Please be seated. Colleagues, welcome back to the Chamber for the continuation of the Fifth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the elders of our Territory who participated in the first Elders Parliament held in the Northwest Territories and, in fact, the First Elders’ Parliament held in any commonwealth country.

---Applause

The special parliament took place last week and I was honoured to serve as Speaker for this historic event.

The Elders Parliament clearly celebrated the wisdom of our elders, the knowledge and history they bring from their communities, and their wonderful humour and generosity in sharing their knowledge. To each participant, thank you again for your unique contribution.

Members will notice that their seats in the Chamber are covered with fur and seal pelts, on loan from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Development. The pelts were used during Elders Parliament for the comfort of participants, and to highlight the importance of the traditional economy and the role it plays in all our lives. We are fortunate to have them on hand during this sitting of the House.

It is now my duty, colleagues, to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. It reads:

Dear Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, the passage of

•

Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2010-2011

•

Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2010-2011

during the Fifth Session of the 16th Legislative

Assembly. Yours truly, Margaret Thom, Deputy Commissioner.

Thank you, colleagues,

Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. April 1st , 2010, marked the start of a

new fiscal year. The measures included in our 2010-2011 budget are now being implemented, including almost $1.3 billion of operating expenditures and over $200 million in planned capital investments. These measures will be used to deliver needed public services and infrastructure to NWT residents and will help support our economy as the recovery takes hold.

Recently released preliminary estimates of 2009 Gross Domestic Product confirmed that the NWT economy shrank last year. Although there are positive signs for 2010, including rising diamond prices and an expected increase in mining exploration spending, the need for caution remains. Canada’s economy is expected to grow in 2010, but growth will be moderated as interest rates edge up and fiscal stimulus spending winds down. Internationally, fiscal and financial instability in parts of Europe point to the fragile and complex state of the global economy.

Our 2010-2011 budget planned for a slow recovery. Our government’s fiscal plan included holding the course on spending and making substantial investments in infrastructure to provide NWT residents and businesses breathing room. We are prepared to incur some short-term debt to accomplish this. We recognized, however, that the fiscal plan needed to include measures to return to a sustainable path over the next few fiscal years, measures such as maintaining a tight rein on spending growth and reducing capital investment over time to historical levels. Although barely six weeks into the fiscal year, we have already begun our planning for 2011-2012, based on the fiscal

strategy we laid out in January. Next year’s budget will be the last for the 16th Assembly. With the time

left to us, we will be focussing on consolidating the progress we have made and deliver on the initiatives that we have begun.

Mr. Speaker, April 1st was also the day the GNWT

assumed the debt associated with the Deh Cho Bridge Project. However, assuming this responsibility will not change the GNWT’s fiscal strategy. The bridge will largely be financed by the savings from the elimination of the current ferry and ice bridge operations and a toll on commercial vehicles crossing the bridge. The requirement for a subsidy of up to $2 million was identified in 2007 and has been factored into our fiscal projections.

I am able to confirm that federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has obtained federal Cabinet approval for a temporary adjustment to our borrowing limit. Effective April 2010, the limit has been increased by $75 million for a period of five years. This accommodation will give us the necessary room to implement the fiscal strategy that we presented in January. In addition, assumption of the debt has not affected our Aa1 credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service.

The Deh Cho Bridge Project is now a GNWT capital project, funded by the debt issued in 2008. However, the GNWT has always stood behind this project. We have never provided anything less than our full support, including guaranteeing the payments needed to service the debt. For this reason, we were, and continue to be, puzzled and disappointed by the lack of confidence of the lenders, Sunlife Financial and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, in the project. Their financial interest and that of their shareholders and beneficiaries was never in jeopardy.

Mr. Speaker, the investments and plans we have put in place to date have served as a source of stability during the economic downturn. We will continue to proceed carefully through the uncertain economic times ahead, but will also continue to ensure that the important work we have started in this Assembly is completed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to announce today the official launch of the Small Community Employment Supports Program made possible under the Reducing the Cost of Living Strategic Initiative.

Smaller communities face many employment challenges. Youth unemployment rates in smaller communities can be double those of regional centres. Through this program, youth gain valuable work experience and develop the essential skills they need for taking advantage of rewarding employment opportunities.

This program supports the goals of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the priorities of the 16th Legislative Assembly of the

Northwest Territories for sustainable, vibrant, safe communities and a diversified economy that provides all communities and regions with the opportunities people need for reaching their full potential. Through this program, employers in small and remote communities are eligible for wage subsidies for hiring and training summer students and youth.

The new program is modelled after the highly successful Youth Employment Program, and Education, Culture and Employment staff are currently promoting it to eligible employers and receiving applications. The department anticipates that this program will see similar success and expects that 45 youth and 20 employers in 27 communities will receive support through this program.

While this program is limited to small and remote communities only, the department has other similar labour market programming available to youth employers in all NWT communities. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with a strong sense of loss that I rise in the House to acknowledge the passing of a great northern woman and leader, Bertha Allen. Bertha is known throughout the Beaufort-Delta, the NWT, Canada and the world as a strong yet soft-spoken Gwich’in woman who lived and worked for the advancement of aboriginal and northern women and social change.

In 1978, Bertha founded the Native Women’s Association of the Northwest Territories. It was her goal to ensure indigenous women of the North were not left behind in the fast-paced development of the day.

She saw that women needed to get involved in all areas of community life, particularly in economics.

She recognized the value of traditional art, encouraging women to create themselves and train their daughters with their skills.

She saw the future of women in business and industry. The Native Women’s Training Centres delivered training in business management and trades training for future oil and gas development.

Her strong sense of justice and equality for all women was tempered with her compassion and love of and belief in people. Her spirit and laughter was contagious. In her presence, women worked hard and laughed with her.

Bertha was elected as president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada and met other women throughout the world, talking of the common ties indigenous people have with each other.

She has been honoured nationally with:

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the Order of Canada;

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the Governor General’s Northern Medal, and

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the Aboriginal Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bertha and her husband, Victor, raised seven children. Bertha’s strong heart suffered a massive blow with the 2008 tragic loss of Victor, daughter Delma, and granddaughter Asta. It was the survival of Peyton and the love of her children, grandchildren and friends that helped her through those dark days.

