Debates of March 31st, 1994

This is page numbers 965 - 992 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.

Topics

Members Present
Item 1: Prayer
Inter-agency Training
Yellowknifer Article "if It's Not Broken, Don't Fix It"
Throat Singing Duo "tuujat"
The Mackenzie River Basin
The High Cost Of Infant Formulas
Wishing Everyone A Happy Easter
Urgent Requirement For Iqaluit Municipal Election
Inadequate Freight Services Provided To Sanikiluaq
Turnover Of Fort Providence Water Treatment Plant
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Status Of Water Management Agreement
Changes To The Regulations Of Operation For Private Truckers
Changes To Health Care Plan Re Infant Formulas
Continuous Services At Weather Reporting Stations
Eligibility Of Business Licence Holders To Bid On Contracts
Plans To Continue The Science Innovators' Program
Terms Of Reference For Hay River
Calculation Of Vta Included In Cnit For Home Ownership Program
Designation Of One Minister For Departments Of Health And Social Services
Lay-off Of Workers At Cape Dorset Weather Reporting Station
Fees For Firearms Certificates
Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Information Re Contract For Kawtak Contracting Limited
Nwtpc Tendering Process
Party At Fault In Hay River Group Home/social Services Contract
Status Of Freight Subsidy In Transportation Strategy
Item 8: Replies To Opening Address
Item 12: Tabling Of Documents
Tabled Document 65-12(5) "water And Sewage Services Subsidy Policy Amendments" To Committee Of The Whole
Motion To Move Minister's Statement 62-12(5): To Committee Of The Whole
Tabled Document 65-12(5) "water And Sewage Services Subsidy Policy Amendments" To Committee Of The Whole
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 19: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Assent To Bills
Item 21: Orders Of The Day

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 985

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly agree with the Minister that, in many cases, people do not seem to recognize their vulnerability to this terrible disease. We do need to find more ways to get the message out effectively. I think that is one of the things that the Special Committee on Health and Social Services tried to emphasize. We have to find effective ways of getting the message out.

I think the Minister has suggested that he is waiting for people to tell him about ways that work to get the message across. In every community that we travelled to, on the special committee, I asked people about their AIDS awareness and tried to gauge how effective we had been at getting the message across to communities. The one community that stood out above all the others, although it had happened only fairly recently, was Tuktoyaktuk. The approach that was used in Tuktoyaktuk was one that has shown great promise. I would urge the department to take a look at that example and see if we can't find ways to support the CHRs and the community nurses to follow the process that was followed in Tuktoyaktuk and try and use that approach. It is obvious that the booklets and advertisements aren't working. The schools don't seem to be successfully getting the message across, but in Tuktoyaktuk I know that I found there seemed to be a much higher awareness of the problem of AIDS, a much better awareness of how to deal with preventing it. There seemed to have been some change in behaviour based on what people verbally indicated. I think that represents one success that should be looked at.

It is not clear from the budget. Have we devoted more in the way of fiscal and human resources to dealing with AIDS in this budget than the current year? Is it less or about the same?

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. The honourable Minister of Health.

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John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Chairman, we had some $335,000 last year. Some of it was for one-time funding. We did an educational workshop for 200 Health staff. We had the AIDS hotline operating from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and received 350 calls. We did the television program, along with Education. Again, we had $60,000 for special community projects and $50,000 for board initiatives. We did the HIV/AIDS manual for health professionals update and sexually transmitted diseases control project in the Kitikmeot and Mackenzie. Some of those are one-time shots. We have, this year, $185,000 and ongoing. That will maintain the community initiatives and complete the sexually transmitted diseases control project in the Mackenzie. It will continue with the case management assistance and ongoing education for health professionals and the public. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Administration, total O & M, $11.399 million. Mr. Dent.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one last comment on AIDS. I understand that, recently, there has been an AIDS awareness group started in Yellowknife. I would suspect that that type of group could be quite successful in helping the department get the message across if they were encouraged to either expand through branches in other communities or if other communities were interested to set that kind of group up. I would hope that the department would try and work with groups like this to ensure that they are getting the community involved and getting community assistance and advice when it comes to promoting strategies for dealing with AIDS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Chairman, we are providing financial assistance to AIDS Yellowknife in 1993-94. We will certainly work with them again this year. I think it needs more of these kinds of groups that have an interest to get out there and beat the drum and sell the message. I think it pays us to support them. We have also recently paid for an elder to go from Hay River to an aboriginal AIDS awareness conference in Edmonton. I think that there are groups of people who are beginning to get involved in what can be done in this particular area. We will give them as much support as possible, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Further on the AIDS issue, I know there was another funeral in Iqaluit last week of a young Inuk victim of AIDS. We are increasingly aware of this deadly disease. It seems to me that when we had the discussion in committee of the whole with Dr. Gilchrist on this issue last year, there were some very good suggestions from MLAs about more aggressive approaches that the department might take in its AIDS strategy. I specifically recall suggesting -- and I think there were suggestions of that nature from other Members -- that it is certainly not enough to do advertising in pamphlets and the like and it is not enough to make condoms available in health centres. I think the specific suggestion was made -- and I got this idea from young people I spoke to in my own constituency at the Baffin leaders' youth conference -- to make condoms available in schools, not just in school washrooms, but in school classrooms and in places where kids hang out and can easily obtain them. This suggestion came from kids, themselves.

