Thank you, Mr. Minister. The time for question period has ended. Item 8, written questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My written question is for the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Premier of the Northwest Territories. It is regarding personnel policies for excluded employees.

As you may be aware, there has been an increased discussion and concerns raised about the lack of personnel policies for excluded and senior staff of the GNWT. In particular, there seems to be a lack of formal process in which grievances between staff and officials can be dealt with in an acceptable manner.

Recently, these issues were brought to my attention by constituents and other concerned GNWT staff, who feel that a lack of a process may leave employees vulnerable to the whims of senior or elected officials.

If we wish to be able to recruit and retain top-level talent, this is a perception I believe we need to address.

Therefore, I would appreciate your views on how this government could effectively address these issues on behalf of this segment of employees who are not afforded representation by a union.

I believe it is vital we demonstrate the value we place on all our employees, including those in senior or excluded positions in this government, by providing them with the security, which is apparently lacking. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the opening address. Item 11, replies to the budget address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled NWT Health and Social Services System Action Plan 2002-2005. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 1, Human Rights Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. We have a motion. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 1 has had first reading.

Item 18, first reading of bills. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. We have a motion. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 3 has had first reading.

Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 2, Appropriation Act, 2002-2003, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the Government of the Northwest Territories to make operations expenditures and capital investment expenditures for the 2002-2003 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 2 has had second reading and accordingly, the bill stands referred to committee of the whole for today.

-- Applause

Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters; Bill 2, Committee Reports 1-14(5), 2-14(5) and 3-14(5), with Mr. Delorey in the chair.

I will call committee of the whole to order to review Bill 2 and Committee Reports 1-14(5), 2-14(5) and 3-14(5). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to recommend the committee consider Bill 2 and Committee Reports 1-14(5), 2-14(5) and 3-14(5) concurrently. Specifically, to get into general comments on the budget. Perhaps, depending on how quickly we get through that, we might even get into consideration of the budget for Health and Social Services.

Thank you. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. I will call a 15-minute break at this time.

-- Break

I will call the committee of the whole back to order. We are going to consider Bill 2, Appropriation Act, 2002-2003. I will open the floor to general comments. There are no general comments. Does the committee agree that we are done with Bill 2?

-- Laughter

We will proceed with the Department of Health and Social Services?

Okay. The Minister is not here.

We will proceed with the Department of Health and Social Services. Does the Minister have any opening comments?

Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, today I am pleased to introduce the main estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services for the 2002-2003 fiscal year. The department is requesting a total of $199,282,000. This represents a 9.4 percent, or $17.12 million increase over the department's 2001-2002 allocation. Just over $147 million or 74 percent of the budget is allocated to health and social services authorities.

The department's budget request is allocated to five main areas of activity:

• • Program delivery support, $24 million, which provides a system-wide focus and assistance in the delivery of programs, both by the department and by the authorities. Supports include recruitment, training, systems development and support, as well as the administration of health insurance programs and authority operations;
• • Health services programs, for $103.5 million, include in-patient and out-patient care, public health, chronic care and physician services, which is largely delivered through health centres, public health clinics, physician clinics, hospitals and insured facilities in southern Canada;
• • Supplementary health programs for $13.4 million, which are additional benefits provided to NWT residents in accordance with various policies, and includes extended health benefits, Metis health benefits, indigenous health benefits and medical travel benefits;
• • Community health programs for $50.1 million, which are aimed at developing community wellness through health promotion activities, a range of services directed at children, including early childhood development, and family services to adults; and
• • Ministry and corporate services, $8.1 million, which provides systems, leadership and development planning, policy and legislation, monitoring and evaluation and administrative support.

Cost implications of the Health and Social Services Action Plan 2002-2005 are not included for the most part in the main estimates. The 45 actions outlined in the plan are focused on improving services through better coordination, collaboration and planning, primarily within existing resources. However, there is recognition that the implementation of the plan will require some investment. Detailed implementation plans, including associated costs, are being developed and any resource requirements will be incorporated into the business planning process.

