Ms. Ballantyne.

With regard to the Canada Health Act, the program criteria used has five points. One is public administration, one is comprehensiveness, universal, portable and accessible. The concern I have is the universal health care where the Minister stated in her opening comments that some programs were not being delivered because they did not have the people. They had the resources, but they were not spending in the area where it was allocated. How often is it that we do an assessment to ensure we are following those five criteria and making sure that we do meet the Canada Health Act standards?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Getting back to the question I asked earlier, the whole area of filing complaints and what not. I have had constituents who have hand delivered complaints to health board representatives to take directly to the board and they have also mailed it to the board. To date, they have not received any response to their concerns. I would like to ask the Minister, if you are not being responded to by the board that is supposedly overseeing the project, where you were saying there was already a complaints section that is there, is there any other mechanism that could be used to ensure that those complaints are being heard and that they are being responded to?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, if people take complaints to the health boards and do not get responses, they certainly have the option of referring those situations to me, which I can then work with the department to ensure that they get resolved. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In most cases, we as MLAs are the ones who get the notices. It seems to be that in order to get any action, you have to go directly to the Minister. Yet the Minister is limited because once the money is allocated, it is the responsibility of the health boards to administer and carry out those programs and services within their mandate. It seems like it is double jeopardy. On one hand, we can make an issue out of it in this House, but on the other hand, the health board does not have to abide by any recommendations or decisions made by ourselves as Members of this House.

There is no criteria or no mechanism that can force a board or force an issue on anybody that is not really legislated to have to come forth before a committee such as this and answer to what their responsibilities are. Is there a possibility of looking at some sort of a mechanism where there is more accountability put forth by health boards and the board of directors themselves, that they are answerable to the decisions that they make and also to the public that they represent in some sort of a public forum or public review process, such as we have here?

This is committee of the whole where we are able to put everything on the table, put their budgets out there and have them answer why it is they are running a deficit or why is it they are not administering a certain program. Is that something that could be looked at? The problem is becoming more apparent that we do not have the tools or we do not have the authority where we can have the ability to question them or how they are spending their money at this time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the current review that is being undertaken right now is going to address that accountability framework issue. We are going to be looking at the adequacy and effectiveness of accountability relationships amongst various players in the system, including the relationship between boards and the public. In the interim, as I said, if there are concerns, it is good to bring them up and for us to be aware of them.

When we look at the accountability, it could result in things being changed in terms of how board members obtain positions on boards. Right now, they are all appointed. Perhaps we could look at a system similar to education councils where board members would be elected. That would be one way of increasing their accountability to the public they serve. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With regard to the review, is there a possibility of making amendments to the Northwest Territories Public Health Act to put these decisions or the tools in place through legislation where we do have the legislative authority or the responsibility to clearly spell out exactly what the responsibilities are of these boards, but also with regard to the public interest, realizing that they do have some protection through legislation, which I believe is not there right now? Will she be bringing forth legislation with regard to that particular issue?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, depending on the results of the recommendations that come forward and the decision on how to deal with those recommendations, there could very well be a requirement for a change in legislation. We will be looking at the legislative basis for appointment of board members. So yes, it is very conceivable that legislation will have to be amended to accommodate the recommendations that we adopt. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The other area I have raised concerns about in the past is the whole area about child welfare and child protection. In most southern jurisdictions, they have advisory bodies, child advisory groups to ensure that children are made aware of their rights. Also, through different types of legislation, there are agencies there that ensure their rights are being protected or that their rights are being enhanced. Have you considered looking at the possibility of implementing such legislation to establish child advocacy groups in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in response to the recommendations contained in the Child Welfare League review, we have begun work on looking at the merits of a child advocate for the Northwest Territories. Thank you.