Jane Groenewegen
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up to my colleague, Mr. Hawkins from Yellowknife Centre, his questions to the Premier today on direct appointments. Recently I put in a request to research asking for a department-by-department count of recent, in the last year, direct appointments. We talk about the loss of the population in the Northwest Territories, about our students who are born and raised, educated in and after they’ve lived here, going south. We have medical doctors who have gone from the Northwest Territories, been trained, and could not beat their way through the bureaucratic...
I think we have a very lively and competent organization here in Yellowknife: Yellowknife Association of Citizens Concerned for Seniors. I’m not getting their name exactly right, but it’s YACCS, I believe. They have set up Aven Manor, Aven Cottages. They have set up a number of institutions for seniors in Yellowknife. They probably even attract people on a regional basis.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, does that society receive funding from this government?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this one step forward. Does the government or the Minister know of any program that provides for reaching out to seniors who are currently living in their own accommodation to see how they are doing health-wise, expense-wise?
You go into buildings and you read in newspapers now and it says if you’re renting accommodation and you’re spending more than 30 percent of your household income on rent, come to the Housing Corporation and we’ll give you a subsidy. I’m not saying that’s a bad program; I’m saying that’s a very a proactive program.
I’d like to know...
I do recognize the department does do a lot of good work with the seniors and for seniors in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister, how does that information they have on the age, health status, housing conditions, how does that translate, that information, into a plan to ensure that we continue to support seniors in the appropriate levels?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I stood up in this House and talked about all the wonderful programs and services available in the Northwest Territories. Today I’d like to focus on one area. That is the area of support to seniors.
People are living longer in the Northwest Territories and we want to keep our population from declining by seniors thinking about having to retire in the South because of the challenges here in the North. In spite of all of our good programs, that’s something that we have to be concerned about. I listed some of the support we do have for seniors, such as Pharmacare...
That is also good news. I would also like to ask the Minister what the government’s position is or strategy is with respect to the sustainability of the support for seniors given that some seniors do receive an extraordinary amount of support, basically living without having to worry about the cost of fuel or they’re living in government accommodation and they don’t have to worry about the cost of fuel or the cost of power. They don’t have to worry about who they’re going to pay to shovel the snow off their driveway. That cost, as compared to the cost of seniors who are much more supported, I...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, I’m not exactly certain who is the Minister responsible for Seniors in this government. Whoever it is, that’s who I’m directing my questions to.
What kind of proactive work is this government doing to establish a survey or a database of information on the up and coming needs of seniors? We say we want to keep seniors healthy, we want to keep them independent, we want to keep them in the North and I would like to ask, how are we anticipating the needs of seniors as our population ages? Thank you.
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Before we begin today, I’d like to draw your attention to the Canadian flags on your desks. In 1996, February 15th was declared National Flag Day of Canada to mark the introduction of Canada’s national flag.
It was on February 15, 1965, that the first flag with its distinctive red and white maple leaf design flew proudly on Parliament Hill in our nation’s capital. Since then the flag has become an iconic symbol of Canada, known the world over and associated with the Canadian ideals of democracy, freedom and respect.
Although we don’t see maple trees in this part of the...
Thank you very much. Next on the list for general comments on Human Resources, I have Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Beaulieu.