will not be served by an alcohol and drug counselling service if one decides to shut down. It is an important service, Mr. Speaker, that is needed.
In the community of Iqaluit, a group has met and has selected a board from which we have not yet received an official request for funding. In the community of Pangnirtung, we have not yet received confirmation that they have indeed rejected this clause. We have yet to receive that. The contract has gone over to BRC and has not yet been returned. I extended to them, or I left the door open, until the end of February, which ends tomorrow, that if they chose to support the sobriety clause they would sign this document. They have up until tomorrow to do that, and then I think the door will close. I will wait, then, for the response from the community, which I know will come.
Return To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Supplementary, Ms. Mike.
Supplementary To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Do the policy makers adhere to this sobriety clause, including the cabinet?
Supplementary To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford.
Further Return To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The sobriety clause deals with a very specific program. It deals with a very specific group, and that is the extent of it at the moment.
Further Return To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
The Speaker
Supplementary, Ms. Mike.
Supplementary To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 189
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
The issue here is not so much the sobriety clause. It is the principle. Now, we are talking about role models. The cabinet is a role model to me. Is the cabinet
going to adhere to the policy?
---Applause
Supplementary To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 190
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford.
Further Return To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 190
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Mr. Speaker, I cannot answer for each and every Member here, and I do not think I should. I think, every one of us in this House sets an example to the public. The public watches us. The public sees us, not only in the House here, Mr. Speaker, but they also see us on the streets in our communities and they fashion themselves accordingly.
Further Return To Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Question O196-12(2): Pangnirtung Alcohol And Drug Committee
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 190
The Speaker
Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.