I wonder if the Minister could tell me if the department has been taking any measures to make condoms more easily available, particularly to young people.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

The honourable Minister.

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John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Chairman, you then get into the sensitive area of educational professionals and parents. We've already had some parents complain about giving out prophylactics at health centres and just having them openly on display. There are people who would say that by actually going into schools and putting them on the teachers' desks and putting them out more publicly than they are right now in washrooms, we're promoting sexual contact for children.

I've been hesitant to do that kind of thing. Being a parent myself and talking to other parents, I know that there would be people who would say this is not right. I respect the position that the Member is putting forward and I'd be perfectly willing to place the issue before the education boards, but that's as far as I would go in asking boards if they think it is a good idea. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Mr. Patterson.

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that is precisely what I would ask the Minister to do. I acknowledge that there is some controversy surrounding this issue, but I believe the duly elected authorities' responsible for schools would look at the issue seriously. It may be that some communities will take different positions than others. I would specifically like to request the Minister -- at least in the Baffin region where I believe there would be a progressive attitude on this issue in light of the visibly afflicted people in the region -- to encourage his officials to put the offer at least to school authorities. I acknowledge that they would have to make the decision. They may have to consult parents, but I would like to suggest that the issue should be put to school boards that are willing to consider it. The offer should be made.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Qujannamiik. Mr. Minister.

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John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Chairman, I will commit to write to the Minister of Education and ask him to contact the boards and see what their positions would be, individually. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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The Chair John Ningark

Mr. Dent.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On a different issue, I know that during the SCOF hearings I asked the Minister, and I think Mr. Ballantyne asked a question in the House, about the classification of public health nurses in places like Iqaluit and Yellowknife. It's been an ongoing problem where public health nurses feel that since the turnover of Health to this government, their classification has been incorrect. They had some indication early on that that would be addressed. The Minister has so far insisted that he is not willing to re-examine their classification before a GNWT-wide classification evaluation is done. I would just like to find out if that is still the Minister's position or if he's willing to take a look at these very important people, recognize that previous commitments were made and deal with it in the coming year?

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

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John Pollard Hay River

The chairman of the Financial Management Board is looking at that at the present time, Mr. Chairman, and I expect to have something on my desk very quickly. Thank you.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Administration, total O and M, $11.399 million.

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

Supplementary Health Programs

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Next page, supplementary health programs, total O and M, $16.559 million.

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

Out Of Territories Hospitals

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The Chair John Ningark

Qujannamiik. Out of territories hospitals, total O and M, $20.105 million. Mr. Dent.

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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Minister is aware, I've had some concerns about the arrangement that has been set up with the Royal Alexandra Hospital as a point of

referral. The Minister has dealt with many of the concerns that I've expressed. Since I last asked a question about this, though, the Royal Alexandra has announced further cuts to staff. I would like to, again, be assured that the Minister is confident that patient care will be at the level which people are used to. It would appear to me that in a system under seige -- which is what the Alberta system appears to be -- if you're cutting staff as extensively as they are in these hospitals, that the quality of patient care has to suffer.

I know from recent experiences in a hospital down south and talking to the staff where there had been serious cutbacks, they confirmed that they felt there had been a deterioration in patient care. I know, speaking from personal experience, that my wife was certainly happy that she was able to spend 12 hours a day in the hospital to ensure that really good care could be provided to a member of our family. I would just like the Minister to advise how it is that they're examining just exactly how these cuts Alberta is undergoing now will affect the standards of patient care?