I know Members of the House feel a deep sense of loss with the passing of this substantial woman and her leadership. On behalf of all Members of this House I would like to extend our condolences to the family.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the brief emergency session in March I had the opportunity to make a statement on the proposed changes to the supplementary health benefits. Like many of my colleagues, I am feeling completely frustrated and very uneasy about the direction that this government is taking with supplementary health benefits.

Why is it so easy for this government to state that they want a system that is fair and equitable when this is just not a reality? Why is this government so good at upsetting people? Again today we saw another protest in front of the Legislative Assembly protesting a decision of this government. Does the government care? Apparently not, seeing that Minister Lee has been given her marching orders by Cabinet and she is being too arrogant and too ignorant to see that by pursuing this direction she is

doing untold damage to her reputation as a people’s politician.

I worked with Minister Lee on this side of the House for four years. She took no prisoners when defending her constituents’ interests. Why now that she is in Cabinet does she continue to ignore the people? Perhaps Members in this House should look at putting Ms. Lee back on this side of the House. I’d be very interested in seeing just how fast Ms. Lee would run from her stance as Minister.

A politician who does not listen does not care. It is becoming very apparent that Minister Lee requires a wake-up call from Members of this House, to remind her that she is listening to neither the Members of this House nor the public.

Why make those who are most vulnerable pay when they need help the most? Make no mistake about it, this is a tax on the sick and the elderly. It is a gross misrepresentation of the laurels of this government to be fair and equitable to all they serve. All of this for what? To divide people on racial lines, to save $2.5 million a year. Mr. Speaker, it’s just not worth it. Our values, our relationships, our social fabric is far more important than $2.5 million a year.

I do believe we need to address those who have no coverage. This should be done. These costs should be paid out of tax revenues or other revenues the government generates on a year-to-year basis. Why can’t this be a solution, Mr. Speaker?

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

It is Cabinet’s responsibility to manage these decisions, and given Cabinet’s track record of decision-making, it’s little wonder people outside in the public are so upset, again, at another decision this government is making. It’s the wrong decision. We need to park it. We need to find a new solution, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Earlier this year, in January, I gave a Member’s statement on the deplorable condition of the playground equipment at the Echo-Dene School in Fort Liard. The community is very concerned about how the existing equipment is beyond repair and the pressure treatment used on the wood does not meet current national standards for safety. As well, the playground site itself needs to be backfilled and re-levelled.

Last month I was very pleased when Jackson Lafferty, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, visited Fort Liard. During an Aurora College community tour, Minister Lafferty got a good look at how bad this playground was, with its outdated equipment and unsafe conditions. A few days later, Mr. Tom Beaulieu, the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, along with members of his committee was in Fort Liard. They too saw the condition it is in and why it is not used by the children. Needless to say, the condition of the playground has not been improved.

Mr. Speaker, we know that children who participate in active recreation are at an advantage in regard to health and academic achievement. Mr. Speaker, we have agreed on priorities in this, the 16th Assembly, that include promoting healthy choices and enhancing early childhood education. The playground offers both. Our priorities also include working with communities and schools to improve the physical and mental well-being of our youth. Let’s keep our promises and provide this playground for the children in Fort Liard, beginning this summer and fall.

The community has raised about $26,000 towards this goal. Our government has yet to make a contribution for much needed school playground equipment. In January I was advised that ECE is working to identify the funding in this year’s budget and, Mr. Speaker, I continue to implore the Minister of Education to provide funding for this playground so that it can be worked on this summer and put in place for this fall. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Citizens of the Northwest Territories expect their government to handle private and confidential medical records with a high degree of responsibility and respect. Today, CBC North told the people of the Northwest Territories that maybe we should be afraid, afraid that this government does not understand that confidential medical records must, in all circumstances and at all times, be treated with a high degree of professionalism and confidentiality. Private and confidential records must be kept private and confidential. If employees aren’t able to understand that, then why are they are our employees? Would anyone in their house make the mistake of faxing the most intimate details of their spouse’s medical records to a news media? I think not. We would be darn sure that with 100 percent accuracy we would be sending documents to the right place.

In my mind, this shows simple sloppiness. It would seem to me that, perhaps, what we have here are people who just are so used to walking over to a fax machine, punching in the numbers and they forget the high degree of professionalism required of them. If that is the case, I would have to say that I don’t want them to handle my medical records, nor my wife’s medical records, nor anyone in my family, nor those of anyone in the Northwest Territories. I will have questions to the Minister later on today, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Members of this House and the general public know that the Standing Committee on Social Programs is currently conducting a review of the Child and Family Services Act. I want to provide some of my comments on a very successful round of community consultations which committee undertook last month.

Over a period of three weeks, we visited 10 communities: Ndilo, Lutselk’e, Hay River, Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, Inuvik, Fort McPherson, Ulukhaktok, Tulita and Yellowknife. We held 10 town hall meetings. We had the opportunity to meet community leaders and discuss their concerns, to tour community facilities, schools, health centres, a library and a treatment centre to name a few.

We had the opportunity to support the local economy with our shopping. But more than that, the reason we were there in each community, we received input about the Child and Family Services Act, its effect on the lives of that community’s families and we heard suggestions from them on how the system could be improved or strengthened.

All the meetings were well attended, but especially so in Ulukhaktok. The Standing Committee on Social Programs was the first committee of the 16th Assembly to visit their community and they were thrilled. Some 10 percent of the community came out to the meeting to express their concerns about all manner of government programs and services. One little guy about three years old who watches the Assembly TV all the time knew all of our faces and names and spent the night going from one of us to the other saying hello over and over.

After the meeting, we were entertained by three young men, Justin Memogana, Chad Memogana, and Fred Kataoyak, who gave us an excellent demonstration of Inuit drumming, their skills learned from the late Jimmy Memogana. Even with 10 meetings in 10 different communities, it was intriguing and fascinating to me that each

community meeting was different from every other one. The attendees varied every time, but we always had a very diverse group of concerned and dedicated people. In every case, we had excellent discussions.

I want to say thank you to all of the people we met during our tours; the cooks, the drivers, the people who spoke during the meetings, the community leaders we met with. You all contributed to the success of our consultations for this Child and Family Services Act review. We would not have learned as much as we did if not for your assistance.