The department is proposing to invest over $9 million in several important areas during the 2002-2003 fiscal year.

Improving child protection and family support services, through the addition of ten child protection workers and enhanced training;

• • Continued implementation of the early childhood development initiative, $1.7 million;
• • Standardized physician contracts, $1.46 million;
• • Fully funded medical clinic operating costs, $1.4 million;
• • Accelerated development of new and revised legislation, $500,000;
• • Enhancing communicable disease control, $320,000;
• • Enhancing access to cancer screening, $270,000;
• • Development of an on-call centre, $250,000; and
• • Supporting enhanced telehealth programs, $200,000.

In addition, $1.5 million is being invested in providing enhanced education and training opportunities for health and social services workers throughout the system. Support is being extended to all categories of front-line health and social services providers, not only doctors, nurses and social workers.

Forced growth of $8.1 million has been added to meet the increased costs of providing existing services. This is largely attributable to an extensive effort this past year working with the authorities to identify forced growth pressures on a system-wide basis.

Mr. Chairman, people of the Northwest Territories are our greatest resource. Continuing development of the North, whether it is social, economic or political development, is dependant upon the strength of our northern communities. As we continue our efforts to promote economic growth and prosperity, we are also working with our partners, including representatives of aboriginal governments and non-government organizations, to establish a social agenda that will provide a framework to affect change and improve the quality of life of our citizens.

The programs and services offered through funding of the department are an essential part of our social safety net. They are oriented to support healthy, self-reliant Northerners who can fully participate in the opportunities that the North provides.

The proposed budget for the 2002-2003 year will strengthen current activities and help Northerners to work towards their goals. I welcome the opportunity to answer any questions Members may have as you consider these main estimates. I also would like to take this quick opportunity to say hello to my wife, since she is going to be catching a plane and this is probably the only time I am going to see her this week. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Welcome, Jeri, to the House. Does the chairman of the Social Programs committee have any comments? Mr. Bell.

Yes, we do. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs met with the Minister and his officials on January 22, 2002 to discuss the 2002-2003 Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services.

Since the review of the business plans, members noted a reduction of $49,000 related to funding for boards for collective agreements; an increase of $189,000 in the amortization estimate; a new initiative for $500,000 related to the development of a legislative action plan and a transfer of $50,000 to the Department of Public Works and Services for funding of office space, under operations expense.

Members noted that there were no changes to the capital acquisition plan since the review of the business plans for the Department of Health and Social Services.

A full and frank discussion on the future of the Health and Social Services system was held between the Minister and the members of the committee. It should be noted that the action plan for the Department of Health and Social Services has not been incorporated into these main estimates. Consequently, the Minister has admitted, and the members of the committee fully expect, that there will be supplementary appropriations relating to the implementation of the action plan.

The standing committee tried to keep its comments confined to the actual main estimates, but as the future of health and social services is dependent on the content of the action plan, overlap has occurred. A report outlining the concerns of committee with the action plan has been forwarded under separate cover.

Mr. Chairman, members of the standing committee are disappointed that there were no funds in the capital acquisition plan to expand the Telehealth Program into other communities in the 2002-2003 fiscal year. Members could get no sense of the department's enthusiasm for telehealth in the discussions with the Minister and his officials.

The standing committee is concerned that the department could not justify the expansion of the Telehealth Program over other seemingly less important capital projects. Members believe that if an established program like telehealth cannot survive the capital priority setting exercise, the system for allocating capital funding is fundamentally flawed.

Members believe that telehealth provides an opportunity for faster diagnosis and treatment that lowers chronic care costs in the long run. It is noted that the department has budgeted $200,000 under operations expense for systems enhancements to the existing Telehealth Program. Members hope that the changes brought about by the implementation of the action plan will provide the department with an opportunity to refocus and expand the program in subsequent years.