David Krutko

I now call the Committee of the Whole to order in consideration of bills and other matters, Minister’s Statement 80-16(2), Sessional Statement and Tabled Document 93-16(2). What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a written question directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. The Mackenzie Delta riding that I represent undergoes a wide variety of medevacs. We have patients travelling for medical appointments.

What is the amount spent on medevac services and patient travel for Mackenzie Delta?

What is the total cost of nursing, mental health, dental, health representative and home care services in the Mackenzie Delta?

What is the cost to operate and maintain health services in Mackenzie Delta communities, and what are the overall O & M costs for each of the health...

Mr. Speaker, again it sounds like a “dream on” answer, where basically nothing is going to happen. So I would like to ask the Minister this: why is it that the community of Fort McPherson, some 900 people, does not have a mental health position in which they receive services two days a month from Inuvik for 900 people?

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services in regard to my statement and the motion I passed back in the 14th Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, the “whereases” refer correctly to the services that are provided in our communities — or in this case, the lack of services. If anything, the service has declined to a point where there are no services in the community of Tsiigehtchic and no programs such as mental health positions in Fort McPherson and also in regard to the medevac emergency service to get people out of our communities to the regional hospital or elsewhere...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to read into the record a motion that passed back in the 14th Assembly, which I moved, seconded by Mr. Leon Lafferty, the Member for Monfwi.

“WHEREAS the stated mission of the Department of Health and Social Services ‘is to promote, protect and provide for health and well-being of the people of the Northwest Territories;’

AND WHEREAS residents in small communities do not have access to the same level of health and social services programs as residents in large communities;

AND WHEREAS services vary between health authorities meaning that some residents are being...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I for one have questions in regard to this process as to how capital has been approved. Yes, we’re into our second year. We’ve concluded one year in regard to the term of this 16th Assembly, so we have only have three years left.

As anybody knows, as long as I’ve been here, if we don’t get anything in capital in two years, it isn’t going to see the light of day until the next election. As a Member who represents small communities and small community infrastructure, there are issues that we’ve been harping about for years and that we fought to get into the capital planning...

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, access for our communities, but more importantly access to gravel sources, is fundamental, especially to communities that are prone to flooding. With global warming these challenges are going to get worse before they are going to get better. We are seeing more and more floods every year. Communities are being affected; forest fires…. I think that as a government we do have to be proactive, reactive. So I’d like to ask the Premier: would he commit to ensure that we have something ready to go to the federal government, hopefully no later than December?

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that Aklavik is prone to flooding and has had several floods in the last number of years. Also with the challenges in regard to global warming and melting, permafrost, structural challenges in our communities, maintenance of roads, public infrastructure, implementing new capital projects in regard to water treatment plants, airport extensions, shoreline erosion, and dealing with the replacement of the Joe Greenland seniors facility…. These are just some of the capital projects that we are looking at over the next number of years.

But, Mr. Speaker, as we all know, in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to get a commitment from the Premier that at least somewhere in going forward we’re looking at a business planning process, pre-budget estimates, capital estimates. I’d like to see somewhere in that picture that there will be mention of the Aklavik access road in the capital project, in future years or whatever. But at least I want to see a name that shows up in the books. Is that a possibility, that we can look at the $50,000 that’s being expended through that infrastructure funding going forward with future capital amounts being listed?

Mr. Speaker, in the meeting that the Premier mentioned in Aklavik, there was a commitment for $50,000 for the committee to begin its work to develop a report so that they can look at the alignment of the access road and the gravel source itself. They would develop a proposal and bring it forward so that we can be able to access the federal infrastructure funding with a proposal moving forward to Ottawa.

I’d like to ask the Premier: is he aware if that commitment has been lived up to in regard to the $50,000 for the committee and the departments to develop that report?