Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement, we, as a government, need to do a better job filling the positions we have available at the moment. I would like to ask the Minister of Human Resources for an update. It’s been brought to my attention since October 31st, we have a number of positions to be filled in my riding. I would like an update on these positions as of today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the mover and seconder for bringing this motion forward, although I will not be supporting it on the basis that two of the signatories that signed on to devolution are within my riding. As anybody who is familiar with negotiations, those are binding agreements. This is before the federal government at the moment and it hasn’t passed yet, but I realize that this is one of the deal breakers. Anyone who is familiar with negotiations knows that there are deal breakers in any agreement, and this is one of them.

As we move closer to devolution, we have just...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a few comments and concerns to raise with the Minister. First off, it’s been about two years now that through the department we’ve had a commitment to implement the Beaufort-Delta health board back up in the Beaufort-Delta region, and the residents up there are still waiting for a voice from the community to represent them. That’s really lacking up in the region. Although a lot of services are improving, the residents still would like a voice on the board. I think all we need to do is do a bit more training in the financial area. That’s where a lot of the past...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a brief question for the Minister. I know earlier we discussed having an office similar to this put in place in Ottawa with a position also to help fill the relationship with the federal government and lobby on our behalf. So I’d like to ask the Minister if those plans are still moving forward. Thank you.

Just so the Minister is up to date with what happens in the community through breakup and freeze-up there’s also no RCMP in the community. So I don’t think that that’s a valid excuse.

As I mentioned in my statement, the community has done the work to set aside housing for a nurse in our community. Will the Minister work with the community leaders to find a way to put a nurse in that house? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement today, I’ve been told by my constituents that the Minister of Health and Social Services informed the chief of Tsiigehtchic and others that a nurse would not be hired for Tsiigehtchic. The Minister did not even have the common courtesy to inform me of this.

I’d like to ask the Minister, why is the Minister of Health retracting the commitment made by the former Minister of Health and Social Services on February 7, 2013? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a few comments to the opening remarks and the budget for housing as a whole.

I’m glad to see they’re planning to actually replace some new stock in the communities. This year I believe there 19 older public units that are going to be replaced. I hope that one of those units is Bennett Apartments in Aklavik. I believe that is older than I am. I recall in the ‘80s when I went there for the Northern Games, that building was there and I believe it is time to make changes to that.

Also, as I’ve explained, there are a lot of people moving back in the riding that I represent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From what I understand, the policy doesn’t actually affect the licenced practical nurse as it does a full-time nurse. So will the Minister ensure that we make adjustments to the policy to make sure that communities like Tsiigehtchic have a proper nurse? Thank you.

The Minister actually brought up a good point and that point is that the community has a full-time nurse there five and a half months out of the year. So why is it so difficult for the Minister to ensure that we have a nurse in Tsiigehtchic for 12 months out of the year? Thank you.