Thank you to the Minister. It is important that there is a formulary that would set the parameters of which medications for pain management would be available. I think that in the reviews and in the research, and hopefully in this moving forward in the development of a palliative care benefits program, they talk with physicians and pharmacists in the N.W.T. who are dealing with these patients, who might be able to add a significant amount of valuable input.

So in your research and in your moving forward in this, I’d like the Minister’s commitment that they will involve pharmacists from across the N.W.T. as well as physicians.

In my research on this issue I’ve talked to a number of pharmacists, and it’s clear to me, through discussions with them, that the majority of palliative patients are experiencing delays. They are submitting applications that have to go through the department before they get to Alberta Blue Cross. Alberta Blue Cross has a fairly quick and rapid turn-around time; there’s no question — within 24 hours. It’s getting it to them that’s taking a long time.

We need an expedited process for palliative patients in the Northwest Territories to ensure that they do not have to go out-of-pocket. And they are going out-of-pocket. And if they can’t afford to go out-of-pocket, then they go without until they’ve been approved by the G.N.W.T., the standard or Supplementary Health Benefits.

Once again, I’d like to ask the Minister to develop, or have the department develop, a comprehensive palliative care drug benefits program which includes a formula so that every time a medication is changed or a prescription is changed for the pain management of one of our residents who is

palliative, they don’t have to resubmit another application.

In my Member’s statement today I talked about the lack of a palliative care drug benefits program in the Northwest Territories. Currently the G.N.W.T. does not have a palliative care program. Palliative patients are going through a significant amount of stress, given their condition, and the last thing they need is additional stress built

up on them as they have to deal with prescription medications and getting additional prescription medication from the pharmacy.

Our current process involves filling out an application, sending the application in. The application then goes down to Alberta Blue Cross which administers the Extended Health Benefits Program. Lots of delays; often you have to spend money up front.

My question to the Minister is: for the care and comfort of our residents who have been diagnosed as palliative, would you commit to developing, or having the Department of Health and Social Services develop, a comprehensive palliative care benefits program that has a comprehensive formula for pain management of palliative patients?

I would like to recognize Lena Pedersen as well. She’s a resident of the Great Slave riding.

It has recently come to my attention that the G.N.W.T. does not offer a palliative care benefits program for Northern residents who have been declared or diagnosed palliative by their physician. Palliative patients are those patients who have reached the end stages of a life-threatening disease or illness and require a variety of medications in order to maintain their comfort, and control pain during the last stages of their illness.

Currently, Northern residents who have been diagnosed as palliative may be covered through the

G.N.W.T.’s Extended Health Benefits Program. This is a good program and provides coverage for Northern residents for a wide variety of conditions, including palliative care patients.

Unfortunately, it is limited when it comes to palliative patients. Many of the medications palliative patients require for management of pain are not automatically benefits under the Extended Benefits program. These required medications can be added as a benefit for patients; however, the application process can be quite long. The net result is that palliative patients will either have to go without comfort management prescriptions until they receive approval from the Extended Health Benefits Program, or pay out of their own pockets until they can be reimbursed once their Extended Health application for the prescribed medication is approved.

This seems unreasonable. Palliative patients should not have to wait for the care that will allow them to live their remaining days in comfort and as they choose. Most southern jurisdictions already have the palliative care benefits programs which are expedited in order to reduce wait times for palliative patients. For example, Albertans are guaranteed a 16–24-hour turn-around time for approval, and they often provide them immediately.

Residents of the N.W.T. who have been diagnosed as palliative deserve more than the wait times they currently face. As a government we need to ensure that no additional barriers are placed on the care and comfort and pain management of these individuals during their last days. We need a palliative care benefits program.

Mr. Speaker, later this afternoon I’ll be asking the Minister Responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services questions concerning palliative care benefits programs for residents of the Northwest Territories.

I have written questions here on the G.N.W.T. public service and the N.W.T. Power

Corp salaries and bonuses. My questions are for the Minister of Human Resources.

1) What is the average current salary of deputy

ministers in the G.N.W.T. public service?

2) What is the average current salary of senior

managers in the G.N.W.T. public service?

3) What is the total amount of bonuses paid to

deputy ministers, senior managers and excluded employees in each of the last three fiscal years?

4) What is the average current salary of senior

managers in the NWT Power Corporation?

5) What was the total amount of bonuses paid to

staff and senior managers of the NWT Power Corporation in the last three fiscal years?

Once again, to the Premier, it’s great that the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation is planning to do some of those information releases, but the government is still on the dime for this to a tune of $160 million. I think we have a responsibility as a government to share some of the information with the public, because they are asking us as well.

So once again, I’d like to get the Premier to commit to developing some sort of communications plan about our role in the bridge and the costs to the residents of the Northwest Territories and Yellowknife.

During my Member’s statement, I talked about transparency and accountability, particularly related to the Deh Cho Bridge project. My question is directed to the Premier.

I am glad to hear that information related to the cost-of-living analysis is going to be coming our way — hopefully, by the end of this session — and I think that is a great first step, but it’s just a first step. I hear people in the community, residents, whether they support the bridge or whether they are opposed to the bridge, asking questions. They don’t even understand what is going on. And they are looking for the cost-benefit analysis as well.

In addition to getting it to the Regular Members, I would like the Premier to commit to sharing that information and communicating information around the bridge and the process that has been followed to date to the residents of the Northwest Territories.

I too want to recognize Todd Parsons, president of the Union of Northern Workers, and a resident of the Great Slave riding; as well as Vivian Squires, a resident of the Great Slave riding; and Lydia Bardak from city council.