Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m making this motion today because I believe that Cabinet and the Minister of Health and Social Services are making a mistake, a mistake that would adversely affect all northern residents, a mistake that will cost this government both directly and indirectly. Fortunately this is a mistake that can be easily remedied.

Let’s go back a bit and talk about why Cabinet and the Minister are going in the direction they are with respect to the Supplementary Health Benefits Program. Low-income families who do not have any medical coverage through their employer don’t currently...

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Mr. Christopher Dahlberg and his wife, Kimesha. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to present a petition dealing with the matter of seniors’ health benefits. Mr. Speaker, the petition today contains 1,306 signatures of Yellowknife residents. Mr. Speaker, the petition is a request that the GNWT continue to support the current Extended Health Benefits Program, Specified Medical Conditions Program, Additional Drug Assistance Program and Indigent Health Benefits Program, and that the GNWT not restrict eligibility to income testing and not reduce benefits provided through the above programs in order to fund extension to the supplemental health benefits for...

Where one of our main goals is healthy, educated people, it’s hard to understand why reductions affecting health care we make are in the best interest of the people of the Northwest Territories. Yes, we need to be efficient and make sure that our system is running efficiently and we spend every dollar to its maximum benefit, but what is it in the best interest of the people of the Northwest Territories? I don’t believe cutting health is for the sake of the parks.

Thank you to the Minister of Finance for his budget address today. We certainly live under tough financial times where everybody -- politicians, individuals, households, businesses -- is required to make tough financial decisions. However, it’s not just making tough financial decisions; it’s about making informed and responsible financial decisions. It will require thinking outside of the box for them to take individuals out of their comfort zone.

As a government, I feel that the way we do business can often limit our ability to think outside the box. Specifically, the way we create silos that...

I’d like to recognize a long-time Yellowknifer, a respected senior and a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Ms. Jan Stirling.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you. It has been an interesting couple of months since we last met in this House. A lot has happened. My big issue, which is a major concern to me and my constituents and residents of the Northwest Territories, is the announcement made by the Minister of Health and Social Services two weeks before Christmas, that the Department of Health and Social Services would be eliminating their four very popular supplemental health benefits program, programs which are currently available to all residents of the Northwest Territories, specifically the extended health benefits for seniors program...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in your announcement, you indicated, the Minister indicated that she’s going to be releasing the program, the revised program on September 1, 2009. In my Member’s statement I indicated that I don’t believe that’s a reasonable timeline. I was wondering if I could get the Minister to commit to extending the implementation date to April 1, 2010, at the very earliest and that during the research and facilitation…Sorry, and doing the research and facilitating real consultation with affected stakeholders which will result in an acceptable Supplementary Health...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Clearly it is not the motive of the Cabinet to chase them away, but their actions are, in fact, going to chase people away. The announcement in 2007, you haven’t mentioned any financial analysis. You keep saying analysis. You are now moving forward and you’ve indicated that you are going to do consultation. You indicated that you have done consultation in the past, which clearly was more of an information session. Can you tell me how this time around you are going to do meaningful consultation with the stakeholders? That doesn’t mean you are just going to tell me you...