Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my time was up the last time around when I was talking about treatment centers. I would like to carry on from there, if I may. The Minister talked about sending youth to treatment facilities in southern Canada and the high cost of that. Is it more cost- effective to send our youth with problems south as opposed to treating them in the north? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Debates of April 28th, 1999
This is page numbers 397 - 430 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 7th 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 chairman.
Topics
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The department has been looking at, on an ongoing basis, repatriation of all the clients we have that are out-of-territory. We have been looking at the cost-effectiveness of having our own facilities versus sending our clients, as we would call them, to southern jurisdictions. Because our numbers are increasing for sending youth and children to southern facilities, we are looking at that once again as to the cost-effectiveness of that and looking at, whether it would indeed be more fiscally prudent to have facilities in the Northwest Territories and treat from within the territories instead of sending residents south. Thank you.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What facilities are in the Territories presently offering services to youth? What treatment facilities are here? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are a number of facilities. We have Trail Cross, we have the Territorial Treatment Center. It depends on what level you want to go to, we have a number of group homes in the territories. And again, to the level you want to go to, we can include foster parents as well. It depends on what level you want to go to, to what degree of detail. There are a number of facilities in the territories that do take care of children in care. Thank you.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It sounds like we have
sufficient facilities, or I assume that we have sufficient facilities by the response of the Minister. My question is, why are we sending youth south? Is it that we do not have the expertise here? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the considerations that is taken into, whether we would keep the youth in the territories or send them to southern placements depends on the kind of treatment that would be required or the level of treatment. We are finding here in the territories that we do not have the highly specialized care that is required in a lot of these cases. As I said earlier, because we are finding that the number of children we are sending to southern placements is increasing, we are coming to the point where we could provide those services in the north and have a level of specialty care up here that we could not provide in the past due to the numbers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, earlier today I had asked a question to the Minister, and I believe he indicated that he would have the information later on today, which hopefully is now, regarding the costs involved in having health boards in each of the regions in the territories. What is the direct cost to the government to have that function? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If we would get into the detail of the budget, we would be able to give him an exact breakdown of what happens there. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
April 28th, 1999
Page 424
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, hopefully I live that long. The Minister's forum is going out looking for feedback and he identified that it was not a fishing trip and I also agree with him that the system is probably good but needs changing. I would assume too that the Minister is intent on keeping the hospital and medical boards in place that are there now, so I would assume that he has a lot of faith in their abilities. I am wondering, was there any consideration given to, rather than a costly forum of which we do not know how much it is going to cost, but the last Minister's forum cost over $300,000, so I would assume that it is going to be in that same range, was there any consideration given to bringing the representatives or the boards together for a conference? I note that the Minister is planning a conference at the end of the forum, but was there any consideration given to just having a conference of the hospital or medical boards that are in the territories come together? I think they have identified over the last three years what the problems are. Was there any consideration given to that type of a forum as opposed to the travelling road show? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The boards do get together with department officials on a number of occasions to review ongoing concerns from their perspective. The Minister's forum that I am in the process of establishing and sending out is to review the concerns of the public in general, to inform them of our concerns and the cost-drivers we have within the system, as well as address the concerns raised of members in this forum. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
The Chair Jake Ootes
Thank you. Any further questions? Are you ready for detail? Page 6-9, directorate and corporate services, operations and maintenance, $22.210 million. Mr. Henry.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am wondering could the Minister indicate where in the budget the questions that I was looking answers for will be found so that we do not slip past them, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
The Chair Jake Ootes
Thank you, Mr. Henry. Would you be able to indicate that for Mr. Henry, Mr. Minister?
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In fact, the contributions to boards is spread throughout the document, but for clarification on the question he raised earlier, the contributions to boards is in the area of $116,000 which includes the capital. Thank you.
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Committee Motion: 23-13(7): Cooperation Between Social Envelope Department (h&ss)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 424
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Minister for that. Of that $116,000, how much does it cost to have the boards in place and administration of those boards? The information I am looking for, Mr. Chairman, is Nunavut are planning to disband their boards for a saving of $4 million. I am wondering what the potential savings, if the crunch ever came, what could the Government of the Northwest Territories look at saving if a similar action is taken? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.