I feel blessed to have had the chance to see parts of our Territory that I have not yet seen and to meet caring, committed residents working hard to better their communities. Thanks also go to the local MLAs who assisted us in their communities within their ridings and to the staff of the Department of Health and Social Services who accompanied us.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

I would like to thank everybody that helped us out and I hope our report, the product of our consultations, meets your expectations, responds to your concerns and improves the lives of you and your families. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to review current conditions and trends that I believe are important considerations for informing the responsible decisions we in this House must regularly make. As our work in this fiscal year advances and we begin deliberations on our final year’s budget, we find ourselves in a world faced with even more uncertainties than when we began our term.

The impacts of the global recession linger. Fiscal stimulus funding is nearing its end, and given Canada’s need to begin servicing national debt, we can expect declining federal support programs in an ongoing federal withdrawal from housing responsibilities.

Energy prices, already high, will continue to climb while the world oil supply becomes more reliant on ever more expensive and problematic sources, as the recent experience in the Gulf of Mexico has shown.

In our NWT economy, we continue to pin our hopes on vague and distant solutions like the Mackenzie Gas Project. Developing the lasting and sustainable local economies that would secure our future still

takes second place. We face enormous challenges, but opportunities also. We must begin shifting our energy supply to local renewable biomass and hydro; the work over years that must begin now, our environmental challenges are clear. As a nation and a territory, we have yet to take vital action to reduce our carbon emissions even though the damage of climate change and its impacts on our people and our land grows yearly, as yesterday’s News/North story amply demonstrates.

Drastic action to protect caribou was taken this year and the co-management regime to revive the herd is proving hard to create. This is our food, Mr. Speaker, and a keystone of our environment. Meanwhile, even well paid citizens are struggling to get by and our poorest poor citizens are amongst the poorest in Canada. The latest review of our electrical system has put us no further ahead in providing affordable, sustainable power. We’ve urged the government to proceed with an anti-poverty strategy, yet we await the public outreach this requires. Changes are proposed to the Supplementary Health Benefits Program, changes that will drive away taxpayers, families, transfer payments, volunteers and purchasers, while making the NWT a less attractive place for new residents. These changes must not go ahead. With a little more than a year left in our term, my priorities remain the same but the urgency is greater.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, we must prove our talk with action on a fundamental shift to affordable, sustainable energy that protects us from world markets, with clear targets to cut carbon emissions. We must shift focus to support local and lasting business opportunities, especially biomass. Our greatest efforts must focus on meeting our citizens’ most basic needs. Cutting living and energy costs, sustaining our health programs and educating our next generation of citizens are our obvious greatest priorities.

As we turn now to the business of implementing policy and legislation that is good and responsive to our citizens’ concerns and to planning our final year in office, let’s show we clearly understand these responsibilities and let’s get it done. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

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

Based on this policy, no options other than income-tested models could or would ever be considered. How could the Minister go back to the drawing board if the final income-tested product was already agreed upon and supported by Cabinet?

We must do something to help the low income families who do not have insurance through their employer. It’s the right thing to do; however, this is not the way. Minister Lee’s redesign of the Extended Health Benefits lacks credibility, transparency, or sound evidence to help justify it as the only model worthy of consideration. It’s not right, it’s not just, and it’s not in the best interest of the people of the Northwest Territories.

The Minister of Health and Social Services must take this policy back to Cabinet and set a new, more responsible direction for future amendments.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Today I would like to talk about an elder and a friend who passed recently. Louis McKay passed away on March 19th in Fort Resolution at the age of

78. Louis was born in Fort Resolution in 1931 and from a very young age began working and didn’t stop until he was forced to retire at age 65.

Louis first started working when he was a young man, by selling blocks of ice to the Hudson Bay Company and the Ministry of Transportation. Later he started working for the Hudson Bay Company as a stock boy and then became a forest ranger and firefighter, and then moved on to work for the Northern Canada Power Commission for about five or six years. At around that time, the Pine Point Mine was starting up, so Louis packed up his family and moved to Pine Point to work for the mine. He spent the next 17 and a half years there and that’s where his two daughters, Margaret and Dolores, were raised.

After the mine shut down in 1988, Louis and his wife, Mary, moved back to Fort Resolution where he started his career with the local housing authority, working as a tradesman until his retirement. With only limited formal education, Louis managed to become proficient as a painter, carpenter, electrician, and plumber. Even in his retirement, Louis kept busy around the house and helping others with small jobs here and there. He was always fixing things.

In his spare time Louis enjoyed playing the fiddle. He taught himself to play at a young age and perfected his playing throughout his life. Some of today’s younger fiddlers say that Louis’s style was

unique and that the way he played was very complex, his music is very difficult to cover.

Louis is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary, his son, Donald, his two daughters, Margaret and Dolores, and he had 15 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews and in-laws.

I would like to thank the family for allowing me to do this. It’s comforting to know that Louis’s legacy lives on through his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about the proposed changes to supplementary health benefits. Canada is a shining inspiration to the world. It continues to make great strides to represent itself as a beacon of hope, opportunity and fairness. I don’t believe the proposed changes to the supplementary health policy mirrors those principles in any way at all.

By taking away supplementary health benefits, this will go down as a great case study many years from now when people watch and wonder what happened. Why did the GNWT start acting like Ottawa? If the Minister and this Cabinet continue to circle around this policy, it will truly be a dark day for consensus government.

Let me be clear. Could our health care system benefit from a fiscal review? Absolutely. However, should a policy on supplementary health benefits passed by the last government tie the hands of this Assembly? It should not. If you will notice, some of the major distractions of the 16th Assembly have all

been around what was signed off by the last Premier and Cabinet, then this Cabinet continues to circle around them and protect them without any question. I believe they have lost their way, and at times I wonder if they can think on their own.

May I remind this House of some of those brilliant policy decisions this Cabinet has been following. Remember the butchering of the board reform? What I like to call now the Deh Cho Bridge-gates? And certainly now the bitter pill served up as supplementary health benefits changes? All things that are important and certainly need to be discussed in their own way, but not at any cost and certainly not to our residents.

When will this Cabinet work to develop territorial policies with a vision of the 16th Assembly and not

the ghosts of the 15th Assembly that keep haunting

or lurking in the halls upstairs? If you ask the Minister, she’ll say it’s not about the money. But

let’s be serious; who is she kidding? Of course it’s about the money. But when I ask her to hire an efficiency expert to look at how the department does its business just like big and small companies out there, it got brushed off like it didn’t matter.

