Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the last few weeks, Members have spoken a lot and asked many questions about the GNWT Medical Travel

Policy, and I have another unique and special situation that I want to comment on today.

As NWT residents age, it’s not uncommon for there to be an increase in the health problems amongst our elders. It means they access the health system more, and in many cases treatment must be outside the elders’ home community and often requires an escort to travel with the patient. The defined age of elders varies considerably in the GNWT and across Canada, but it’s generally accepted to be 65 plus. Does our Medical Travel Policy permit escorts for patients 65 and over?

Apparently not, according to the recent experience of a Yellowknife constituent in the elder category. Her health condition required a trip out for treatment. Funding to cover the cost of an escort to travel with her was denied by GNWT health. My question is, should it have been?

Through this experience I’ve learned a whole new term: policy by commitment. MLAs regularly hear Ministers commit to things here in the House during oral questions and in Committee of the Whole. But what do these commitments mean? If it is a policy commitment, it is not written and recognized as a Cabinet officially sanctioned policy, but it should be considered a valid policy change.

In the case described here, there was a commitment in the House by two different Health Ministers to a policy that residents over 65 years old would always have an escort approved for medical travel for treatment outside their community. Those commitments were, one from February 14, 2007, Hansard, then Minister of Health Floyd Roland stated, “Also, our policy is for seniors 65 and over, a medical escort is looked at. It’s not a matter of English or if they are able to move and so on. That’s one of our policies. At 65 it’s not a question, then, of the condition you are in when you are flown. Just to be clear and on the record, our policy is anybody over 65 does get an escort, under 65 it’s case by case and we work with the doctor. We do have that in place, we won’t be changing that at this point.”

Again, in March 6, 2009, Hansard, then Minister of Health Sandy Lee stated…

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

---Unanimous consent granted