Bob Bromley

Thank you, Madam Chair. Is this an amount that’s expected to occur on an ongoing basis or is this adjusted from year to year?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to ask, to start off with, if we know currently how many children are in care outside of the Northwest Territories and how many are in care inside the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I noticed the Native Women’s Association grant-in-kind took a bit of a hit there, a 70 percent hit or whatever. Also, the Native Women’s Association funding has increased, not quite as much. Can I just get an idea about what’s transpiring there? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask questions of the Minister of Health and Social Services on the drug purchasing policies, bulk purchasing policies. I understand that the western provinces announced last year that they had an agreement and arrangement for bulk purchases of drugs to cut down the costs. I’m wondering – we heard yesterday that we are at the table with the provinces – have we signed on with that deal. Are we able to take advantage of that deal as several Members of the House recommended some time before that deal was made?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to follow up with the one right below that, the home care. I was happy to see half a million dollars more resources towards that. I wondered if that was directed anywhere in particular or to any particular aspects of the program. Thank you.

I understand that’s $5 million per year for the next four years.

I appreciate that information. It helps gives me some perspective. I wonder if the Minister would know what the experience is locally, even at the Primary Care Clinic. I know from talking to constituents that they really appreciate the nurse practitioner availability, and often, I can’t give you a proportion, but often are very happy to go to nurse practitioners as opposed to a physician. Is that experience significant, do you think, within even the Yellowknife situation, and would the thinking extend to even an enhanced use of nurse practitioners in Yellowknife?

I appreciate the Premier’s commitment there, and I’d love to be copied on the letter to the Board of Management. I hope to see that very soon.

In terms of the program evaluation, I think that is an important role. We have been talking about that in committees and I think, actually, we probably picked that up not only from our own observations but from the repeated calls from the Auditor General’s office for those sorts of activities. That is a very valid role, and I assume that that’s part of the work that they’re doing for these various committees of Cabinet and so on.

I wonder if I can get...

Thanks for the comments from the Minister again. I’m not questioning the comments, but I do want to point out to the Minister that the final checks and balances are indeed the court system. This wasn’t just an NWT failure. This was a total Canadian failure. I think what we need is to bring the accountability and complete the circle. I would appreciate it if the Minister would commit to bringing that to committee on how, in fact, that will be done. We will know that our legal system, which is our final check and balance, will indeed be able to back up the systems that I know the Minister will...

Thanks for the Minister’s comments there. That’s exactly my point. The mental health diversion courts are put in place with no additional costs in other jurisdictions. Sometimes there are additional costs. Usually they’re quite modest. We have, I’m assuming, a lot of programs, and the Minister has indicated some. This is not the mountain that the department is making it out to be. We passed a motion in this House directing, requesting, recommending. It’s been identified repeatedly in committee work. This Minister has said he’s all about prevention. The question remains, what are we doing? What...