The Ministers say it’s about the working poor. What’s stopping her? If this government really cared about the working poor they would have stopped dragging their heels over three to four years ago to provide coverage immediately to those working poor who definitely need it.

I view this Territory as a family, regardless of their background.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

I don’t see one opportunity that the government has taken to revisit this, other than cutting benefits to the sick and elderly simply down racial and cultural lines. No, because there of course has been no direction from the 15th Assembly to do that. That’s why.

I question if this policy was reversed if it would stand the test of fairness. I’d say no. This policy is about division, not about unity. It preys on people’s differences by splitting our Territory down cultural lines and I believe it’s truly not fair and extremely hurtful to a lot of people out there.

In closing, the Minister has not gone to the doctors who want to provide solutions. The pharmacy association has been begging to provide input. This may not legally be wrong, it may not be technically wrong regarding human rights, but I can guarantee you it’s morally wrong and our constituents are suffering.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently I was approached by a constituent about a matter that I believe has been lurking out there for a while and I have given the Minister of Health and Social Services a heads-up that I’m going to be raising this issue.

We value greatly our physicians and surgeons and medical practitioners in the Northwest Territories. We have had difficulty in the past recruiting and retaining people in this profession. I want to state clearly from the outset of this Member’s statement that this is not about the 99.9 percent of people who take up this profession. However, I have some serious concerns about a physician who has been practicing here in the Northwest Territories and

about a process that would call his conduct and credentials and past experience and history into light.

Like every other profession, even physicians and specialists need a process in place that allows their credentials and conducts to be reviewed when irregularities occur. It is sad when one or two people of questionable motives and ethics can bring their own name and that of their profession into question. The public interest and safety of NWT patients needs to be the business of this government and this Minister.

I have reason to believe that there is a doctor in the Northwest Territories who has continued to practice in spite of safeguards such as a panel of peers by way of the College of Physicians and Surgeons’ best efforts to hold him accountable through a complaints process. I believe that constituents of mine have been harmed by the practices of this physician. Everyone deserves their day in court, but the court has failed to hold this doctor accountable.

I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services today about the process of complaints and the disposal of those complaints when a certain physician continues to practice when these complaints are outstanding against them.

I’ve been known to have the odd fight and I’ve got to tell you, this is an issue that has me very, very upset. I understand this physician has hidden behind, while he has harmed people, the threat of suing people. If he’s listening today I’d like to say bring it on, because he’s going to be dealing with me and I know people who have been hurt by him and I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I tell you, I have the skill, the ability and the experience to do that. If he thinks he can sue me, bring it on, but he’s going to be coming into the light of day.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Lee.

I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker, I thought the Clerk was going to read it. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Robert Hawkins on March 4, 2010, regarding radiologists contract status.

In 2009 the Diagnostic Imaging Pictures Archiving and Communications System, known as DI/PACS, was implemented in the Northwest Territories. The DI/PACS allows for radiology examinations to be stored and retrieved in a digital format. The DI/PACS also allows for X-ray images to be sent over a secure Internet connection to other health care providers. With the addition of this technology

the NWT had an opportunity to look at the service delivery model used in the Northwest Territories to see if there were opportunities to enhance radiology services.

In mid-2009 the decision to change the service delivery model was made to have one locum radiologist on site -- one currently provided 26 weeks of the year, and the balance is covered by repeating locums -- to provide on-the-ground support for the physicians and diagnostic imaging staff.

A second radiologist service provided remotely uses the DI/PACS technology. This service allows for 24-hour/seven days a week, 52-weeks of the year, thereby providing better radiologist coverage for the residents of the Northwest Territories.

A request for proposals was issued for remote radiology services in late 2009 and the contract was awarded to Radiology Consultants Associated Organization located in Calgary, Alberta. The remote services started in January 2010 and the feedback on the service being provided has been excellent. Stanton Territorial Health Authority is not aware of any dispute regarding this contract or any previous radiologist contracts.

I have another return to oral question asked by Ms. Wendy Bisaro on March 24, 2010, regarding wait times to see medical specialists in the Northwest Territories.

As I stated in the House, the topic of wait times is a national issue. The international physician shortage and changing population demographics impact wait times around the world. Our medical director is working with health care providers and the chief executive officers of the health and social services authorities, constantly monitor wait time lists both here and in the South. Wait times are generally the same length down south as they are in the North.

While we do not have wait time standards per se, I can provide the following information:

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People who need emergency surgery or

treatment receive it without delay.

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Specialists are a territorial resource and serve the entire NWT.

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As part of the Territorial Service Plan, the

feasibility of expanding specialist services by using a mobile team to the Inuvik Regional Hospital is being considered.

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Over the past few years, the Stanton Territorial Health Authority has taken steps to increase the volume of surgical procedures through the better management of patient and existing resources.

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The adoption of innovative technologists will allow local and distant professionals to assess patient needs and better provide specialist services. This will enhance the efficiencies, lower costs related to travel and fees for specialists, and potentially reduce wait times. Most importantly, this will provide a tool for seamless case management for patients using specialist services at Stanton and for southern referrals.

•

By effectively managing this costly service at a territorial level, we can maximize efficiencies to ensure we are getting the best value for our resources.

Wait times as of March 2010 are:

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elective consult for general surgery: one year;

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elective consult for internal medicine: nine

months to one year;

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urgent consult in a permanent specialty area: one week to one month;

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urgent consult with a visiting specialist:

depends on the next visit, ranging from monthly to quarterly depending on the sub-specialty;

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the two visiting specialists with the longest wait times are neurology and urology;

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non-urgent consult: one to two years;

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non-urgent endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopy, gastroscopy, and cystoscopy: two years;

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non-urgent endoscopic procedures such as

colonoscopy: two years;

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knee or hip replacements: approximately one year.

As a way of historical background I’d like to provide you with the following:

•

The number of patients seen by the internal medicine specialist at Stanton Territorial Health Authority’s medical clinic more than doubled in three years. Patients seen increased from 1,682 to 3,612.

•

The number of patients seen by the general surgery speciality at Stanton Territorial Health Authority’s Medical Centre increased by 46 percent over the past three years. Patients seen increased from 2,625 to 3,834.

