This is page numbers 4511 – 4544 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was work.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This whole education renewal and innovation, as you know, I did a statement on that. We are going through the various stages of engagement with the general public. We have delivered the overall framework. Now we have to develop an action plan based on the feedback from the stakeholders, the educators, the school boards, the superintendents and MLAs and others. Other individuals are interested to providing their input. Based on that, we are going to have a cost factor where the new money is going to be approached. Those are some of the discussions we are going to have with the stakeholders.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

The Minister mentions an action plan. I know that that has been out there for quite some time. We have been waiting for that. It was originally scheduled for January and I know committee suggested that it be pushed back. Another question would be: When are we going to see that action plan?

The letter indicates that some of these initiatives will be funded from existing budgets but that others will require funding to be put in place. I need a little bit further elaboration from the Minister.

Will there be new funding for these initiatives, or will he continue with the current funding from within policy that we happen to see right now? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, when I talk about the action plan, yes, it’s been directed to us that we need to have more time to engage the general public because it will be their document, their solutions, their ideas and their suggestions. So I have allowed more time for that to happen. We

want to deliver a draft action plan by this fall – that’s the target date – and deliver that in the House potentially I am hoping by February session or sooner. It all depends on the engagement that we’re conducting.

When the Member is talking about using existing resources or new funding, those are a mixture of information that we need to discuss. If there is going to be an ask for new funding, by all means I will be there demanding that within my portfolio. Mahsi.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

I’m very glad to hear that new funding may be on the horizon, but if these initiatives are being implemented in the ‘14-15 school year, the budget for that school year is already over and done, and I am not convinced that we are going to get new money.

I spoke a bit about contingencies for school boards in my statement. Yesterday the Minister, when he was talking about contingencies, stated that, “those monies should be expended into educational programming, so we support that as well.” I am very pleased to hear that the Minister supports spending contingency money on educational programming. He said it I think three times yesterday – I would have to check Hansard to be sure – but my concern is with the fairness of the support that is being provided.

I would like to know from the Minister, in terms of support, does he support forcing the boards to use their contingency dollars to make up for the reduced budgets that he’s implementing? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I am not forcing the school boards to use their surplus on various projects. It is at their discretion to use. We’re hoping and encouraging them to use it towards their educational programming within their district. We will continue as a department working closely with them. My department, as I stated yesterday, is meeting with them now and yesterday and continues to discuss part of the opportunities that we have before us. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. The Minister and I have to respectfully agree to disagree. He is forcing the boards to make one of two bad options. They either use their contingency to fund the shortfall or they have to cut staff and increase their class sizes and reduce the quality of education.

The boards use this contingency money to fund extra staff, so they may get a special needs student who needs an assistant. They may get an extra 20 students in September that they need to find a staff person for.

I would like to know from the Minister, without a surplus, if my board has no surplus, in such a situation where I have an extra 20 or 25 students come September, can a school expect funding assistance from Education, Culture and Employment? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I just want to make it clear. If I was forcing the school boards to use their surplus, I would take all the surplus back, which I am not doing. It is at the discretion of the school boards to use the funding towards educational programming, and we highly encourage them to do that. Some of the boards have, as I stated in this House, substantial surpluses. When it comes to enrolment, if the enrolment goes up, then obviously the financial aspect of the school boards, their contribution increases as well. Those are areas that we continue to closely monitor and provide additional funds if that’s the case. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am following up to my statement today. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. As I stated in my Member’s statement, the last time I brought this issue up with jaundice and the lack of a BiliBlanket being available or having an extra one on hand at the Inuvik Regional Hospital was brought up in February 2013. I was wondering what kind of updates have been happening since then in terms of looking at securing extra equipment such that somebody who does come in that needs a BiliBlanket that we have one extra one on hand. Can I ask the Minister for an update? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In most cases the neonatal jaundice is treated with light therapy and the BiliBlanket is one of the tools that may be used to support individuals that are suffering from jaundice. It’s a clinical choice by the physician providing the service, providing the treatment, whether they use the BiliBlanket or another source. We don’t direct the physicians to use any particular tool. However, I have talked to the department and I have asked for some specific information on the number of BiliBlankets that are available to residents of the Northwest Territories. As soon as I get that information, I will happily share it with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, the photo therapy from the BiliBlankets actually helps reduce the bilirubin

that is built up when the decrease in red blood cells happen. If there is no immediate action taken, that build-up of the bilirubin can become very harmful to the infant. Hence, we have the medevacs.

