This is page numbers 1143 - 1180 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th 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 policy.

Topics

Further Return To Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1155

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Item 7: Oral Questions

October 1st, 2003

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Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister if maybe he can get consultation going with the communities and the people that are affected the most so that he will know if it is affecting them the most. Is it negative or is it positive? I'd like to ask the Minister if he can do that, consult with the people that are affected the most? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1155

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that is actually a good suggestion that Mr. Lafferty is asking about because I think this issue may not go away. This issue might be on the table for a long time and it is time, I think, that we got some feedback perhaps from people, but also then be able to put it before the Members, to say okay this is the intent of the program, here is what it is all about and are we still in agreement with that. I think you have a good suggestion, let's get some information from people. We can do some survey work, I think it can be very basically done. I don't think we need a lot of complicated work done on this because we have a lot of information already and we know people's comments from time to time. We can put that before the Members. Perhaps the next Legislative Assembly could consider this as a very important element. Do we redesign this program, or do we keep it the way it is? I think we have to look at the philosophy of it. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Question 360-14(6): Clawback Of The National Child Benefit Supplement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1155

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It is in regard to my Member's statement on palliative care. Mr. Speaker, the definition as used is that compassionate care of the terminally ill at the time when their disease is no longer responding to treatment or interventions aimed at care and prolonging life. The focus of this service is to ease the pain physically and emotionally to the client and their families. Mr. Speaker, I think that's tedious for the client and their families that basically the palliative care, looking at the pain, the symptoms and also the programs consists such as counseling and bereavement services with a multiple discretion approach to encompass the client, the family and the community. Mr. Speaker, that is the definition of the program. I would like to ask the Minister, we have people in our communities today who fit this criteria and I would like to ask the Minister, what does it take this government to do to implement programs that are presently being delivered in regard to care programs in our small communities when it comes to palliative care? Can you deliver palliative care programs in our small communities and if not, why not? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a range of services in addition to palliative care. There is personal care, respite care, in-home respite and institutional respite, Mr. Speaker. We intend to provide those services to the level that is possible with the resources that are available in individual communities. In the communities that my honourable colleague is talking about, that he represents, we have social workers and nurses, we have doctors that come in, we have home support workers that are currently being trained to make them better able to deliver respite care. The larger centres where they have more infrastructure such as Inuvik, have the ability to provide a higher level of palliative care where there are doctors, there is an actual physical hospital and the other services that are needed during that difficult time for families. Thank you.

Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1155

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1155

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a report in my hand that was delivered by the Minister's department. It clearly shows that in most of our smaller communities there are no resource people to assist in the palliative care program and you mentioned earlier that the home service worker program is presently developed. Those people will not be certified until November so, technically, we don't have those people to provide that service. I'd like to ask the Minister, exactly who do you think is going to provide this service in our communities knowing that your own department has the data to prove that those people don't exist in our communities?

Supplementary To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the definition of that that was read into the record by the Member, there is a reference to a multi-disciplinary approach. So in smaller communities during difficult times such as the one referenced by my colleague, the families are involved, we try to involve the resources that we have be they social workers, nurses, community wellness workers, home support workers, they have backup provided from a larger centre such as Inuvik and where there are doctors available. As the Member indicated, home support workers are currently in training, which should be completed by November, so we are doing our best to provide important service during a very critical time in a person's lifecycle. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if he can look at this program seriously and ensure that every effort will be made to assist those communities and those families in our communities who need such a program. Will the Minister make an attempt to ensure that every community that has the ability to carry out this program has the adequate resources and the people to do so? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to reviewing the Hansard with the department officials and we will take the steps to ensure that we are providing the best and most able service we can with the resources that are available in the communities. I'd like to tell this House, we are also planning and putting more resources in whenever we have money to do so and we are trying to enhance that training. I will make that commitment to the Member.

Further Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hope the Minister understands the stress that this is putting on our communities, our families. I feel that the government has to ensure that our responsibilities and the people that we are there to serve are being served fairly and comprehensively by ensuring that those dollars that are supposed to be expended in the communities are not kept at the regional hospital. I would like to ask the Minister, could you ensure that those resources are expended to where they are earmarked for, because I have a real problem when I see reports such as the one I have in front of me.

Supplementary To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to reassure the Member that as Minister I am constantly looking at the main estimates in the budgets and the programs to make sure that the funds are expended as close to the people that they are intended to serve and this case is no different. I appreciate that this is an incredibly difficult time for communities and families, and I along with the department are trying to be very sensitive to the needs to expand and improve this service. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Question 361-14(6): Palliative Care Programs In Small Communities
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have, on a number of occasions in this House, discussed the fragile relationship that exists between the Hay River DEA and the South Slave District Education Council. Mr. Speaker, the situation has improved very little over the years that I have talked about it. The latest incident that happened with Mr. Butler being removed as representative for the Hay River DEA has not helped matters any and, Mr. Speaker, I have to quote a paragraph out of my Member's statement again and it has to do with a request from the DEA to the Minister for a legal opinion on that removal and the letter that the Minister wrote back to Mr. Butler as chair of the DEA. "I have instructed departmental staff to request a legal opinion on this issue from the Department of Justice. I will inform both your district education authority and the SSDEC of the results." Now, Mr. Speaker, when the results of that legal opinion were obtained, the Minister changed his mind on this. In view of the fact that he informed the DEA on this, will he release that legal opinion to the DEA?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 362-14(6): Education Governance Issues In Hay River
Question 362-14(6): Education Governance Issues In Hay River
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the time, Mr. Speaker, it was my intention to seek a departmental legal opinion. I've got the request from the department to seek a legal opinion. That was subsequently changed to seek Ministerial advice on this. I seek advice from other parties, as well. It became a Ministerial request, Mr. Speaker. It came back and it had a privileged document warning on it that it was strictly for my eyes only, Mr. Speaker. The process is different when the department seeks a legal opinion, versus as a Cabinet Minister when I seek a legal opinion, Mr. Speaker, so that changed the process. Thank you.

Return To Question 362-14(6): Education Governance Issues In Hay River
Question 362-14(6): Education Governance Issues In Hay River
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 1156

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.