•

The year-over-year growth for colonoscopy

performed between 2007-08 and 2008-09 increased by 21 percent. Stanton Territorial Health Authority’s internal medical specialists and general surgeons performed 2,189 colonoscopies in 2008-09.

Thank you.

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Ms. Lena Pedersen, who is also a member of the Elders Parliament and a former Member of this House.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Jackson Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize Ms. Sarah Wright-Cardinal who is here with us in the gallery. She is the president of Aurora College and she is travelling through the communities, all 33 communities. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ve got a few people I’d like to recognize. I’ve got constituents Estrelle and Ford Sumcad in the gallery today. As well, I’d like to recognize Chief Eddie Sangris from the Yellowknives Dene. As well, city councillor Lydia Bardak and city councillor David Wind. As well, I see my former boss and former constituent Mr. Larry Adamson I’d like to recognize as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Weledeh resident Chief Eddie Sangris from Dettah. I’d also like to give special recognition to my elder, Mr. Ed Jeske. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Bob McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I’m very pleased to recognize Gloria Reyes, a constituent from Yellowknife South. Also, Larry Adamson, a long-time colleague of mine; and Mr. Hockey, Mr. Ed Jeske.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize Ms. Sarah Wright-Cardinal also, from the Aurora College, and thank her for the tour in the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t get constituents all that often, but I’d like to recognize constituent Larry Adamson up there behind me. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a former colleague of mine. Welcome.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On this occasion I’d like to continue to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a constituent and well-known Yellowknifer, certainly; Mr. David Wind, city councillor as well as a constituent and also somebody who has been trumpeting these supplementary health benefit changes quite loudly; and Ms. Lydia Bardak, councillor, who was mentioned earlier, another constituent of Yellowknife Centre; and lastly, I’d like to make special note, as well, to Sarah Wright-Cardinal, who is the president of Aurora College. I want to recognize her from the point of view of I hear she’s doing a fantastic job and one of these days I’ll be taking up her offer to come down and visit the Fort Smith campus. So I look forward to that occasion.

I would like to welcome everybody to the gallery today. Next, item 6, acknowledgements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of all the Sahtu constituents, I want to wish one of our lovely elders, Ms. Mary Barnaby, congratulations on getting her honorary diploma from Aurora College this year.

Each year Aurora College in Inuvik gives out an honorary diploma to a well-deserving elder who makes a huge contribution to education, especially to aboriginal education. Ms. Barnaby is well deserving of this year’s award. She is a role model to us all. Mahsi.

The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to acknowledge a young constituent and role model: 21-year-old Tsatsiye Catholique of Lutselk'e. On June 3rd , Tsatsiye will

be graduating from a new and exciting program called Indigenous Environmental Studies at Trent University in Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, anytime our young residents graduate from university, it’s a special occasion. Coming from a small community such as Lutselk'e it’s extra special. It shows the dedication and commitment made by this young man and the support of his family, friends and the whole community.

Please join me in congratulating Tsatsiye Catholique and his family as he graduates from Trent University with a degree in Indigenous Environmental Studies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 7, oral questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ve got questions today for the Minister of Health and Social Services. It gets back to my Member’s statement talking about the proposed changes to supplementary health benefits.

Obviously everybody’s been giving this a lot of thought. We have to come up with a new solution. Mr. Speaker, if I could, I would just like to share a solution. We’re about 16 months away from the next territorial election in October of 2011. I’d like to ask the Minister if the government has given any consideration to taking this policy and the proposed direction that they want to take supplementary health benefits in, take it the electorate in the fall of 2011. It’s only 16 months from now, and in the meantime you can continue to do the research that should ultimately get done so that we can make the right decision. Will the Minister commit to taking this to the public, where it rightfully belongs, in the fall of 2011? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since the implementation plan on this policy, since it was released in the fall of 2008, it’s had about two and a half years of review. We believe, as a Cabinet, that this is a good policy change. It will expand the program’s access to a lot of people who, as the Member said, are the most vulnerable. It will bring in 2,000-plus people who do not have a basic supplementary health care benefit such as dental and vision care. And the plan, we will be reviewing with the committee, as we had promised, but the plan as it stands now is to implement the changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think, as I mentioned during my Member’s statement, it’s a foolish direction that the government is embarking upon. If you have a rally of 200 people in front of the Legislative Assembly, that’s got to send a message to the Minister and to the government that the direction that they’re taking is wrong and they should revisit that direction. If the government, like the Minister said, actually cared about those people that are outside of this protection right now and today, this government’s been in office for over three years, Mr. Speaker.

What have they done about it? Why haven’t you found the money to address that gap? Why do you have to take money from one portion of the populous to pay for another, Mr. Speaker? Why is that the only direction that this government is embarking upon? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is the loudest and the greatest advocate for fiscal responsibility. The Member knows that we don’t have all the money we need to do all the things that our people ask for. The Member mentioned in his statement that $2.6 million is small chump. I don’t know. As the Minister responsible for the biggest budget department, the Department of Health and Social Services, that sees growth between 6 to 8 percent, $2.6 million is not a small amount of money. That would allow me to set up a specialists’ shop at Stanton; that would pay for a number of nurses; it would pay for a lot of insured services.

Mr. Speaker, I think what we need to remember is that supplementary health benefits is a non-insured service. It’s a program where in the rest of Canada people pay out of their own pockets, and usually by a third party or employer insurance. What the government is trying to do is establish the best program possible which would allow people without insurance, employer insurance, to have a very nice insurance package.

