Mr. Antoine.
Debates of Nov. 6th, 1998
This is page numbers 293 - 307 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 6th 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 community.
Topics
Supplementary To Question 176-13(6): Proposal For Increased Transpolar Flights
Question 176-13(6): Proposal For Increased Transpolar Flights
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 303
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Further Return To Question 176-13(6): Proposal For Increased Transpolar Flights
Question 176-13(6): Proposal For Increased Transpolar Flights
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 303
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am meeting with NATA, the organization for transport in the Northwest Territories and they have a lot of concerns about all these new flights. As for the kind of environmental damage it may cause to the north, I am not fully aware of it and certainly I will direct the department to look at what the effects of these new flights are going to be towards the environment as well. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 176-13(6): Proposal For Increased Transpolar Flights
Question 176-13(6): Proposal For Increased Transpolar Flights
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 303
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Mr. Henry.
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 303
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, the honourable Mr. Ng. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if he could explain the process of charging medical services to the various health boards when a resident needs medical services outside of their community. For example, say I lived in Cambridge Bay and I needed medical services outside of the NWT, who would be responsible for picking up all the costs associated with those treatments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 303
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.
Return To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is the health services administration division within the department that looks after the actual charging out of those types of interboard or interjurisdictional costs. Thank you.
Return To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.
Supplementary To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister has told me who is responsible for doing it. My question is regarding the allocation of the amounts. Do they go to the health board that is responsible for the individual? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Mr. Ng.
Further Return To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
November 5th, 1998
Page 304
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The boards are given annual or submit annual budgets for approval that are approved by the department. Within those budgets are some costs that are recognized historically, for example, if I use the Kitikmeot region, my area, that historically comes where a lot of the individuals come out to Stanton for some of their services. There is an allocation there for those individuals that have been documented on historical trends in respect to some of their services. There are budgets there for those people who come out here. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.
Supplementary To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think this is going to take quite a few supplementaries. Mr. Speaker, for someone requiring medical services outside of the Northwest Territories, are all of the costs associated with providing that service to the resident of the NWT in a particular community? Are all of those costs charged against the health board where the individual resides? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Mr. Ng.
Further Return To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it is somewhat of a complex question in respect, because there are different boards involved and there are different aspects, I guess, when you have the actual medical treatment itself and you have the travel. I do not want to give the wrong information, I will commit to finding out exactly how the accounting system and the payment system works in this particular instance and advise the Member. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Henry.
Supplementary To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was trying to get that information because I have been a little frustrated in the past while. Last year this particular department spent over $1 million to take care of a resident and I was just going through the accounts here and was not able to determine from the accounts that were paid where the actual monies that were spent, which health board they were charged against. I do notice that in a situation there were services provided and paid for, a portion of it was paid for through the Rankin Inlet Regional Health Board and a portion of the same service, and I might point out that it was a larger portion, was... Mr. Speaker, I guess I will accept the response of the Minister that he will provide that information to me as to where the figures were charged and I will come back with questions at that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Question 177-13(6): Medical Services Outside Of The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Mr. Steen.
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is in regard to the disappearing Peary caribou and it is addressed to the Minister of RWED. Mr. Speaker, in the past few years, and in particular in the past month or so, there has been a lot of focus on the disappearing Peary caribou. I believe a document was put out by Greenpeace stating that the disappearing caribou were directly related to global warming. Some of their information or statements is based on information that they quote as having come from this government's biologists. They quote as one of the main reasons for the disappearing of Peary caribou is the depth of the snow and the inability of the caribou to reach the food through the snow. I would like to ask the Minister of RWED if that in fact is the opinion of his department?
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
The Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.
Return To Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 304
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is the view of my department that there is ongoing concern about the future of the Peary caribou. As the Member has said, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of Peary caribou in the High Arctic over the last five years. However, we found that in our surveys over the summer that some of the Peary caribou have had calves and there are young calves surviving at this time, so there is some indication that there is some rebound you might say, of the Peary caribou on some of the islands. We know on one island the number of caribou is only at 75 which is still a concern. There is also a concern that the wolves on those islands could become a factor on how well the Peary caribou do on those particular islands. We have worked with, and are working with the Nunavut Wildlife Board and
other wildlife advisory councils, to put together a plan on exactly what we should do to ensure that the Peary caribou have every possible chance of rebounding and surviving. Thank you.
Return To Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 305
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions, supplementary. Mr. Steen.
Supplementary To Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 305
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker it has been a problem in my particular region anyway, I am not speaking towards Somerset Island, but on Banks Island and the Holman region, there has been no snow for the last few years. The people are wondering where the department would come up with an opinion that the caribou are disappearing due to the depth of snow. There is not enough snow hardly to drive snowmobiles. People are wondering where the department would come up with this type of opinion. The other thing is, Mr. Speaker, the people are of the opinion that the wolf populations are dramatically increasing, almost at the same rate that the caribou are disappearing. The question is whether or not the department has taken this into consideration, not only in one particular island, in all the islands? Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 305
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 305
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, the department is aware that on some islands the caribou and the muskox as well have declined, some of them rather dramatically as the Member points out. We have also noticed that on some of the islands the wolf population has increased dramatically. It is a concern that we have and we are sharing the information we are gathering with the respective wildlife boards and agencies. As a government, we have made a commitment to work with the respective wildlife boards, the core management boards, that have been set up in the different settlement areas and let them take a lead in deciding what is the best approach to take in addressing these particular issues at this time. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Question 178-13(6): Declining Numbers Of Peary Caribou
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 305
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.