The cost of the BiliBlanket is about $4,000. If you put the costs associated with a medevac, which is thousands of dollars, why wouldn’t the Minister look at purchasing more BiliBlankets through the Northwest Territories rather than continue to possibly send more medevacs out? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I’m certainly going to have to follow up with the department to ask some additional questions and get some more information for the Member. The BiliBlankets offer the possibility to treat some degrees of jaundice at home for otherwise healthy babies. I acknowledge that there are some advantages here, but there are other methods of treatment as well.

In the Northwest Territories, unlike the rest of the country where the statistical prevalence of this particular condition is about 50 percent in babies, in the Northwest Territories, fortunately our statistics are significantly lower. In 2007-08 it was about 7 percent of babies. It has gone up a little bit, so that for 2011-12 it is about 13 percent of babies.

I acknowledge that there is certainly an opportunity here. I am certainly willing to have additional conversation with the Member. If there are opportunities for cost savings for those babies who the BiliBlanket will work for, I’m certainly willing to explore that with the authorities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Just in terms of the information the Minister is seeking and mentioning that he’s going to commit to, I just want to confirm commitment that he will get a full inventory of BiliBlankets that we have in the Northwest Territories and for the regions and whether he will look at doing something in the smaller communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I commit to getting that information for the Member. As far as providing BiliBlankets in the additional communities, we need to figure out what the rate of prevalence of this particular condition is and figure out the cost balance analysis. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, also known as FASD, affects many people in the North. It impacts every aspect of their daily lives in the way they interact

and participate in society. It often causes them to act in ways considered harmful to the community or themselves.

My first question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is: Does the department consider FASD a treatable condition, or is it considered to be a lifelong chronic condition requiring continuous support? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no cure for FASD that I am aware of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

That was my understanding as well. Today diagnosis of children with FASD is routine, but diagnosis of adults who were not assessed at young ages is a problem and many adults remain undiagnosed. They find themselves abandoned by the system, in trouble, in hospital or homeless and unaware of programs that might help. They don’t have the ability to function in a society that seems uncaring and stacked against them.

What treatment options and support services are in place to identify and help adults who have FASD? Mahsi.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Cognitive behavioral assessments for adults are completed by psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists upon referral from a physician, community health nurse or a community social worker. In the Northwest Territories, we use the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Canadian guidelines for diagnosis, which were developed in 2005. There are a significant number of supports that individuals with FASD can access within the Government of the Northwest Territories. So I would say we are far from not caring for these individuals. We are not stacking against them. We have social workers who can deal one on one. We have mental health and addictions counsellors who can meet with them as well. We have rehabilitation supports to help people transition through activities of daily living. We’ve got case management that’s available, as well, supported living as well as respite services.

Adults with FASD who cannot live on their own may qualify for income support, for shelter, food, clothing, utilities and other things. We do have out-of-territory placement for individuals whose needs are beyond our capacity.

There are a number of things that we do, Mr. Speaker. We certainly aren’t stacking the system against these individuals. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister. This is the impression adults with FASD often have. I didn’t accuse the department of that. Thanks for that thorough description of the services available.

Families put a tremendous amount of time, resources and love into caring for children with FASD who are now adults. When these children grow up, they often remain in the care of their families. Caring for someone with FASD can be difficult, as the Minister knows, and the families become highly stressed and the person confused. They do not know if there is help or how to find it or access it. So perhaps it’s a communications issue.

What measures are in place to reach out to the families who have children, especially adult children, with FASD and help them access the services they need?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

There are a number of services, and I hear the Member, we may have a communication gap in getting this information to the right people at the right time. I know our professionals certainly share the information when they come in contact, but if they don’t come in contact, the Member is right, the individuals who may need the information may not have it. I will have a conversation with the deputy of Health and Social Services to find out and get more concrete information around the types of communication we are using to help get the right information to the right people at the right time. I will share that with the Member and Members on both sides of the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.