In order to expand the service, we’re determining it by determining the need by one’s ability to pay, because we believe that is the most fair and equitable way to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that is all fine and good, but the bottom line is this Northwest Territories, the land that we govern, is not the rest of Canada, Mr. Speaker. It is the Northwest Territories. We have unique needs. The cost of living here in the Northwest Territories, people cannot afford to live here. We are losing people because they can’t afford to live here and the government again is embarking on a decision to even increase costs more to our residents. It is the wrong decision, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to go back to an earlier question. I will ask the Minister again, will the Minister delay the implementation date of this until the 17th Legislative Assembly is duly elected and

will she go out and knock on door to door in her riding, campaigning for this policy, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we as leaders are put in this place to make decisions on behalf of people and not study things to death and delay and debate. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has stated, the cost of living is a big issue in the Northwest Territories, but we also know that the NWT and especially Yellowknife, for many years, we have people on a very high income. We have to recognize that fact. The thing that the Members

have to know and the values that the Member speaks about, we need to talk about low income working families who are struggling every day to pay for basic dental care and basic vision care. They do not have an option of getting employer’s insurance because their work doesn’t cover it, government doesn’t cover it and they are having to decide whether they are willing to pay for pairs of glasses or not. We are making this program. We are expanding it. We are making it accessible to 100 percent of non-aboriginal people. We are making it in a way that 80 percent of our population will have as good or better policy than anybody with a government job. I had to tell you, Mr. Speaker, if I went to Ontario right now and said that we are going to offer non-insured health benefits to everybody there that is as good as a government package, I believe that that would be a winner and it should be a winner here too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I think that the Minister is missing my point. I think the ultimate test is for the Minister to delay the implementation of this until the next government is elected -- and that is only 16 months away -- and let her go door to door in this city and campaign on this policy and let’s see if she gets re-elected, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think she will get re-elected. I would like to ask her if she thinks she’d get re-elected if she went door to door in her riding with this policy. Thank you.

It is not a question; it is more of asking for the Minister for her advice. I don’t think it is an appropriate question. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement with regard to the school playground in Fort Liard. Once again, I appreciate that the Minister had an opportunity to go to Fort Liard and visit the school and look at the playground. I would just like to ask just in general, what is the department’s policy on providing playgrounds for our schools, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The trip to the community of Fort Liard was my first visit to the community. It was a great visit just to see the students and also the leadership of the community and seeing the playground itself where the students usually play. We did talk about

this particular case when we came back to Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. This particular playground has been identified as part of the capital planning. We may have to expedite the process. It is in the works. It is just the playground is still there, but my understanding is PWS has gone through the community last week. The ground is still frozen. They couldn’t take out the infrastructure at this time, but we are working towards establishing a playground facility. I do commend the community for fundraising of $26,000. By all means, any contribution from the community does expedite the process. This is an area that we need to work with. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate that the Minister did hear the concerns of the community, as it was not so much a school as a community concern as well. I am pleased to see some commitment from the Minister to provide funding in the capital plan. But at the same time, as he had indicated, the time to build it is this year. Is there any way to provide some funding to assist the community this year? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, it has been identified for this year but it is at the request of the DEA from the community that we need to work with the board to make this a priority for the community and for our department. As you know, there are other major capitals that are before us, the schools that we need to work with. But at the same time, this is an area that I would like to focus on as well, Fort Liard. I did make a commitment to the leadership that I would like to go back there at some point in time in the summer if it all works out.

Mr. Speaker, this particular playground that the Member has alluded to is an area that my department is working diligently with the DEA and the superintendent at that level. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that we will be working in the capital plan towards the playground equipment in Fort Liard in this coming summer and the fall time. I hope to see the capital funds there. However, the community group is looking at building it in components. They have $26,000 this year. They are looking for at least some matching funds from our government who has to be responsible for the school there, Mr. Speaker. Is there a way that the department and the Minister can find some funds this fiscal year or else this summer to help start the playground reconstruction process? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the decision comes down from the DEA, district education council. The community level will be the authority to make those kinds of decisions as a priority to our department. That is why I stated that we will work with the DEA and the DEC and also the community leadership along with Mr.

Menicoche on putting this forward. It could be part of our capital planning process either this fall or next fall, but it is not identified since last year for this particular year. Mr. Speaker, this is an area that we need to work with as we move forward. Mahsi.

Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to reiterate to the Minister that this is not exactly a new issue. It is about four years old that the playground got condemned. The urgency is to get something started this year, Mr. Speaker, and also some funding in the next fiscal year. Will the Minister commit to tell the DEA, to his staff, that this is a priority item and must be addressed as soon as possible? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I am in no position to dictate to the DEA, but they should be telling me that they want more. That is an area where we need to cooperate. We need to work together. We need to build a strong relationship that we have right now. This has been identified as a priority for the community. We recognize that, Mr. Speaker. I will commit to the Member that we will do what we can to push this further, expedite the process during our capital planning process. Mahsi.

Next I have Mr. Yakeleya from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I wanted to ask the Minister about the issue we heard on CBC this morning in regard to a breach of confidentiality of records that were sent to CBC by mistake from a health centre in Norman Wells. I wanted to ask the Minister to tell the people in this House and the people in the North and the Sahtu exactly what happened in regard to this matter of a breach of confidentiality of a person’s medical records.

The honourable Minister of Health, Ms. Sandy Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously this was a serious error. It was an accident. There was a 10-number digit that they had to dial and one number went amiss and it happened to be CBC. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the person is very upset. We are investigating this situation and the person is more upset that it got aired in the media. So I would not want to talk in detail about that.

What I do want to say is that every health authority, health centre, Department of Health, my office, have very strict guidelines on protecting the privacy of the individuals that come into our contact, not to

mention the medical information. There are very strict rules that have to be followed. The Sahtu Health Authority tells us that they communicate about two medical records a month and this has never happened before. We have reported it to the privacy officer. We are taking all the steps to clarify the situation and if there are any action items that come out that would help other authorities and all other health centres to revamp the process, we will follow up on that. Thank you.

If it wasn’t reported in the CBC, we kept it quiet and CBC didn’t report this, I want to make sure that in the future, for the confidence of the people in the Sahtu, that our personal medical records will be handled with the utmost professionalism, confidentiality and respect in terms of our staff in the medical field that are distributing our records. I wanted to ask the Minister what type of assurance can she give to the people in the Sahtu and the people in the Northwest Territories that this will never, never, never, never happen again in terms of the way this was reported on CBC?

The people of the Sahtu and every community and region in the Northwest Territories should be assured and they should feel comfortable, and I want them to feel comfortable, that their health care professionals, whether they are social workers and anybody with private information, every profession has a code of conduct on how they deal with private information. It is an absolute no, no to breach any of that information. This was an accident and sometimes it happens. We are very sorry that that has happened. We are investigating to see exactly what happened and any steps that will come out of it that will make the process better, we will implement those and I will undertake to follow up with the Members as to what comes out of that. Thank you.

