So it's the Minister's position then that we really won't have any increased uptake and that by exerting better control we will be reducing the amounts of payments of social assistance.
Debates of March 29th, 1995
Topics
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
John Pollard Hay River
I'm hopeful that that is what the department will achieve, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
I'll be very surprised, Mr. Chairman, if that happens. I had to admit that I was kind of suspecting that the Minister might say that this was a Minister of Finance initiative to force the department to come back and justify any increases. But I can only take the Minister at face value, I guess.
On the other part of this special warrant, under foster care, we're showing an increase in cost of $1.483 million. I believe that this increases the amount of expenditure for this task by over 50 per cent to what was approved in the main estimates. Could the Minister advise whether or not that's the case and, if so, what is the cause for the increase?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
John Pollard Hay River
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Department of Health and Social Services has statutory obligations under the Child Welfare Act. They have to investigate all complaints of child abuse and neglect. During the first six months, ending October 31, 1994, the number of investigations that they had had to deal with in this half a fiscal year surpassed the total for all of 1993-94. It has almost doubled the amount of children in care or investigations that have had to be done under this act, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Has the department provided any indication as to the reason for the dramatic increase in this year's...Has the department indicated any reason for the increased number of apprehensions?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, I've been provided with all kinds of data with regard to why the extra money is required, et cetera, but the department has not come back to us yet with the reasons behind having to expend those extra funds. I'm hoping that they'll be able to come back to us and tell us just why this sudden jump has occurred in the last year. I don't have that information right now, Mr. Chairman, but when it becomes available I'm sure that the Minister will share it with the House. Thank you.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, if memory serves me correctly, from the detailed document that SCOF reviewed in January, the amount proposed for 1995-96 was about the same as it was in the original main estimates for 1994-95. Is this another area where the Minister thinks that through better fiscal control we will apprehend fewer children next year so he can keep this budget low like the social assistance budget?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, in the social assistance budget it is a little different. We know that in there, there are some efficiencies to be gained if we have better communication links and so on. In this particular instance what we are seeing is a huge jump in one year, for reasons we don't know. I am not prepared, at this time, to say this trend is going to continue, but we should guess that there is going to be the same kind of requirement to investigate and apprehend children as there was this year. We are waiting to find out from the department exactly what happened. Let's just hope that this anomaly doesn't occur again; simply because if there is a trend and we are seeing more children requiring help and more children who need to be looked after by the government, then it bodes for an even greater social problem out there.
I am hoping that this was just a freak year and hopefully it won't happen again next year. If it does happen again next year and we have reasons to believe that it is going to continue, then we are going to have to address, at that time, what I would call a crisis, Mr. chairman. Thank you.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
The Chair Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Pollard. Social Services, operations and maintenance. The Chair continues to recognize Mr. Dent.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could we find out the reason for the portion of this special warrant that relates to residential care?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, there was an increase to the residential care per diem rate from $218.43 in 1993-94 to $230.32 in 1994-95. That was part of the reason for an increase. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Has the per diem rate dropped? Again, if my recollection is correct, for the detail examination of SCOF, the amount proposed for 1995-96 is actually less then what was in the main estimates for 1994-95.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, the largest part of the increase was in the number of bed days that went from 3,367 in 1993-94 to what we believe is going to be some 7,290 in 1994-95. So that, by far, was the largest amount of that particular dollar figure. I think it is $1.679 million.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
The Chair Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Pollard. Social Services, operations and maintenance, family support special warrants, $4.248 million.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 704
An Hon. Member
Agreed.