As Minister Robert McLeod spoke on the issue yesterday about providing a basic level of services in all our communities, that is one of the things we wrestle with when we talk about expanding our services that we do have available across the Northwest Territories. But as I said, we will work on coming forward with a discussion paper for Members of the Assembly and see where we can go from that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement, I’ve become very concerned about the Agreement on Internal Trade negotiations that are going on, the lack of information provided to Members and lack of opportunity for input. These are limiting decisions and deals that are being made behind closed doors. Our companies, our entrepreneurs have extra costs associated with low volume, dispersed communities, long distances and so on, and as fuel prices soar, imports will become increasingly

expensive. There will be a need for preferential support to local businesses to ensure northern production of things like energy, food and other basic needs. Will these negotiations limit our ability to provide local entrepreneurs the support they may require and will it limit other governments’ abilities as well? I ask this to the Premier. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area of the Agreement on Internal Trade is part of a large package that’s been worked on for a number of successive governments across Canada. From the federal government it was initiated, provinces as well as the territories. What we bring to the table is those types of concerns. When those discussions are happening, it is to make sure that the things we have in place, for example, our Business Incentive Policy, remain in place and protect the things that we’ve established as the Government of the Northwest Territories. The exact considerations the Member has raised about remoteness and the cost of doing business in the North, and trying to make sure that that’s recognized in any work that goes forward. Thank you.

Yes, I appreciate those comments from the Premier. Will the decisions being made, for example, or already made, affect things like the Business Development Investment Corporation and impact benefit agreements? What are the decisions that have already been made that are going to impact these sorts of supports that we can provide to our public? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as our Minister is at this time discussing with other Ministers across this country further pieces to the Agreement on Internal Trade, what I’ll have him do, when he comes back, is prepare notes and possibly get together with Members to give the latest update on things. What we’ve tried to put in place and voice concerns around the North is the cost of doing business, exemptions for what we have in place, as well, raise the aboriginal rights issues at these tables. Many of those types of things had been addressed over the years and will continue to be addressed by our government as we go forward. Thank you.

Obviously, a very complex issue. I’m not developing any confidence yet. Why are these important discussions not regularly and routinely reported to committee and opportunity provided for review, analysis and debate that these important decisions require? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’m sure over the history of the Government of the Northwest Territories when these discussions first started and updates since then, information has been shared. We will commit to getting the latest information to

Members. The simple fact is if we’re not at those tables, if we’re not sharing our concern from a northern perspective, those decisions will get made. That’s why, for example, we’ve been able to protect our things like the Business Incentive Policy process and some of our agreements that we have across the Northwest Territories. As I’ve committed to, I’ll have the Minister provide and try to set something up with Members so that they’re provided the information on what’s been occurring here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to hear that the BIP has been protected. I didn’t hear any response in terms of the BDIC and the impact benefit agreements. I’m wondering if those are vulnerable. Will the Premier commit to a regular and routine update and the opportunity for input from Regular Members on this important policy work? Thank you.

We’re prepared to provide all the information necessary for Members to feel comfortable. Whether they agree or not with the specific initiatives, we work on the basis of the majority of Members supporting the initiatives of government going forward. Some of the things we’ll have minimal opportunity to put input because it’s a national project. At times the Government of Canada comes forward with an agenda item saying what they intend to do and then it becomes, at the time, reaction from provinces and territories as to what’s being proposed. We’ll bring that information forward. I’ll make a commitment, as I believe we have been showing and getting information to Members about when Ministers are travelling, and we can look at advancing that for some discussions, updates, when they’re requested. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement on the elders long-term care facility in Fort Simpson. I previously raised this issue in the House about increasing the amount of bed space. I would like to ask the Minister: is there a current strategy to look at the needs of the Fort Simpson long-term care facility and the amount of bed space? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member that we need to look at and review the long-term care facility needs for our elderly. In the long run, we understand that the demographics are changing and the senior population is the fastest growing one in the Territories. Because of that, the Foundation for Change Action Plan of the Department of Health is looking at doing a comprehensive 20-year study, not study but plan, on how we get ready for that.

With respect to Fort Simpson, Mr. Speaker, I think the region is very well served in comparison to others. For example, the Sahtu doesn’t have any long-term care that’s there at the moment. I think the addition of the Territorial Dementia Centre and increasing 28 beds will lessen the pressure in the system as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I certainly agree that our current needs are taken care of, but I’ve listed the example that recently a family in Fort Simpson had to actually ship their loved one to another facility for about three or four months before that person was actually returned to the community of Fort Simpson. That’s only one case. There are several that have occurred over the summer months and even the spring months, as well, there, Mr. Speaker.

I’m just asking the Minister, is there a current needs assessment that’s going to happen at the long-term care facility at Fort Simpson? I know that there was a previous one about three or four years ago that said that the bed space was okay. Is there another current assessment that’s occurring? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are working on the NWT-wide needs study and Fort Simpson would obviously be a part of that. I do want to recognize the process the Member’s constituent had to go through. I am aware of the details of the situation and the person had the skills and the background to be able to provide care in the long term. I think it was a situation where by and large for the Fort Simpson facility we are able to accommodate most of the elders in the facility. But once in a while we run into a situation where there’s a lot more people that need the space than space is available. There are times when there are beds available and not have anybody on the list. So it was a question of supply and demand that has come to the floor for that time. Thank you.

I’d just like to reiterate that currently all the beds are being filled to capacity. Last month they had two individuals here at the hospital in Yellowknife. They were elderly, they could not be returned to Fort Simpson because there was no bed space in the long-term care facility. It’s just another example that our beds are being used and I would like to urge the Minister to work with the Deh Cho Health and Social Services to institute a needs assessment and I believe that needs assessment will show that we definitely need

an expansion of the facility. So, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister to work with Deh Cho Health and Services to begin a needs assessment, because I don’t believe that our community and my region can wait 20 years. Thank you.

I’d like to clarify that we’re not going to take 20 years to do the plan. We’re doing a 20-year plan that is quite current. Mr. Speaker, also I want to state that I will undertake to look at what the needs are at the moment in Simpson and I want to confirm again that we know already that we need extra spaces NWT-wide as we get ready for the next 10 or 20 years and that we will work closely with all the authorities to accomplish that.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just once again I’d like to see immediate action on this in starting a needs assessment for the facility. Will the Minister work with Deh Cho Health and Social Services in working towards that? Thank you.

Yes, I will undertake to get back to the Member as to what the situation is in his area. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.