The Minister has indicated that she’s going to follow up on this incident and she’s going to have a discussion with her department and certainly the Sahtu Health Board in terms of what happened. In this discussion, I want to ask the Minister, when you look at this issue and examine what happened, are there policies that you need to implement right away within the Sahtu Health Board in terms of our health centres and handling our medical records when they’re being asked to be sent to another health centre or community for medical reasons, that there’s strong policies in place, relook at the policies that they have now and that they could be implemented in the Sahtu in the interim, because I’m not sure how long this investigation will take in regard to this matter.

It is important for everyone to know that there is a policy already in place to protect privacy. Every health centre has that, every authority has that. We already have policies and

procedures to protect privacy and medical information and confidential information. This is not a case of breach of that procedure. It is a situation where one out of 10 numbers that they pressed was switched and it just happened to be the other number was CBC.

Mr. Speaker, we understand accidents do happen. We will look to see what other measures we need to take to make sure that this doesn’t happen again, and we will take actions to make sure that we do everything humanly possible to make sure that that doesn’t happen. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, in the CBC report it’s reported that Privacy Commissioner Elaine Keenan-Bengts says what apparently happened within the Sahtu Health Centre wasn’t good enough in terms of them checking the information as to where the fax was going and confirming that it’s going to a location, it also confirmed that it’s been received at that location. That wasn’t done. This simple oversight hasn’t been looked at. So, again, that’s why I asked Minister about this issue. I know it’s going to take a while to get the report done. Can something like this, what the Privacy Commissioner is saying, can something like this be implemented right away at all the health centres in the Sahtu, where medical records are going be looked at with the utmost respect and confidentiality? Thank you.

We are working with the Privacy Commissioner. We are providing and the Sahtu Health Authority has reported to her in writing, or will report to her in writing, about what happened and what steps are being taken to prevent this from happening again. Understandably, the Sahtu Health Authority is quite upset about what happened. We are very sorry to the individuals involved and we’re doing everything we can to make sure that this doesn’t happen again. We are working closely with the Privacy Commissioner. Thank you.

The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Services. As other Members have said today and as the general public may be aware, recently the Minister published the policy titled Supplementary Health Benefits Policy, dated September of 2007. It’s become crystal clear that the implementation of any changes to the Extended Health Benefits Program as the Minister is proposing can only be done through means testing,

something which was not crystal clear before. I feel the Minister has led us down, and the public down, the garden path for about a year and a half. She has studiously avoided telling us that the motion that was passed a year ago or so would have no effect, there would be no blank slate, no adequate consideration of alternatives. So I’d like to ask the Minister why did she not communicate the content or the intent of this policy to the Standing Committee on Social Programs and to the general public last February or March when the motion was debated. Thank you.

The honourable Minister of Health, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, my understanding was that Cabinet documents were not to be made public. I have learned since that this policy was already signed. It is not a paper under discussion in Cabinet, so it was able to be released. Secondly, I’m hearing here, and Members outside, that somehow, I just have to say that, Mr. Speaker, we have been open-minded about this policy. I had this policy in front of me, I wanted to look at whether or not what is being proposed is fair and equitable and we believe that the newest changes that we are suggesting would be generous. It would cover a vast majority of people. Mr. Speaker, the income test is one that was included in the policy and we looked at that to see how fair and equitable that is and on the basis of analysis and the review we have done, we believe under the circumstances for non-insured health benefits -- remember this is not an insured service, this is not a universal service, this is not a legislative service -- for a program of supplementary health benefits we believe that this is the fairest way to implement this policy. Thank you.

I find it hard to believe that after three years in Cabinet the Minister didn’t realize that policies could be publicized. But there we are. It is what it is. I did note that the Minister mentioned fair and equitable two or three times in her response. I’d like to mention to the Minister that on March 24th of this year the Minister stated in a

statement that the existing program is exclusive, unfair and inequitable. I’d like to know from the Minister how she considers that the proposed changes, which will put financial hardship on only some of our NWT residents, is going to make the new program inclusive, fair and equitable.

The existing program is exclusive, unfair, and it does not address the needs of vulnerable people because we have no provision under the Supplementary Health Benefits to provide for those whose income is too high to qualify under indigent supplementary health benefits programs but too low to be able to buy some of the health benefits that they require, and they’re not old

enough to qualify under seniors benefits. The new proposed package is much more fair and equitable because it opens access to supplementary health to everyone, 100 percent of non-aboriginal people.

The Member says somebody is going to suffer financial hardship. Our income threshold is so high that it would be... Everyone, even at $200,000-plus, you would still get 45 percent coverage. I have to tell you, there is no other program in the country that will provide supplementary health benefits to those with an income over $200,000. In any other jurisdiction if your income is $200,000, you cannot access anything like that with the government. That’s why our program is fair.

I’d like to thank the Minister for a lesson on information that I already know. I’d like to also state that we’re not in other parts of the country. We’re in the NWT and we have a policy which currently works in most cases. I agree totally that we need to cover the people who are not currently covered, but what we are doing is solving one problem and creating another. I need to discuss with the Minister some of the examples that my constituents have given to me of how they are going to be in financial hardship based on the information that we currently have. I don’t gather that it’s changing very much.

I’d like to quote again from a document which the department had on their website. It was entitled “A Conversation with Northerners” and on page 15 of that document, 8(a) states that all families should have fair and equal access. From that statement I’d like to suggest that the department and the Minister carefully omitted to say all aboriginal families will have fair and equal access. This is a very divisive policy and it’s been stated by some of my colleagues earlier.

I’d like to ask the Minister how having these changes only apply to non-aboriginal peoples will make this new program fair and provide equal access.

I am going to do my best to answer questions, but I hope she won’t tell me I’m telling her something she already knows. As I stated already, the supplementary health program right now excludes a segment of the population that needs help from the government. Those are the low income working families who need help and work in jobs that don’t have employer insurance or whatever. It is, I believe, our government’s responsibility to provide assistance for that. I hear from others, cover them anyway, bring extra money, do it by universal health care, just spend the money.

The point is this is not a part of Canada health care. This is not a legislated health care. In the rest of the country it is something that you have to pay out of your own pocket. We are suggesting that we make this program available to everybody, everyone has

access, no one will be without. But your condition of access will not be determined by your age or your medical condition or anything. It will be dependent on your ability to pay. I do not know of anything else that’s more fair than to look at one’s ability to pay to get extra help.

