Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The information that the Minister is going to provide, is it specifically related to the ongoing issues around medical travel co-payment, or is it in specific response to what might happen after June 30th if core services are not available here in Yellowknife for territorial residents? Thank you.
Debates of June 10th, 2003
This is page numbers 899 - 928 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 communities.
Topics
Supplementary To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Supplementary To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Mr. Speaker, the issue that we're looking at, the co-payment and that segment of the population that doesn't have third-party liability, is being looked at. It's somewhat coincidental that the specialist issue has occurred while we're working on that very specific response. But we believe that that response to the co-payment issue will address the concerns arising as a result of the possible resignations on July 1st of the specialists. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Supplementary To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Jane Groenewegen Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the proposed medical co-payment solution that Mr. Miltenberger plans to put in front of us is not in specific relation to residents who would normally be able to acquire specialist services in the Northwest Territories.
Supplementary To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue is going to address the co-payment issue, the third-party liability issue specifically as it relates to those people who have to leave their community to obtain medical services. Hay River to Yellowknife, Fort Smith to Edmonton, Yellowknife to Edmonton; we're trying to address what has been clearly identified by myself, the department and the Member's office, that there's a gap in our service and we're trying to address that. It's not just geared specifically to one community. We want to do this in as comprehensive a way as possible, recognizing that having to leave your community is a significant inconvenience that the vast majority of people in communities outside of Yellowknife deal with on a regular basis. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Supplementary To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Jane Groenewegen Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my last question again is in respect to this contingency plan in the event that no agreement is reached with the specialists physicians here in Yellowknife, and that has to do with liability that's being referred to in the Member's questioning from some document that none of us have access to or know what it says, but about what might have happened if different services had been available. Has the government contemplated whether or not the absence of a full complement of specialists here in Yellowknife creates any liability in terms of delivery of medical services for the government? Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bell indicated that in Nunavut, for example, they don't have any specialists on staff; in the Yukon they have three-and-a-half full-time specialists, the rest fly in on a fee-for-service basis. We have 21 specialist positions. On a relative basis, just among the Territories alone, I think that is a very healthy complement of specialists. Staffing is an issue. So we are going to work, if there is a resignation that takes place July 1st, we believe we have a locum coverage on a contingency basis, and we also have the back-up plans should that not be available to get them within hours to the Capital Health Authority, which will, we believe, address the responsibility we have to maintain a high level of service to the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Question 300-14(6): Co-payment For Medevacs
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
June 9th, 2003
Page 923
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Premier. Mr. Speaker, a couple of weekends ago I was home in Lutselk'e. I was crossing the community having a picnic. Looking across the community you could see the dust just sitting there right in the community. I'd like to ask the Deputy Premier if his government has a level where the safety of people is in jeopardy depending on the level of dust in that community. Is there a bar that is used to measure the safety factor of dust in communities? Thank you.
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Return To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 923
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Mr. Speaker, in the environment and the clear air that people are entitled to, there are different measurements that are used. In the Northwest Territories we're monitoring certain communities and the level of pollutants in the air. As well, measurements are used to measure the amount of particles there are in the air. There is a bar, whatever, a level that we use. Thank you.
Return To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Supplementary To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I agree, there is a bar. In the environmental review process for both BHP and Diavik, that particular bar was addressed on many occasions and for many days. I would like to ask the Deputy Premier if that bar is not met, if the dust control is not to the level that's below the bar, would this government be liable for health issues of the residents of the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Further Return To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Mr. Speaker, certainly the Department of Health and Social Services is very concerned about health, and as a government we are very concerned about the health of people and we try to provide a public campaign with regard to having healthy lifestyles. The Minister mentioned smoking for one thing, and other lifestyles that people have. Certainly there is a concern and if there is a dust problem in the communities, we are aware of it. I know that as a government we've talked about it and we try to review and look at each community to see how we could alleviate those problems. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Supplementary To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's very smooth of the Deputy Premier to insinuate that the lifestyle that we lead might be a reason why the court case against the government for possibly not meeting the government's obligations for creating an environment in the community where there's dust control. It's very smooth of the Deputy Premier on that. But I'd like to ask him whose responsibility is it within this government to ensure that there's dust control? If this government is so strong on healthy living, why is it taking so long to control dust in their communities?
Supplementary To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Further Return To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Mr. Speaker, I didn't intend to try to get out of answering the questions. It's just that there is genuine interest by this government, and all of us here and the people in the communities, to have an environment that is clean. We're working hard with the Minister of Public Works and Services to try and come up with some solutions on how to take care of the dust. Certainly the health of everybody is very important. Everybody's lifestyle comes into play, along with the dust in the communities. So that's not what I'm putting the emphasis on. But dust control is a problem, and we're trying to do whatever we can with the department responsible for it. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Supplementary To Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In Nwt Communities
Question 301-14(6): Safety Standards For Dust Levels In NWT Communities
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 924
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the government says they're doing what they can, but they have a five-year plan addressing maybe five communities. We have 27 communities that are facing this problem on a daily basis. We are supposed to look forward to summers in the Northwest Territories because of the long winters. It's hard to look forward to the summers when you have to breathe in dust all the time. So I ask the Deputy Premier, would he commit his government to doing something immediately to control dust this summer, and come up with an action plan that will see a permanent solution to this problem instead of taking your time?