Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the honourable Member is referring to the negotiations on the funding with the federal government, it was based on the historic service area of the Inuvik hospital and the percentage of aboriginal people who were served by that hospital, the federal government's per capita share would be based on that percentage, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it certainly would have been an advantage based on the high percentage of the aboriginal population in Holman to have them as part of the service area in respect to the negotiations with the federal government, but as I indicated it was based on a historic service area of the Inuvik hospital at the time of the health transfer in 1988. In respect to the second question on where residents of Holman are going to be receiving their health care, I cannot, at this time, determine that. It is going to be up to the new western government where their jurisdiction lies on any agreements that they work out with the residents of Holman and where they are going to be receiving their services, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Earlier today in my statement, I had talked about the fact that there had been native women from the Northwest Territories who had been sterilized without their consent in Alberta during a period when there was an act making this legal and that many women in Alberta were now being compensated by the Government of Alberta for doing that. What I would like to know is if this government is aware of this situation in Alberta and about the women getting compensated for being sterilized without their approval? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are certainly aware of the situation. As many Members know, it has been a fairly high profile issue in the province of Alberta over the past few months, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister indicate if he knows whether this offer to compensate women also includes women who may have been sterilized from the Northwest Territories, whether they had gone to Charles Camsell Hospital or to Red Deer? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that this offer of compensation from the Government of Alberta would be any individual who may have been impacted as a result of some of those sterilization programs that the government had carried out. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister indicate what his department is doing to ensure that women or families of women who may be deceased, who may have been sterilized to ensure that they do get compensation? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are not, in respect to this issue, doing anything proactively. I am not aware of any cases of individuals from the Northwest Territories. However, having said that, there may be that possibility there. The honourable Member brings up a good point that if there are individuals or people who know of individuals who may have been impacted as a result of having stayed in facilities in Alberta, then certainly we would be more than willing to assist them or direct them to the appropriate officials, if that were the case, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister undertake to perhaps put out something to make people aware of this situation? There may be some aboriginal people who, perhaps, may not even be able to read or do not pay that much attention to the news? Could the Minister undertake to somehow make people more aware of the situation and to offer to assist those people to ensure they are compensated? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we can certainly check our files to see if there were any individuals who might have been out in Alberta for any extended period of time that might have been impacted. We will try to figure out some way to give the issue some profile. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

The Minister of Justice, Mr. Arlooktoo.