Thank you, Mr. Ng. Mr. Henry.
Debates of Oct. 22nd, 1997
Topics
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you. There has been just recently a dental clinic set up in the Keewatin, and I believe this program for capping came in after that program had been set up. I would ask the Minister because of that situation of the cost involved of setting up a new operation if he would take a personal interest or a department interest in this and do what he can to encourage the federal government to not be capping these programs especially at a time when new businesses are set up and then a capping comes in place? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would certainly have no problem with that. We right now as provincial and territorial jurisdictions -- I know through my work on the Ministerial Council on Social Renewal with the Premiers have assigned to us -- are very concerned about some of the aboriginal off-loading, if you will, of the federal government, of what we feel are their fiduciary responsibilities to aboriginal people, peoples in respect to the health care services and we are actively continuing to pursue that with the federal Minister. It is an issue that has been there for quite a number of years and I think, especially recently, within the last couple of years as the profile has continued to raise particularly in some of the southern jurisdictions because of the fact that a lot of their health and social services resources are being dramatically impacted as a result of aboriginal people moving off of reserves and into the cities, into the more urban areas and creating huge fiscal demands on their programs in those southern jurisdictions as well, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. Ng. On the list I now have Mr. Krutko, Mr. Picco and Mr. Enuaraq. Mr. Krutko.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Madam Chair, at this time I would like to report progress that we continue with this Minister tomorrow when we continue with committee of the whole.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Your motion is in order. It is not debatable. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? Thank you. The motion is defeated. So, we will proceed. Next on the list I have Mr. Picco. Mr. Krutko, you have the floor. Please proceed.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 78
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have been looking forward to this for a couple of years now. Madam Chair, my question to the Minister especially in regard to the whole area
of health and social services, in regard to decisions that have been made by this government and certain cuts have been made by this government especially in the area of health, in regard to the mental health of individuals and also the whole medical services that we deliver to our constituents and especially in regard to the Minister, a comment I made in the House where an individual was taken to the hospital to Inuvik by taxi who was suffering from a heart attack. I would like to ask the Minister if this practice is the way we deliver health care to the residents of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it is not the preferred way of treating any individual in respect to delivery of health care services. It is an unfortunate situation, but we are dealing with 65,000 residents at various stages receiving health care. At some point in the system you have breakdowns. You run into difficulties that are unexpected. There are unfortunate situations and you hope certainly that they will not have a serious impact on that individual, but you cannot always guarantee that unfortunately and things do happen when you are dealing with individuals that require treatment, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, in regard to the whole area of TI'oondih Healing Society and a motion I passed in this House in regard to the closure of that program and Delta House, I would like to ask the Minister a question in regard to the whole area of alcohol and drug programs where those programs are presently being delivered. The question of certification. It has been an issue that has been raised in relation to that program being delivered. I would like to ask the Minister in regard to the programs that presently exist, are they certified and who does the certification for those other programs that presently exist?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it depends on the nature of the programs whether or not it is us or it is some national accreditation. Then it would be by the federal government Madam Chair. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Madam Chair, just clarification on his response, I asked who does the accreditation. He did not answer that portion of the question.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Madam Chair, I do not know exactly who it would be, but the officials within whichever department it would be that has that responsibility, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. It seems like the Minister either does not know or that he assumes someone is certifying these alcohol and drug facilities that currently exist. Yet one of the criteria he put on the Tl'oondih Healing Society was that it has to be credible. Yet the present standards that are in place, we are using southern facilities to deliver alcohol and drug programs to the residents of the Northwest Territories which are not credible in regards to being certified. So which is it?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I advised the Member I do not know who the individual is. I can certainly find that out or whether it is a team, but I can say that there are treatment facility standards that we have and the Tl'oondih Healing Camp is well aware of those standards because they have tried to meet them. I do not know what the status is of their efforts to be certified as an NWT treatment centre, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not too sure how to put these questions because it seems like he is either avoiding answering my questions or basically does not have an idea what this area falls under. Madam Chair, in regards to a question I asked about a child advocacy group in regards to the statistics that I mentioned to the Premier and also that was directed to the Minister about the numbers of children who have been either sexually abused or physically abused, it is alarming, it is high and that is just a small portion of the numbers that we know of. Yet there are a lot of concerns out there about the well-being of children that this government does not have an adequate department to serve the issues that relate to children and also concerns that affect them especially in statistics that we see are alarming. The number of cases that are presently in front of us in regard to court, the number of actions that are presently taking place, the question of child pornography, the sexual abuse that has happened in the hostel systems in the north, I would like to ask the Minister, why are we not fulfilling that obligation to children yet we say that they are a priority of this government? Why not?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 79