Mr. Speaker, I ask for consent to go back to item 14, notices of motion for first reading of bills.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Ms. Cournoyea.

FOR FIRST READING OF BILLS

My apologies, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Friday, March 19, 1993, I shall move that Bill 24, Write-Off of Debts Act, 1993, be read for the first time.

Item 14, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 18, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 2-12(3), The Justice House - Report of the Special Advisor on Gender Equality; Tabled Document 19-12(3), 1992 Master Plan for Corrections Service Division; Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act; Bill 17, Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1993-94; Committee Report 10-12(3), Report on Tabled Document 21-12(3): Payroll Tax Act; Committee Report 11-12(3), Report on the Review of the 1993-94 Main Estimates; Committee Report 12-12(3), Interim Report #4 - Talking and Working Together; Committee Report 15-12(3), Tabled Document 33-12(2): Government Accountability: A Legislative Action Paper on Access to Government; Committee Report 16-12(3), Final Report on the Comprehensive Review of the Rules, with Mr. Whitford in the chair.

Mr. Chairman, I believe we wanted to address the Department of Personnel today on the order paper. We will determine how far we get as a result of that. If time allows, we will consider Committee Report 16-12(3), Final Report on the Comprehensive Review of the Rules, and the Department of Social Services.

I apologize, Mr. Chairman. I have just been advised by the chairman of the Special Committee on Health and Social Services that Committee Report 12-12(3), Interim Report #4 - Talking and Working Together, is to be addressed, following the Department of Personnel. Thank you.

Question.

Mr. Chairman, on February 9 to 12, we met in Fort Simpson. One of the decisions that came out of the meeting is that the Deh Cho region is not looking at any kind of direction with regard to land claims. They do not want that if it means extinguishment. They have also looked at other means toward self-government. At that point in time, there was never any discussion leading to a motion of any kind, nor did the chiefs endorse any boards to be created in the Deh Cho region.

Perhaps the committee has been speaking with the people and been hearing that, but the leadership certainly has not endorsed anything of that nature at this point in time. I just want to say that for the record. I also made a presentation in Fort Providence, in which we looked at other methods of control, other than being an agent of this government. I am not going to support the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I come from the Deh Cho region and the Nahendeh constituency. This motion is important to the people in the region because of the health service delivery. What I have been hearing is that there is a lack of trust in the system at the present time and they have a concern that the people in the communities are not involved in a meaningful way in the delivery of health services in the region.

In 1988, during the transfer of health to the Northwest Territories, the Deh Cho regional council at the time took a very strong position saying the Deh Cho regional council should, in fact, be the board or agency that represents the region with regard to health. Up to that point, that is what they had been doing. The regional council was, in fact, quite involved in all aspects of life that affected the people in the smaller communities and this included health, education and social services.

Another reason was the region is very big and it includes the Dogrib region as well as the South Slave. When this transfer was negotiated by the people within the territorial government, they did not take into consideration that there are different regions within the southern half of the Northwest Territories which include the Deh Cho region, the Dogrib region and South Slave. It was very difficult to move ahead with the health board at that time. Up to now there have been many concerns about the delivery of health. There are different positions taken on this motion.

I know the tribal council has talked about this issue in the past and what I have been hearing in communities is that if there could be a health board of some kind in the region, it might help the situation. I just want to make reference to the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions' Final Report on Health and Hospital Boards in the Northwest Territories. They made a recommendation that each health and hospital should be allowed to define its own structural framework, including the maximum number of members and system of community and aboriginal representation. This is a recommendation that is made by the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions and if a board is allowed to be structured in the Deh Cho region, it should be allowed to be structured in the way the people in the region want it to be structured. That would cover my concern in that region. If that were to be allowed, I think the concerns of the people in the region, such as to the lack of trust in the system and the concern the people have in the communities of not being involved in the delivery of health services, would be alleviated and then I would be inclined to support this motion at the present time. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This motion or recommendation was developed with a great deal of consideration placed into it. There was concern expressed when we travelled in the Deh Cho region, particularly in the Fort Simpson area of the fact that they were absent of a board. They felt the Mackenzie director, Tom Menzies was basically

the one doing all of the decision-making with respect to health delivery in the Deh Cho region. When we look at the whole area of health, prior to the transfer, Mr. Chairman, it was always deemed that the transfer was to be addressed as much as we could by the community people through the formation of a board. However, if we look at the regions, I believe every region has a board except for the Deh Cho. The Inuvik region has a regional board for their health centre, the Baffin region, the Keewatin region, the Yellowknife region, the Hay River region, and Fort Smith did. However, if you look at Deh Cho, it is in isolation without a board. It is run by a public administrator.

I think since we have taken the liberty of devolving health to the territories, we really should consider a regional board of health be established in the Deh Cho. I do not believe that we have to do it right away, but I think the department should start developing that and making some plan to let this Legislative Assembly know when they are going to consider this. With respect to this recommendation, this is the intent, we are recommending that a regional board of health be established in the Deh Cho region as opposed to a public administrator delivering the health services for the Department of Health. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With regard to the Deh Cho health board, I am not going to say what is best for the region. It is not my place to do that. I certainly would appreciate it, if the motions put forward in this House are based on the desire of the region. We do not have that, we are basing it on some comments which were made.

Mr. Chairman, I have been dealing with Tom Menzies for many years now. Anytime that I had a problem, he has acted on it very professionally. I do not know what effect the creation of a board will do, it might mean we are to go through another hurdle to get at the problem. The only concern I have is that I have not received any kind of motion, nor have I received any kind of desire from the bands, the tribal or regional councils which suggests that this is the direction the Deh Cho should go in. On that basis, I cannot say what is best for the region and pretend that I am the almighty and that I should be the one who decides the fate of that region. For those reasons, I will not be supporting the motion.