Mr. Speaker, quite obviously I support this motion without any type of hesitation. The fact is I stand with the citizens that are going to be hurt by this policy and I think that the government needs to hear and realize this. I’ve also suggested to the Minister that if she goes back and reworks this policy and makes it fair and reasonable to all, that I’ll support her in those efforts and, of course, if the policy comes back I’ve also explained to the Minister that my choice of support has been taken away from me. This is that chance and I think that she has heard loud and clear that this policy needs to be reworked. In my case, there is no reasonable justification why these changes need to be done.
There’s been a group talked about many times, the low-income group that has not received coverage. I’ve not heard one single voice in this community that says they do not deserve coverage. I’ve not heard one opposition to that. Mr. Speaker, those dollar amounts have never been laid before us to say could we find another way. I believe that there are other ways. I’ve heard from constituents who have said if you had to raise my territorial taxes by 0.25 percent, by 0.5 percent, maybe even up to 1 percent this would show an equal commitment
amongst Northerners that health care is important to us equally.
Mr. Speaker, as the policy has been reworked and suggested at this time, what it’s really done and being highlighted quite clearly by Mr. Krutko is it’s unfairly pit neighbour against neighbour when they’ve worked, lived, and some will live and die here in the North together, but it’s caused friction that is unnecessary.
Mr. Speaker, I’m confident that the numbers have never really been run. I’m confident that there is no number of saying we need just $1 million, because if we hear that we needed just $1 million or we needed $1.5 million, this side of the House would do whatever we could to make it happen. I don’t believe in any way that people should be put to an income test, because I think you are discriminating against one group and that’s the whole problem here. Coverage for our seniors, coverage for our families, coverage for Northerners should be coverage, not where do you come from. It should be about who you are and how can we help. That should be the first statement.
Mr. Speaker, there are many ways to do this. I guess I’d say the first time around there was no meaningful consultation and, yes, there will be arguments of saying I was in committee or this policy had found some policymaker to talk about once or twice, but it was always kept in the bowels of government and it was approved by the 15th Assembly of Cabinet, not this Cabinet, not this Assembly. The 15th Assembly had said we’re going
to make the 16th Assembly responsible for
implementing this. Well, I’m telling you, that’s got to stop today. I think clearly the voices out there, the petitions out there, the e-mails out there, the phone calls out there, they’ve been ringing true with the same thing. Just slow down, think about what you’re doing, because what you’ve done is caused a ripple effect that will be difficult to cure and to stop. Mr. Speaker, yes, many people promise that they will leave and, yes, some will. Some will treat it as an idle threat and I know deep down inside that their heart is truly in the North, but what we’ve done is we’ve put an unfair burden, an unfair financial burden on a small sector. I’ll tell you today, I can guarantee that those who have means will use them. Their cost of living continues to rise; power bills, oil bills, gas bills, and now health bills, Mr. Speaker. When does it stop?
We could stop it here today. We could hear from the Minister. I hope she will speak and say that she will slow this down. If changes need to be done I hope she will say we will do a full, open, blank-paper consultation, we will get out there and will change what necessarily needs to be adjusted. But the fact is the broad-brush coverage that needs to be there should not change.
I say again, there are other solutions. Put it around the table how much you need, we will find it. Put it on the table what you want to do, we will work together. I will work together as hard as I can. I’ll make any compromise I can to make sure that coverage isn’t take away from our people. The important bottom line is the fact that people feel abandoned. People feel that their trust has been thrown away because of this policy.
I think we always gave the respect of showing them that the timeline is unreasonable to come forward with reasonable consultation. The timeline designed is just too forceful. And the fact that the opposition that has come to date deserves the respect and it should be given. The fact is, nobody wants this.