Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, our role from the Department of Health and Social Services side and with this act stated in a number of circumstances we would be directly involved in the quality of the water after it comes out of the plant and delivered to homes. So the testing and that end would be done and we would make recommendations if we were to find substances that were not acceptable. In our case, within the government, we’ve formalized a working relationship with a number of other departments, Municipal and Community Affairs being one of them as well as the Department of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, joining me at the table here, to my right is deputy minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Chuck Parker; further to my right is Dr. Andre Corriveau, at this point, chief medical health officer, Health and Social Services, but that title will change with the passing of this act. To my left is Janis Cooper, legislative counsel, Department of Justice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to introduce Bill 12, Public Health Act. This bill will replace the out-of-date 1950's act and represents the culmination of several years of work by the Department of Health and Social Services.

In developing this bill, the department identified the following goals:

to ensure the chief public health officer has the independence to make decisions and act to protect the public’s health, while having an adequate organizational support structure;

to provide updated and appropriate remedies and powers so that the chief public health officer can protect the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, August 17, I will move that Bill 17, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2006-2007, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have started the process that I think would be the appropriate one. Ultimately, we need the federal government to make that decision. As I stated, we’re working with our colleagues across the territories and provinces and we will be addressing the federal committee of finance or the committee that’s reviewing pre-budget consultation on the federal budget and will be making a presentation there as well. So we’ve got a number of processes in place and we’ll continue to proceed and push those forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as we proceed with this and as we work with other departments involved in this along with ourselves, we will take a look at this as one of the areas. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost effectiveness has to come into play at some point, because if it absolutely fails, it will fail everyone. So I mean that's something we have to keep in mind. The fact is, as I stated, this is not unique just to the Sahtu; it happens in other regions. We've had to try to make a balance of how we operate, how we can function and ensure patient safety. For example, as the Member has highlighted -- and it is a concern to a lot of the communities and regions -- but location of the base stations, as I've highlighted, does come into play when we review this. The...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the fact is the way we’ve changed the service and it’s provided for now has worked. We managed to get into the communities when called upon. Yes, there are a number of communities, not only in the Sahtu but other regions in the territory, where a flight has to go out of one of the two centres. The way the RFP has been structured, we would have one plane situated up in Inuvik that would be dedicated to the service, as well as out of Yellowknife that would reach the other communities. So a lot of communities would have to wait for a flight to be dispatched...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the record, I should state the fact that the RFP has been out there, the time for the RFP has closed, at the end of April '07, and the evaluation is undergoing and will be awarded very soon. I am sure that the department has done the evaluation. I haven't got the latest news on that. So we are going with the RFP that has been established. It has worked for us and we're looking at continuing on with that practice. Thank you.