Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome to the House to the Minister and staff here for this review of Health and Social Services.
The first thing I am interested in is what the status is of our telehealth and associated technologies, radiology, perhaps there is a pharmaceutical aspect to it and so on, across our 32 communities with respect to helping with both emergencies and managing medical travel. I know the Minister is aware that that is a steep source of the demand on our resources and much of that is unnecessary and there is potential for dealing with that. I think there is a good strategy in place, but we have been well aware of that since early in the 16th Assembly. It
just seems to be very, very slow unfolding. Maybe an update on that.
I have to follow up on my colleague Ms. Bisaro’s comments on the Aven Campus. I know the Minister is aware it is full. The waiting lists are long and getting longer. Rapidly there is an urgent need, now. Hopefully the Minister has heard that.
We also need work, either through partnerships with private enterprise or incentives perhaps, to foster the provision of facilities for seniors that have some financial independence and yet high care level needs. High needs for high level care with no current facilities to meet those needs. I know a lot of families are struggling with that.
I have heard the Minister’s response to Ms. Bisaro, and Members have raised this issue for years without any concrete commitments, and now the need is critical. The Avens, obviously, has a proven track record, high standards and performance. They achieved a very high level in their move to accreditation most recently. They are an organization that accomplishes what it sets out to do. It’s a can-do organization that attracts support and investment from the community, businesses and individuals, and I don’t think there is any argument they are very efficient at providing services and putting infrastructure in place compared to other projects the government has taken on.
We continually hear from this Minister, “We do have a capital process.” Not just this Minister, every Minister. I am looking; it’s not there. We’ve been at this for years. I am looking at the capital plan; it’s not there. The Minister says Avens has presented many options and then specified four options. Well, why would they have presented all those options, Mr. Chair? They are presenting all those options because every one fails. The government has failed to move until we are now critical. What can we say about this? I don’t know how they keep their sanity and keep going, but these seniors are tough people.
It needs to get into the capital plan “just now.” Again, I am looking at the plan. But indeed, does Avens need capital dollars? I would say Avens now recognizes that it’s going to be way too late if we go through the capital planning process. I would say the Minister must agree to that, given the current need and the rising need. Creatively, I would say, and through a lot of work with the community and their own resources, they are now saying we don’t need capital dollars, please keep us out of this capital process, it’s failed us at every turn we’ve attempted, keep us out of it. We need a bankable commitment that the department will support residents that use the campus. The bottom line is, they are poised, they are moving, and I know the Minister has worked to help them do that. I recognize that and I thank the Minister for that. But let’s complete the equation and get this happening.
Stanton Hospital, I still have serious concerns and reservations about the P3 aspects of Stanton Hospital. I know that the government is aware that similar efforts in Canada and other countries, Britain in particular, have in fact cost the residents hundreds of millions of dollars more than it would have under a public project approach, and along with that are some of the social aspects such as privatization of jobs and so on and the potential race to the bottom. I know the government is committed to this track. We’ll see what comes in. But I asked the government to take a very close look and particularly given, again, the intentions of government to seek a greater borrowing limit and
consider whether or not we could avoid that risk and take it on ourselves.
I am very happy to see some of the facilities that we are getting in place. The Minister mentioned the elders facilities in Norman Wells and Behchoko. Those are great to see and those are big projects. I think we have done some good work in standardizing the formats of those so that we can be efficient with those and so on, albeit the costs are pretty extreme on a per bed basis, especially compared to the Avens facility.
The health centres, I watch methodically the discussion between Fort Providence and Fort Res. Fort Res kindly stepped aside and we went ahead with Fort Providence. We are into completion and now we are moving on with the Fort Res one. Those are great to see and I know that the Minister is aware that we need to keep going with that, not just in Yellowknife. I am going to leave it at that and I’m going to speak to some specifics as we go through detail. Some of that I know is repeat, but it bears repeating. Thank you.