Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on April 7, 2010, I attended a presentation

veiled as public consultation conducted by the Department of Health and Social Services on the upcoming changes to their extended health benefits.

Based on the Minister’s response to questions asked in this House and in response to the motion passed in this House of March 2009, the Minister indicated that the department would be going back to the beginning on the proposed changes, that the department would openly consult stakeholders and conduct research into options presented by these groups, that the Minister would present Regular Members and the public with options for considerations, options and alternatives that would allow us, as politicians representing the people of the Northwest Territories, to make informed decisions in the best interests of all residents.

Unfortunately, upon receiving a briefing on the proposed changes by the Minister in February 2010, this proved not to be the case. Although a stakeholders group was established, it was never asked to provide input on alternatives for consideration. Further, key stakeholders, the individuals whose input would have been valuable such as the medical and pharmacy associations of the NWT, were completely excluded from the process. Worse, during the April 7th meeting the

departmental representative made it clear that he had been directed by a Cabinet policy to constrain the discussion which ensured that it would not be opened-ended and that we weren’t dealing with a blank slate. It was definitely not an opening up of options to the plan desired and supported by the Minister of Health.

I must say I was surprised to learn that the departmental representative was working from an existing Cabinet policy. You would think that a transparent Minister would have shared that information with Regular Members during the discussion and debate on the motion in March 2009. If we had known of the Cabinet policy that the Minister was committed to, which, for the record, was approved by Cabinet on September 30, 2007, the day before the election of the 16th Legislative

Assembly and the same day as that Cabinet approved the consolidation agreement on the Deh Cho Bridge, we would have adjusted the motion to request changes to the policy itself.

The policy is very clear. It indicates that the Minister will recommend to the Executive Council income tests, income thresholds, and benefit formulas necessary to the implementation of this policy. Everything the Minister said with respect to going back to the drawing board and considering options and alternatives is completely inconsistent with this policy where only one option is laid out.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted