Statements in Debates
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You may have heard a report on the radio this morning about how there will be no nurse in the community of Wrigley this year. I had spoken earlier saying that there would be a return of the service to Wrigley and it gave me no pleasure to correct this publicly.
The road to returning nursing service to Wrigley is a challenging one. When I was first elected I was told that there would be no nurse for Wrigley until there is policing. So I worked hard in the last term to ensure the return of policing to Wrigley. The Minister of Justice then, Cabinet, and our...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just for clarification, did the Minister say there was going to be a dedicated position for Wrigley in Fort Simpson? Can she answer that? As well, again, I would like to get a commitment that services, nursing services will be enhanced at least in 2010 as we work towards this dedicated position? Thank you.
I’m not entirely convinced with the Minister’s answer. Once again, one of the tools at my disposal while we’re sitting here during debate of the budget is to delay the budget, Mr. Speaker, and I am prepared to go that far in order to get answers for my constituents. I want the Minister of Health and Social Services to have the same confidence as the Minister of Justice did today and say that nursing is a priority for Wrigley and Tsiigehtchic out loud, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister do that? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 7 on the Order Paper today. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted.
The return of policing to Wrigley is piecemeal; there are slow baby steps; they do have two dedicated RCMP officers, yet they’re located in Fort Simpson and the plan is to eventually relocate them to the community of Wrigley. That’s the type of solution, that’s the type of creativity I’m looking for from the Minister of Health and Deh Cho Health and Social Services. Let’s start by dedicating a nurse to the community of Wrigley, and it does not have to be a resident nurse at this point but at least pay attention to the needs of Wrigley and pay attention to the needs of the residents of Nahendeh...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What happened is the question I have for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Myself and my colleague Mr. Krutko thought we had certainty in the delivery of nursing services for our small communities. I was very happy with the strategy produced by Health and Social Services called a Foundation for Change. It supports enhanced services for smaller communities; for me, the return of nursing to Wrigley in 2010. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services tell me how can this be accomplished? Mahsi.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Just an opportunity to comment on the Department of Justice and most particularly policing. Not so much in this fiscal year’s budget, but in last year’s budget, in terms of community policing for smaller communities, I am very pleased that the House supported two positions for the community of Fort Simpson dedicated towards a long-term goal of establishing a detachment in the community of Wrigley. The increased patrols are welcome for the community. However, they are still supportive of a full-time detachment.
In the course of the discussion with the RCMP, there...
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In my opening comments I indicated the frustration of the people in my constituency about the increasing costs and they actually asked the question, why are we paying over here in Nahendeh when we will hardly be using the bridge. They actually brought up the fact that many other large infrastructure projects in other jurisdictions it is a full toll system for everybody, and one of the fellows brought up the Coquilhalla Highway and it actually pays for itself.
In this case, we are talking about a toll for only 18-wheel trucks or a certain amount of axels, but in other...
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. With respect to the appropriations that are before us, there is the $15 million for advance contribution to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation. I had remained largely in support of the Deh Cho Bridge Project and largely quiet on the issue. However, the feedback I’m getting from my constituency is that their initial gut reaction is they are fed up that they want the taxpaying public to bail out this project. My members were sceptical of the $165 million price tag. Like my colleagues in the House, they knew that over-expenditures were coming. As well, they’re not...
I’m glad that the opportunity is there, maybe there, to salvage as much materials as we can for the public and special interest groups. As to the timing, does the Minister know yet about the timing, when the demolition will begin and when it will be complete? Thank you.