Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just recently had a situation in my riding where that policy seems to be circumvented. I wonder if the Minister could tell me and the people of the Northwest Territories, what happens when that policy is circumvented? What does he have in place to discipline the people who circumvent that sole sourced policy which is not a policy? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be pleased to address the issue the Member raises if he would be specific and let me know what he is talking about? What specific contract he is referring to? I would then be pleased to address it. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. O'Brien. Mr. Picco, your point of order.

Mr. Speaker, my question and I think the Hansard will back me up on this, I asked what is the penalty when that sole sourced policy is being circumvented. That was my question and he came back and asked me, well give me the incident. I am asking what are the penalties in place for any contract. He did not answer my question so I would like an answer to my question.

That is not a point of order. What was your point of order?

-- Laughter

My point, Mr. Speaker was that the Minister did not answer my question. He came back with a reply that did not answer my question. I asked a specific question. I would like a specific answer.

Thank you. Mr. Picco, under the rules when answering a question a Minister may answer it, take it as notice or decline to answer by saying nothing, so just to remind the Members those are the rules. If you look at it, you will be clear. Oral questions, Mr. O'Brien.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe as it stands now the Hay River Hospital has an operating agreement with the department and that is the only municipality in that situation, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe there are a number of other communities that have been afforded this opportunity. Mr. Speaker, early this week a request was put to the Minister on behalf of the two communities that I represent asking that they be given consideration for block funding to take over partial medical services or full medical services in my riding. The Minister indicated that he would not be supportive of this request. The Minister at the time did not indicate why he would not be supportive and in view that there are other communities that have been given this block funding which we would consider community empowerment, why is the Minister refusing this community? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all in respect of the Hay River agreement, the Hay River Hospital Board had a board in place and was administering the delivery of health services at the time that the contractual agreement was entered into and I do believe that in response to the honourable Member's question about why I would not consider it for his communities of Arviat and Baker Lake, I said at the time and I will repeat, that there are certain economies of scale and doing things on a regional basis, particularly when you are dealing with issues as complex as health and social services issues where you have some regional support mechanisms that are required, that it is not cost effective and efficient to segregate the funding on a regional basis and to dish it out for some communities that may want it and others that may not, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, just a point of clarification. I just want to make it perfectly clear that the Minister is stating that there is only one case where medical facilities or services have been block funded in the GNWT.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all I want to say that I did not say that the community was block funded. I said there was a contractual arrangement with the town of Hay River for provision of some of the health care services in that community, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister talks of economies of scale and so on and so forth in reference to allowing the communities to take on these additional responsibilities. Given the fact that my two communities of Arviat and Baker Lake are two of the larger communities in the Keewatin with over 3,000 people, would the Minister not revisit this and give this further consideration to see if it is possible to allow either partial or full block funding for medical services in my riding? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

(Microphone off)