Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister also acknowledge the fact that by these seniors continuing on with their insurance coverage through Sun Life after retirement that they are actually saving the government money because the government is actually responsible for 100 percent of the prescription if they don't have insurance. So I would think it's in our best interest to do everything we can to shorten the timeframe for these seniors to get reimbursed for their prescription. Again, could I get the Minister to act quickly on this for the sake of our seniors?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member has my commitment. We will be transmitting this concern as well to the seniors, but the staff listening to these proceedings are making notes and will be following up on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House I asked the Minister of Health and Social Services if he would consider waiving or even possibly reimbursing people who've made medical co-payments for travel to Yellowknife for physiotherapy services. He did say that he would consider that. If he considered it and it is a favourable response, what is the process for communicating that to the Hay River health authority so they could enact that decision? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member outlined, if I consider it and if we agree to move on the Member's request, as she has requested, then very clearly we would be doing this in consultation with all the authorities and it would not be just specific to the Hay River health and social services authority. So we would have a range of discussions and would be, in the final event, putting the whole matter in writing so that the action is clear, should that be the course of action that's taken. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, specifically related to Hay River, as the Minister pointed out yesterday too, there would be funds expended for wages and benefits, salaries for a physiotherapist. The position is vacant right now. Theoretically, the money that would be spent on a physiotherapist should be building up somewhere unless it's been redirected. So this is a specific situation for Hay River because theoretically they should have the money available to undertake this, so how difficult and how big a review is he going to have to do in order to make a decision on this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue is one of precedent and looking at a situation where in that particular instance, it may seem very clear but if it's a situation where somebody has a broken leg in Yellowknife but has to be sent south because we don't have the capability or the staff here, is that another situation of possible reimbursement? So we have to look at the implications, but it shouldn't take very long. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I wanted to know again with respect to process, does the Minister have the ability to direct the expenditure of those funds, which should be accruing in Hay River in the budget, for a physiotherapist? Can those funds be spent on something else or are those funds still being held for physio services? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, whatever decision is done that would require more funds or the expenditure of funds in a way that wasn't intended if we could do it from within, if that was the course of action, we would attempt to do that. As the Member has pointed out, on the face of it, there are clearly unexpended salary dollars sitting there. So in terms of a bottom line, we know the resources are there, that some money is being spent to send people to Yellowknife for medical travel. The salary dollars are there. So that's one of the factors we will consider as we look at this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister know what happens with those funds that have been budgeted for physiotherapist services if they are not expended on the salary and benefits for a physiotherapist? Do those funds lapse? Do they become discretionary money for other things? If they were intended in budget for physio services, can they just be spent in this different way? It makes perfect sense to me for medical travel without any policy change. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the authorities have significant latitude on how they spend those funds that are given to them for a provision of the services in their regions and communities. So, if you look at the project that we had at 13 percent, that most authorities, with exception of a couple, are always facing difficult fiscal realities and trying to make the dollars they have meet the needs. The issue of putting whatever dollars that are in the authority budget to use has never been a problem. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is also for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it is in regards to the co-payment medical travel. The co-payment that I have been pursuing for the last couple of days, Mr. Speaker. A lot has been said but as I indicated in my statement, I am still unable to give a good explanation to my constituent as to why she should pay when she can least afford it. So what is the Minister's answer to that question?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is, at this particular point that is a policy of the Department of Health and Social Services that is on the books and has been on the books for some time. That is why the department and authorities are still in the position of carrying out and following through with implementing our policy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.