The Member objects to the fact that this is going to be available to all non-aboriginals. That’s why it’s fair. Before that it was not available to all non-aboriginals. There were a whole bunch of non-aboriginals who need it the most who were excluded from it. I believe that is a fair thing to do.

Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister I agree with that philosophy and I said that. But there are other alternatives. There are other alternatives which are out there that are not being considered. That’s because the policy is not being opened to change. That’s what’s required.

As to the fairness if what is being implemented applies to all residents of the NWT, this policy implementation will not be inclusive, it will not be fair, it will not be equitable, because it does not apply to all of our residents. It applies to a portion of our residents.

I want to ask the Minister why she is not willing to consider revisions to the policy to make it fair and equitable.

My position is that it is fair and equitable because it gives access to all non-aboriginal people. It uses a criteria being used all around the world and all across the country, in determining a government social program. This is to be a safety net. We are going to give benefits to seniors. We’re going to give benefits to those with chronic conditions. We’ll be able to expand services to single moms, young university students. We’re going to be opening the program to everybody.

The program that we have now is not a program... We already have a separate program for Metis and NIHB for the treaty people. The program we have now excludes a bunch of non-aboriginal people. The government feels it is important that we bring them on and we bring it in a most fair way.

The Member and everybody else says there are other alternatives. I’m interested in hearing them. I’ve already said universality is not usually the criteria used for supplementary health programs.

The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are so many places to start here. I want to follow up on my colleagues’ questions to the Minister of

Health and Social Services. I’d like to start with the last theme there. Groups and many of my constituents were opposed to the supplementary health benefits proposal. They’ve raised the issue of whether the changes will pass the test of a human rights complaint. The changes being proposed are unwise, in my mind, but implementation and administrative costs and the lost service to the sick would be a further waste if we go ahead without legal advice when indeed it was needed. Has the Minister received legal advice on whether the changes she proposes can legally stand?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Using income threshold and looking at one’s ability to pay to determine whether you have access to a program or not is used in many places. We have those in lots of government programs, including the seniors’ fuel subsidy. This is a very commonly accepted way of doing it. We’re expanding the program to those on the basis of income, whereas before it was on the basis of age. I believe that this is the right thing to do.

I was more interested in the Minister’s perspectives on the divisive, racially divisive, culturally divisive proposals that she has coming forward. I would welcome any further comments she might have on that.

It was noted at a recent public meeting that the representatives of the NWT Pharmaceutical Association have repeatedly offered to meet with the Minister and her department to share their knowledge and experience in any considerations of changes to the supp health program. The department was also invited to attend the annual general meeting of this association. In both cases the department and the Minister failed to take up those offers. Can the Minister explain why the department would not respond to these offers and how they can design a program without the wisdom and advice of important front-line providers such as these? Thank you.

The fact of the matter is, as a part of our consultation process we did write to the pharmacy association and the NWT Medical Association. The pharmacy association did not respond. We had written in March. We did get an email from Mr. Dolynny, who was not a president of the pharmacy association. He invited our staff to come. We had five days’ notice. Our staff was not going to be available for that time. It was five days’ notice. We had offered to meet with them at another time when it was more convenient, Mr. Speaker. So it is entirely inaccurate for anybody to suggest and it’s without evidence of a basis to say that we did not listen to them. We had written to

them and the pharmacy association did not respond.

Secondly, Mr. Speaker, this supplementary policy is something that’s used everywhere in the country. Everywhere in the country this is how the pharmacy program is… A lot of programs across the country are income tested, so I’m sure that the pharmacists in the Territories will be able to adjust to this policy.

I guess the word should be put out that if you’re not president of an association, don’t bother contacting the Minister on an opportunity for input

---Applause

Last year when the Minister was directed to go back to the drawing board on supp health, she promised to go back to the beginning and carry out consultations with no preconceptions such as a means test. Yet at her departmental community meetings, Mr. Dana Heide said he was directed to base the proposals on an income threshold model. Can the Minister explain how this could be a fulfilment of her promise, please?

When the motion was passed we had a big debate about whether or not income test is a good option. We should look at things from the blank slate. We did review those. I directed the staff to look at the user profile, look at who’s using it, how much it’s costing, what does it mean, how can we expand the programs to those who are excluded. We looked at all of that, Mr. Speaker, and I know that there are those who choose not to accept some of the information that they received. But the fact of the matter is we have done the research and the research shows that, in terms of income profile of our people, that we have low income, middle income, high income, in all peoples in their ages and background. I believe fundamentally that government’s role is to provide support to those who need it the most, and we will do that. We will provide for seniors. We will provide for working families. We will provide support to those who need assistance from us. Thank you.

Your final question, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my last question for the Minister is really about the really good suggestions and incredible amount of thinking and thoughtful drafting of options to be pursued by the Minister. Certainly the progressive taxation was one of them. I think there was some mention of fees. I assume that the Minister has developed a perspective on those in response to the overwhelming comments from the public on those suggestions. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we have referred those suggestions and we have reviewed them and looked at the implications of progressive taxation, taxation to pay a program like this, which is not an insurer service, and we have reviewed the

suggestions made in the Minister of Finance’s roundtable on revenue options. There was a suggestion for progressive taxation by Alternatives North. I believe that the program that we are proposing under supp health is a progressive taxation within the program in that we are supporting those who need it the most and we are asking those on a higher income to make a contribution to a supplementary health care cost, where in any other province they would be required to pay 100 percent unless they had insurance. Thank you.

The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I attempted to describe what I think is a process that is in place that would allow a panel of peers of physicians to receive complaints and deal with complaints about the conduct of physicians who practice in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister: could she please describe for me what the process is? What is in place currently in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a very specified procedure for filing complaints under the Medical Profession Act. Anyone who has a concern with a physician or any other medical practitioner could write… Well, they could first talk to the chief executive officer and the people in their authority. Then there is what’s called a complaints officer under the Medical Profession Act, and the complaints officer would review the complaints. Complaints could go into alternative dispute resolution or any other ways of sorting it out, or the matter could go into a board of inquiry where a board made up of appointed people would look at those complaints. Thank you.