Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, rise today to speak about the supplementary health benefits. I want to talk specifically about the people that are demanding that we stop moving forward with this plan as it is currently outlined by the Minister of Health and Social Services.
On Tuesday there was a rally outside of this building where well over 100 people attended. There were young, there were old, there were healthy, there were sick, there was aboriginal and there were non-aboriginal, all calling for us to stop these changes to the supplementary health benefits.
I’ve also seen over the last couple of months a large number of e-mails, that I’ve been copied on, that went to the Minister of Health and Social Services as well as the Premier, demanding that we re-think what we’re doing and that we consider options and alternatives before we move forward with the plan that had been presented by the Minister. I’ve also been copied on a large number of letters to the Minister of Health that say the same exact thing. I have today two petitions that I’m going to table -- or present, rather -- one from the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society with 1,944 signatures. I’ve got one from the Union of Northern Workers with 495 signatures. It’s a significant amount of people who are opposed to what the Minister is planning.
Earlier last week in Elders Parliament a motion was put forward and the motion says: Whereas there is a proposal to implement a new Supplementary Health Benefits Program in September 2010;
And whereas the principle of universality should guide the delivery of the Northwest Territories health care system, enabling all citizens of the Northwest Territories to receive quality health care, including supplementary health benefits, on a fair and equitable basis;
And whereas the proposal rightly extends supplementary health benefits to the working poor and others who currently do not receive them;
And whereas the existing supplementary health benefits for senior citizens have served the purpose of caring for seniors and encouraging seniors to continue to live in the Northwest Territories during their retirement years;
And whereas the consequences of the proposed changes to supplementary health benefits for seniors are not clear and well defined;
And whereas the cost of existing benefits for seniors is modest;
Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that the Elders Parliament recommends that the existing supplementary health benefits coverage for seniors be continued;
And further, that the issue of changes to seniors’ supplementary health benefits requires further consultation, study and revision before the future implementation.
Mr. Speaker, this was approved unanimously by all Members of the Elders Parliament, Members from all over the Northwest Territories.
The proposed changes are bad for the non-aboriginal seniors, but what’s worse is that it’s devastating for people with severe, catastrophic conditions who currently have…
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted