Operations expense, total operations expense, Mr. Roland.
Debates of Feb. 22nd, 2001
This is page numbers 1163 - 1196 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 3rd 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 water.
Topics
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1189
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a question, with the further information provided in the area of the Strategic Initiatives Fund, it says that grants and contributions goes to boards. All of that money is part of the formula and distributed to boards at the beginning of the year?
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1189
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. St. Germaine.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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St. Germaine
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The funding goes to the boards based upon a predetermined formula. It goes out in response to applications for that funding, as opposed to paid out without any idea of what it is being used for. Thank you.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1189
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. Roland.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So in fact although that money is identified as boards and communities, it is held at headquarters initially?
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1189
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. St. Germaine.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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St. Germaine
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, it is.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1189
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. Roland.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In the area of the Recruitment and Retention Strategy, this is an initiative that has been ongoing for a number of years. Particularly, what are these funds used for? Again, it is split between boards and communities. Maybe while responding to that, is that money advanced to boards or is it on application? Thank you.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Ms. Ballantyne.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Ballantyne
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this was a question that was asked of us by the Standing Committee on Social Programs. The support that goes to boards includes direct funding for the nurse educators, plus a budget allocation for these educators to travel to the respective communities, $315,000; the professional development fund, $269,000; all expenses for regional representation at the recruitment and retention steering committee meetings, that is unbudgeted. It is reimbursed based on participant cost. There is also support that is provided to boards for site visits for potential candidates to come to visit communities. This would be a nurse or a social worker who might be interested but wants to come and visit a community to see what it is like first, $75,000; support to communities, this is financial support for physicians to complete locums in different communities, $200,000 to the boards; other support, including funding to allow RNs to attend conferences, for professional development, allocating funds for other health care professionals to complete practicums in the Northwest Territories communities, $30,000; and $2,046,000 to boards for recruitment and retention bonuses paid to nurses. This includes a recruitment bonus that is paid upon hiring and a retention bonus that is paid in September based on percentage of the RN service.
In addition, there are a number of joint department-board strategies, which includes recruitment information packages. There is quite a list that has been provided to the standing committee. I am sure we could make a copy available to Mr. Roland as well. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1189
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. Roland.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was a lot of information. Obviously, the total of those numbers that were presented are more than what is identified in the directorate alone. I was referring specifically to the $3.5 million. In the section, further information provided, it shows headquarters at $1.7 million and boards at $1.8 million. There was some discussion or some information provided by Ms. Ballantyne as to some boards. The question I get to, is that in fact funding that is given to boards or is it held in headquarters? I heard that it was cost recovery basis. If they had somebody in there who took part in the strategy meetings, then their costs would be covered? Is that what I am understanding?
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Madam Minister.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jane Groenewegen Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For some of the initiatives, the money is flowed to the boards. For some, it is held in the department. It is on a recovery basis on the one item, which is regional representation on the Recruitment and Retention Steering Committee meetings. The other things Ms. Ballantyne referred to is provided up front to the boards. Thank you.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. Roland.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In the area of the information systems, we have it as other expenses of $2.8 million. What is that in the area of information systems? Does that have to do with the telehealth work or is that other things? Thank you.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1190
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. St. Germaine.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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St. Germaine
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Expenditures in that area relate to a number of issues. There are communication costs related to the DCN. There is the cost of Telehealth coordinators that are involved with telehealth. There are costs related to information systems development that are used by the boards, such as the Children Family Information System. There are other operating costs relating to computer purchases that are related to systems that are being implemented in the boards. That generally captures most of the expenditures in that area. Thank you.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1190
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. Roland.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In another area, more in the monitoring and evaluation area, it has been a number of years now since the act has come into force. We talk of plan of care committees. I would like to know if all regions and communities are now up to speed on that and if that is in place across the Territories. Thank you.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1190
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Madam Minister.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jane Groenewegen Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, all communities are not up to speed, as the Member says, in terms of plan of care committees. We do believe that when they are in place, they will be very useful. I think we mentioned somewhere in the last couple of days that there is a planned pilot for a plan of care committee for the Dogrib region. Thank you.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1190
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you, Madam Minister. Mr. Roland.