Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Metis program of health benefits was instituted in 1997 to offer Metis people similar benefits to status persons, but it wasn't 100 per cent coverage. Since April of 2002, Metis persons have since been provided 100 per cent coverage under this program and it's administered through our government. Will the Minister please state in this House if there are any negotiations -- and he just mentioned the federal government -- underway to enable our government to provide the same level of health care coverage to status persons that is currently provided to Metis people? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sorry, I apologize, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Metis health benefits are the benefits provided under non-insured health benefits. The one big benefit that we do have in the Northwest Territories is we don't have the cumbersome federal bureaucracy and rules and payment process that is in place with non-insured health benefits. So we have ours administered through Blue Cross. We have an arrangement with them for the administration and processing. The Metis benefits mirror the non-insured health benefits.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's very confusing. I can see why it's so confusing for seniors when they are trying to see where their benefits come from. Is there any move on the government's part to bring in a program where all seniors or all people are treated equally under the health care plan? Right now, there are about four different ones that seniors especially are trying to find out where they fit into. Is there any move to try to bring everybody under the same umbrella? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I referenced earlier, the supplementary health benefits review that's underway, its sole intention is to try to rationalize and consolidate those services that we now provide where there are consistencies that developed in an uncoordinated and a patchwork manner. So this is to level the playing field. We must keep in mind that on the non-insured health benefits side, that is a federal program. It is tied to aboriginal First Nations people, Inuit people. It's a program that is very sensitive when it comes to making changes. We are working with the federal government and we will work with the aboriginal governments to look at what we can do to improve the non-insured health benefits. On the territorial programs, we definitely want to move towards a more rationalized, consolidated system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just to put a little bit more perspective on this subject, if I understand this correctly, a non-aboriginal senior, for example, can move into the Northwest Territories after not having lived there ever before in their life, and after three months of residency, they qualify for full health care benefits under the GNWT seniors program. That seniors program covers everything from prescriptions to mobility aids right down to multivitamins and band aids. Conversely, an aboriginal senior who may have lived here all their life is not entitled to apply for GNWT seniors health care benefits. Their only option is to apply for NIHB, which does not cover near as much.

If that is correct, Mr. Speaker, does the Minister not think that it's time that we have a look at this and do something in the very near future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, yes, if that was correct I would agree that we want to look at that very specific issue. I recognize that there are inconsistencies in the program, but once again, my information is that when it comes to seniors, benefits are intended to mirror the services provided by the non-insured health benefits. That was the baseline that we used. But I do recognize, as the Member has pointed out in his questions, that we do have problems in the system that is currently there and we intend to look into that and ways that we can rectify it for all northerners.

Item 7, oral questions. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to address my question to the Minister of RWED, further to my Member's statement earlier today. Mr. Speaker, may I ask the Minister whether or not he has had a chance to review this department's policy or directive to the contractor and whether or not he has considered changing this policy? Thank you.

The Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

I thank the Member for the very good question, Mr. Speaker. It's one I do recall putting to the former Minister of RWED myself. I am familiar with it, both in that capacity and in my new capacity. I have had a chance to review it. I should first state that this is nothing unique to the campground at Fred Henne Park. This is a regulation that applies to all territorial parks. But the particular pressure point has been the lack of capacity here in Yellowknife. It is something that we're looking at. It is something that I am prepared to come back to committee and discuss. I think we all want to see something, a regulation that is flexible enough and allows us to make sure that tourists have a place to stay when they come to the city or to the NWT. We don't want to see tourists turned away because we don't have the space.

I think the long-term solution is not about the regulation, but it's about finding adequate RV parking in particular around the city of Yellowknife. I'm aware that that's something the City of Yellowknife has been discussing. I hope they continue to do that. I believe the Fred Henne Park is inadequate in this regard, at any rate.

But, yes, we need regulations that make sense and will accommodate tourists and yet still allow locals to enjoy our parks. So it's something that I'm prepared to sit down and discuss with committee Members. Thank you.

Supplementary. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister's answer. At the same time, I do believe this is a first test for the Minister. Often we have Members who cross the floor. They're very well aware of the issues that we bring up and I know that the Minister is very well aware of this issue. So far, he's answered in length without making any commitment at all.

---Laughter

I believe, Mr. Speaker, there is plenty of room for action that he could take immediately. I know he understands the need for extra space; this is not an unusual thing. But for right now, this summer, for many of our residents there is something that he can do to fix this and that is to make sure that any available spaces, after the visitors and all the residents who have not taken their two weeks have taken their lots...There should be no empty spaces that residents should not be allowed to use. So would the Minister please change that immediately? Thank you.

The Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought I was doing pretty good by committing to come back to committee. I thought that in itself would reassure the Member, especially after the nice things she said about me in her Member's statement today.

---Laughter

However, I can see that's not going to get it done. We will have that discussion, I hope. I hope committee is prepared to sit down and come up with something that does make sense. I think the problem really is that during the week there are all kinds of vacancies at Fred Henne, typically. By the weekend it's very full. It's over full. The problem is that if we were to make a regulation that allowed people to stay during the week and ask them to leave on the weekend if it was full, you would be in a position where you would have to go around the campground and ask people to leave. I don't think that would be workable or fair.

If we allow local residents to take up those spots because no one is in them, what do you do when somebody shows up at 8:00 at night after a long trip up Highway No. 3 and is looking for a camping spot? You've got to make allowances that still let local people enjoy the campground while making sure we can accommodate tourists.

We have opened up additional spots this year at both Prelude and Reid Lakes. I know that may not reassure the Member. That may not take care of everybody's concerns, but we are looking for solutions. There are a number of possibilities we can discuss. It's possible at the peak times in the middle of summer we need to still keep these regulations, but we might look at relaxing them during the shoulder seasons when we're not as busy. I'm prepared to discuss a whole range of options with committee and see if we can't come up with something that would work right across the territory. Thank you.

Supplementary. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that the Minister needs to bring this to committee for discussion. I do believe that the Minister is already aware that the previous Minister has been reviewing this policy for at least three years, at least three summers. The Minister already knows all of the issues pertaining to that policy. What I'm looking for from the Minister is, will he consider a tier system, a category system where priority is given to the visitors, but wherever there are vacancies the local people can take them and not have to drive by and look at empty spaces that they want overnight? I need a yes or no answer. He doesn't need to do any more studies on this. I don't think it's relevant to any other Members other than Yellowknife Members here. Thank you.

The Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

Thank you. We may like to think that it's only relevant to Yellowknife, but I know this is an issue in Hay River, as well. It's something that's been raised with the department. We have to come up with a solution that works across the territory. We don't want to see people drive by the park and look at vacancies and be told that they can't camp. We've got to be reasonable. There has to be some way to accommodate tourists and locals in the same regulation. I'm prepared to come up with a regulation that will work.

If the committee is not interested in that discussion, we can do this internally, but I think this is something that makes sense for all committee Members to have some input into. I am prepared to come up with something that makes sense and works and allows us to accommodate both tourists and locals and, as I've said, we can discuss a number of systems. I'd be interested in hearing more about the tiered approach that the Member has referred to, but I think there could also be a shoulder system developed that would alleviate some of the pressure. Really, the problem is in the heat of summer. Thank you.