Glen Abernethy

I would certainly like to sit down with the Member and have that conversation. We do have a hiring practice and procedures that we utilize here in the Government of the Northwest Territories and our authorities. The public administrator will play a key role in the recruitment and retention of a CEO for that health authority. I look forward to having discussions with both the public administrator and the Member on how we’re going to move forward with that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think I was pretty clear on that last week. I plan on working with committee as we move forward on major initiatives within the Department of Health and Social Services over the next two years. This is a consensus government. We need to be partners and we need to work together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Youth addictions prevention promotion activities are key factors in addressing mental health and addictions in the Northwest Territories. This is, once again, outlined in a Shared Path Towards Wellness, A Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan 2012-2015. Within that are a number of current projects that are ongoing which include training of health and social services authorities staff to use early intervention screening tools and counselling techniques to more effectively identify and support youth in dealing with their addictions and/or mental health issues.

Also, the project that the Member...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, November 6, 2013, I will move that Bill 4, Health Information Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as the Member knows and all of the committee knows, there are a number of initiatives going on with the Department of Health and Social Services. I am a new Minister. I have been a Minister far less than a week at this point. I’ve asked for an opportunity to meet with committee to discuss these exact types of things, to talk about where we stand on a number of projects and seek committee’s assistance as we move forward. I don’t really have a date for the conclusion of this medical travel review just yet, but I certainly am looking forward to discussing that with committee. Thank...

Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we are doing a review of medical travel and we are certainly hearing the concerns that are being brought up by the Member and by committee and by the public at large. There is no question that we’re certainly having some challenges with the way that medical travel works today. What I can say is we hear the Member. I will take the information he’s providing. If he has any additional information, please get it to us so that we can include it in the review. As far as how it works out, we need to do that and we need to bring it to committee for discussion. Thank...

I apologize. I know the Member is from the Mackenzie Delta. We have toured the Mackenzie Delta together and I look forward to touring it again.

Mr. Speaker, as we move forward with reviewing the authorities and how things are going and what changes we may have to make, it will most likely, most definitely take some legislation changes. I expect I will be working with committee in short order and I think we will likely have to bring some amendments to the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act that will provide more clarity on accountability, roles and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my responses to MLA Menicoche, there is no question that we want the input from our citizens and our residents. Right now, as the Member knows, we do have a public administrator in the Deh Cho. The previous Minister of Health and Social Services made a commitment to reinstating the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority before the end of this government and we will live up to that commitment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that’s the way it is now. We actually have an acting CEO in the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority. As I indicated, I believe we will be moving forward and I look forward to working with the public administrator to see exactly how that’s going to work out. I will keep the Member informed and I’ll have more discussions with the Member as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s no question that there is an important role for regional boards to play in ensuring that local culture and language are reflected in program delivery and that also the concerns of the communities are heard. We do need to find a solution to this problem.

The boards were originally put in place when the responsibility for Health and Social Services devolved down to the GNWT. At that time, we heard clearly the communities and the people want to be heard. As we know, as I have heard from both Member Menicoche and Blake, it’s not working exactly right and there are...