I will call the committee of the whole back to order. When we left yesterday we were on Bill 26, detail, Health and Social Services, operation expenditures. Does the Minister wish to bring in any witnesses? Mr. Handley.

Yes I will, Mr. Chairman.

Does the committee agree?

Sergeant at Arms, would you escort the witness in please. Mr. Handley, for the record could you introduce your witness please.

Mr. Chairman, with me is Lew Voytilla, secretary to the Financial Management Board. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. We are doing Bill 26 and we are on page 13, Health and Social Services, operation expenditures, ministry and corporate services, special warrants, $151,000. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask the Minister exactly what are we doing with regard to supporting front line workers seeing that there is a major expenditure for corporate services at headquarters, yet the problem we see with our health care system is in the area of the service delivery side with regard to doctors and ensuring that we have front line workers in our communities, to be able to carry out the day to day program responsibilities we have for delivering health care to the residents of the Northwest Territories.

I would like to ask the Minister exactly what are we doing with regard to ensuring that we have adequate resources in that area considering we are spending $611,000 here at the corporate services side at headquarters. Should those dollars be expended at the regional level or in communities?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, I will refer this question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we have funds identified to add staff, for example, to long-term care facilities. We currently are working with the Social Programs committee to review the recommended priorities for trying to look for improvements to the alcohol and drug services that we deliver. We have identified money, or are in the process of identifying money to deal with those folks who need supported home living arrangements.

As well, you will notice in this document that there is money in there to conclude the collective agreement, which was negotiated to provide pay and benefit increases to staff. We are currently in the process of negotiating both with the general practitioners and the specialists, doctors, to try to conclude an agreement.

Just to give a sense of scale, from 1997-98 to this year, there has been an increase of about $58 million to the budget of health authorities. Much of that has been targeted for the program delivery area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we hear a lot in regard to the cost in the area of health and social services, but we also hear a lot of concerns from other groups and agencies with regard to preventative mechanisms that we can take as a government.

One is in regard to the area of alcohol and drug programs, and looking at programs and services in that area. Yet, Mr. Chairman, to date, we have not seen anything happen in that area. Yet again, for $600,000, we could probably do a lot to improve the programs that we have in the Northwest Territories, which to date we have one treatment program, which is based out of Hay River. Again, there has been a major report filed with the Minister on that. I would like to ask the Minister, exactly what type of priority are we going to give to those strategies and initiatives, knowing that we are making expenditures that could be expended elsewhere.

Yes, we know money is needed in certain areas, but yet, Mr. Chairman, very little focus has been given to look at preventative mechanisms to cut down the high cost in regard to our Health and Social Services programs. I would like to ask the Minister, exactly what type of focus and priority are we going to see from his department in the area of alcohol and drugs in regard to the report that was filed with him?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, you are going to see client focus, a community focus, a program delivery focus. We have put together a recommended plan in our integrated service delivery model, which has key components. The response on the alcohol and drug, mental health side, as well as a continuing care framework, which speaks to facility living, supportive living as well as home care.

That document, once again, has been in development for some time. We are waiting to sit down with the Social Programs Committee to get their feedback. We want to be able to, in the next couple of weeks, be able to proceed to Cabinet with a document and recommendations in terms of how we are suggesting we should proceed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the million dollar question here is can we afford it, knowing the financial situation that we are in. My concern looking at the supp is that there is a lot of expenditures in the area of the management area in regard to corporate services, headquarter expenses, and also in regard to different types of technology that we are trying to upgrade, but yet, what I am worried about is will we have the resources or the dollars to implement some of these initiatives, knowing that you are coming forth to a committee or going to be making some suggestions and recommendations...I would like to ask the Minister, by making these major expenditures now through a supplementary appropriation, what assurances do we have that there will be resources available to implement those new programs?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I intend to proceed with a document that has been through a fairly extensive consultative process. Then I have to go to Cabinet with a document. I have to make a case to Cabinet in light of the fiscal situation of the need to address specifically, as the Member was referencing, some of the alcohol and drug issues. We are currently spending over $5 million directly on that particular issue. The Chalmers report recently released indicated that there were some significant deficiencies in that particular program area. We are working to respond. So we are going to have to make the case and we are going to have to have priorities and we are going to have to recognize that we cannot maybe do everything we need to do, and then this Legislature, along with Cabinet, will have to make decisions and choices. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister give us a breakdown on the $611,000 in regard to where that is being expended? Is it expended in regard to establishing new person years, establishing new means of reporting or looking at...I would like to ask the Minister exactly, can he give us a breakdown on the $611,000 in regard to how many positions are we talking about, and also exactly how much money is for operations and maintenance, those different areas? Can we get a breakdown of the $611,000?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have about four pages of detail that I could provide, rather than go through it, if that is the wish of the committee, rather than go through it line by line.