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Crucial Fact

  • Her favourite word was hay.
Historical Information Jane Groenewegen is no longer a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Last in the Legislative Assembly November 2015, as MLA for Hay River South

Lost her last election, in 2015, with 35% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Motion 48-17(5): Northwest Territories Disabilities Services, Carried October 5th, 2015

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the mover and seconder of the motion and for them bringing forward these issues in such an articulate manner. I agree with everything that has been said up to this point without reservation and support all of the items that have been spoken to. Honestly, it's one of those things that there should have been more work done on this strategy and all the work that went into it and all the recommendations. It hasn't happened.

I'm glad that even though this is very late in this Assembly, it's being brought up and it will be front and centre of the radar when the new 18th Assembly returns to this House.

I would like to also say a big thank you to the people who do work in the NGOs. Honestly, if it wasn't for the creativity and resourcefulness of the folks who work in the NGOs in this area of disabilities, the situation for persons with disabilities would be even more challenged than what it is right now. So I'd like to thank particularly the Hay River Council for Persons with Disabilities. As Mr. Bouchard has already mentioned, we know them personally and we know how hard they work, we know how committed they are to this cause and we, as a government, have a long ways to go to back them up in what they need. Thank you.

Question 920-17(5): Disposition Of The Former Hay River Hospital October 5th, 2015

We also know that there's been a precedent set many times whereby the government has made a contribution to create a proposal for a program or activity, and a proposal would have to identify revenue sources, potential sources of grants and contributions to run a program.

Would the government also entertain, please, a contribution agreement to such a coalition or partnership in Hay River to develop this property? Thank you.

Question 920-17(5): Disposition Of The Former Hay River Hospital October 5th, 2015

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that there is a pre-set method by which capital assets are disposed of by this government. To the fact that the hospital in Hay River, the old hospital, at some point in the next two to three years, two years perhaps, will no longer be used by this government, I would like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services if this government would entertain an unsolicited proposal from a community partnership coalition in Hay River for the acquisition of that building and land. Thank you.

Member's Statement On Utilizing The Former Hay River Hospital Building October 5th, 2015

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today is on one of my very favourite topics. That is the hospital in Hay River, not the new hospital but the old hospital.

Mr. Speaker, every time we have anticipated what we are going to do with that piece of infrastructure once the new hospital is fully occupied, I have adhered to my belief and my philosophy that just because it's old doesn't mean it's no good, and it's actually not even that old. I was there for the ribbon cutting. I never thought about the meaning of that.

---Laughter

I really do believe that. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, I've hit a brick wall because they say, “Hey, you want a new hospital? You got a new hospital. Surely you don't expect the government to maintain the old one.” Then I was in a briefing about the Stanton Hospital and finally a light came on in my head. Guess what? They are going to build a new hospital in Yellowknife but they're going to give the developers of the new hospital the old hospital. I thought the precedent has been set, the template is there. So now we, in Hay River, need to get together a partnership, a coalition, a group of people in the community, perhaps some NGOs, and we need to look as a group at what the old hospital could be used for. I believe the government might even participate in the old Stanton Hospital to a certain level that they've capped off.

If we were going to actually demolish the old hospital in Hay River, there would be a technical review. There would be the cost of demolition and other costs associated with that. What I would like to get a commitment for is could we get... Now the Minister of Health is pointing at the Minister of Public Works, and that's why I laughed. Sorry.

So, if we could get a commitment that would allow us to go into this project and consider what it could be used for. There are many things that the old hospital could be used for. The other good news is that we have a window of opportunity, because there's 10 extended care beds in the old hospital right now and there's been a slight delay on replacing those 10 extended care beds at the new wing of Woodland Manor, and thank you for that. We're going to move those over there. That means we're going to have this empty building, and there are so many needs in the Northwest Territories, even the need for a territorial treatment centre. I know treatment centre is not a word that this government wants to hear about, but it is still a need. It is an expenditure. It's an operations expenditure of this government to send people to institutions in southern Canada. There is money there.

So, I don't know where this would go, but I want to go back to Hay River with my colleague Mr. Bouchard. We would like to talk to people in the community who may want to think about what we could use that for and then I would like this government to commit to giving Hay River the same consideration they gave Yellowknife in terms of giving this coalition in partnership the old Stanton Hospital. We would like the same consideration. You've set the precedent now; the template's there; we would like to move on that. We might just need a little money to hire a consultant to put our whole proposal together, but we'll be in touch with you on that. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Report of Committee of the Whole October 1st, 2015

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 281-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital

Estimates, 2016-2017

and

Tabled

Document 325-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2015-2016, and would like to report progress and that consideration of Tabled Document 281-17(5) is concluded and that the House concur in those estimates and that an appropriation bill to be based thereon be introduced without delay. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.

Question 915-17(5): Medical Escort Travel Policy October 1st, 2015

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like so many other government policies, this one

needs common sense and it needs flexibility because there are probably lots of times when somebody is going to be an escort for a patient, if they are going for 21 days or more, in all likelihood it may not be practical or it may not be necessary for that escort to stay with that patient for that entire time. It may just be required that they travel with them, make sure they are delivered into the hands of a health care practitioner down there and they may not need someone to stay. You’re not travelling with the patient so your expenses aren’t covered isn’t a very good answer from medical travel

. I don’t know what my question is, except let’s

make it real, let’s make it common sense and let’s make it simple. Thanks.

Question 915-17(5): Medical Escort Travel Policy October 1st, 2015

How much latitude does the person who works in medical travel who issues travel tickets have and are they aware of the discretion they have? In a real life case that I know of, t

he escort was told, “I’m sorry. If you’re travelling

home without the patient, you are on your own hook,” and at the last minute they needed to get home and had to pay full fare for their ticket and so on. So, are the people who issue the tickets in medical travel aware of the fact that they can approve return flights under those circumstances? Do they have the authority to grant that? Thank you.

Question 915-17(5): Medical Escort Travel Policy October 1st, 2015

That is good news to hear, that under extenuating circumstances the escort could find a way home at the government expense. If an escort is only accompanying a patient for a procedure or a surgery or something that’s only anticipated to be a day or two, they may have agreed to it on those grounds, but if it turns out to be a longer period of time, how would that

escort then, without having to pay out of their own pocket, access that return ticket? How would they do it? What’s the process? Who is going to determine what the extenuating circumstances are? How long is that going to take to get approved? Those sorts of things. Thank you.

Question 915-17(5): Medical Escort Travel Policy October 1st, 2015

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services as well. In my Member’s statement today, I talked about a scenario that could occur where a non-medical escort accompanies a patient to Stanton, or I suppose it could be to Edmonton, and they get there and the programed treatment for the patient changes for some reason and the person who is the non-medical escort, out of the goodness of their heart, has probably taken time off work and is there doing this as an unpaid service.

When the program changes and the person who is the escort needs to go home, what are their options for that cost being covered? Thank you.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery October 1st, 2015

Thank you. I

’d also just

like to make a comment on Hilda Camirand and what a cheerful good morning we get as we go down the Ministers’ corridor to our meetings in the morning and just for being the encouraging and supportive person that she is. When I look around the staff and when I look around the Members, there are not a lot of people who predate Minister Miltenberger’s and my arrival here. Mr. Schauerte is one of them. Hilda is one of them. There are not very many, and Hilda’s been there for a long time. She’s an institution and much appreciated by everyone.