Thank you, Mr. Handley. The Minister responsible for the public service, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the Financial Management Board Secretariat I have the responsibility of dealing with the staffing situation in human resources. In the case of staffing appeals, it is one area that is recognized that we've had problems in the past. There's been work done by Grant Thornton that looked at the whole area of human resources within the Government of the Northwest Territories. The area of staffing appeals is one area that we recognize has some problems, and we're beginning work on potential changes to that process and setting it up so that we can, in fact, look at trying to streamline this and be a little more proactive and productive in this area instead of having a lot of appeal processes, grievances out there that need to be dealt with. We're trying to be proactive in there and move forward in addressing the situation around the staffing appeals section. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was not aware that the Minister was working on this. I guess we will hear about it eventually if we happen to raise it. Mr. Speaker, I understand some of the problems that are within our system, people who hear the appeals are actually the people who failed to hire them in the first place. We have the judiciary and the actors that are in the same body. Mr. Speaker, I don't know which Minister wants to answer this, my question really goes to the impact of this situation on the overall internal human resource review that is taking place. Is the government, whoever wants to answer it, going to look at how to simplify the appeal process? I'm really talking about morale problems and human resources problems at the correctional centre, and Mr. Dent is engaged in an internal review and I don't know if Mr. Roland can answer this on behalf of Mr. Dent, but are they going to look at that as a part of their internal review? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do recognize that there are problems with the process, and the apparent conflict of those involved seems to be a concern. We've looked at that and are preparing to try and address that and move that process to more of an independent review process where the union itself, as well as the department itself, would not be directly involved in that appeal process. We're working towards that. We hope to have something to my FMBS colleagues in the near future so that we can make some positive steps in this area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of initiatives we have currently underway that aren't adequately funded as they deal with alcohol and drugs, mental health addictions, to name some; trying to make a positive impact on the health indicators that are currently on the negative side in terms of the consumption, the prevention issues, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, the basic diet issues, exercise. Those very fundamental issues for us are a real driving concern because they drive our costs. That's probably the first and biggest one. The other one is to look at trying to adjust the system we have to make it more efficient and effective and I reference, for example, the work being done in review of the facilities that we currently have that are underutilized and putting those to good use.

As well, we've made significant steps to come up with a plan to be more effective through our integrated service delivery model, to work more effectively and collaboratively at the community levels within our system, and eventually more effectively with education and housing and those other related agencies at the community level as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can certainly agree with the Minister on the priorities set out by addictions and efficient uses of our facilities and our people. But I would refer to the point I was trying to develop in my statement earlier today, Mr. Speaker, on the sustainability of the system over the years and the decades and the generations to come. How will the Minister look at addressing that critical issue for the future of northerners in our health care system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are two basic pieces to that issue. There is making sure that the existing system is efficient and effective and running the way it should be running so that it's not wasting resources and we're dealing with things appropriately, like having adequate use of our facilities and having the resources located close to the community. From a system side, that's the fundamental piece that we have to make sure we have a good, tight, efficient system. The front-end piece ties into the prevention and personal choice issues that are driving our costs to a huge degree. Those are the ones I've talked about in terms of the abuse of alcohol, the smoking, the improper diet, the lack of exercise. Those fundamental personal choices which tie into having a broader definition of health, brings in the schools, brings in physical activity, healthy living, adequate housing. That's where the sustainability is going to come. Unless we can get the personal choice issues and those drivers under control that are adding so greatly to the stresses on the system, the system we have will never be sustainable no matter how much money you put into it. That's the fundamental issue and challenge. We have to have a good, efficient system, but the things that are driving it as a society make it unsustainable and those, to large degree and in my opinion that I submit to this House, are still personal choice issues where we have lots of work to do on the front end, the prevention side. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has my fullest endorsement for that approach. The areas that we all can make choices and decisions in ultimately will reflect on just how much we can rely on our health system for. I wish him the best of luck in that.

I would refer to one aspect that the Minister talked about in his statement earlier today. That was the reference to some $10 million that will be used to create the joint federal-territorial working group to look at policy and program management approaches in the North, and this aspect of personal choice and how do we affect it could be one of them. Mr. Speaker, $10 million to set up a joint federal-territorial working group seems like an extraordinary amount of money to put into a working group. Could the Minister give us a little bit more information about what that $10 million will be used to achieve? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd be happy to share with the Member my preliminary thoughts on that particular issue. It's not one where there is clear consensus, but if the Member will also look into the statement I made earlier today, I identified a number of issues we raised with Minister Dosanjh that are outstanding, yet to be resolved, very fundamental issues about the service delivery model of the federal government; for example, the almost complete disconnect between DIAND and Health Canada and how they deliver services, non-insured health benefits, medical services to the Indian and Inuit people. The fact that we carry tens of millions of dollars in arrears from DIAND is a very fundamental issue that we can look at. It's going to give us, hopefully, the capacity to look pan-territorially at some of these very fundamental issues, like diabetes strategies, if we're going to make a dent in the health indicators and the personal choice issues. Those are very common among all three territories, and the federal government has a clear major fiduciary responsibility for health for aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories and across this country. How do we make best use of whatever funds may be available under the aboriginal health fund that was set up?

One of the other possibilities that has been floated out there is the possibility of the creation of a northern centre of excellence. We have other centres of excellence across the country for different things. We may have the opportunity here to have some seed money to look at getting a centre of northern excellence that will help us deal with some of these organizational issues, some of these health issues. How do we come up with an effective diabetes strategy, or a northern response to FASD, in a more focused, coordinated way that has four major players: the three territories and the federal government?

I think there is tremendous potential here and it's a recognition, I think, of the Member's concern about sustainability. We can put money into the programs, but if we don't have a real forum that brings all the major players together, this will be an opportunity, I think, to help do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, these are very progressive answers and I'm really happy with the tone of what I'm hearing. I'd like to take this idea of the three northern territories working together. The Minister suggests that we are now able to present a united northern front. How connected are we? How formal or informal is this united northern front and what are its priorities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I could just quickly look back to fairly recent history in the previous Assembly where the three territorial leaders, the three Premiers, made a very dramatic statement about their lack of happiness and contentment with the decision that was made by the federal government in terms of how health money was going to be allocated. They took a dramatic step of walking out. There's been significant effort with the Premiers to demonstrate that kind of collective united front that's been carried on in this Assembly. I know in my time as Health Minister, the three Ministers have made a point of collectively sitting down to talk about northern issues. We meet with the Minister of Health whenever we can as a collective to talk about northern issues. The agreement that was made by the First Ministers, the Prime Minister and the Premiers, reflects, I think, the effectiveness of the northern alliance where there's a pan-territorial effort to put our issues on the agenda. I would submit once again, if you look at how the press has covered these issues, that when you look at how effective it's been, that it is effective. We're listed in the communiqu‚s. We get very good, clear billing along with aboriginal issues and northern health issues as a separate component that has to be dealt with. I think there are indicators all over the place that demonstrates there is strength in unity and strength in collaborative and partnership approaches. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to extend question period.